Michael Cera Almost Quit Acting at 19 After ‘Superbad’ Fame Led to a Crisis: ‘I Wanted to Stop Taking Jobs That Would Make Me More Famous’

variety.com:

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Michael Cera revealed in an interview with The Guardian that he suffered a career crisis at 19 years old after his career exploded thanks to the 2007 releases of awards juggernaut “Juno” and R-rated comedy blockbuster “Superbad.” Both films made Cera a recognizable actor, but that made life difficult for him in return. “I didn’t know how to handle walking down the street,” Cera said. “Fame makes you very uncomfortable in your own skin, and makes you paranoid and weird.

There were lots of great things about it, and I met a lot of amazing people, but there’s a lot of bad energies, too, ones that I was not equipped to handle.” Cera cited “drunk people” as a “classic example” of how fame became uncomfortable to handle. “You know, if people are drunk, and they recognize you, and they’re very enthusiastic, but it can be kind of toxic too,” Cera said. “When you’re a kid, people also feel they can kind of grab you — they’re not that respectful of you or your physical space.

I didn’t know how to respectfully establish my own boundaries. It was like a burning feeling the whole time, just like everybody was so aware of me.

It was a mistake.” “There was a point where I wanted to stop taking jobs that would make me more famous,” he continued, noting that he passed on a “Saturday Night Live” hosting offer much to the disappointment of his agents. “I was kind of having a bit of a crisis.