Michael Cera Was About To Give Up Acting Forever Before Scott Pilgrim

There are many aspiring actors who dream of Hollywood but may not fully realize the level of stress that comes with success and recognition. These things are hard to deal with even for a full-grown adult, let alone for those just out of their teens.

From media pressure to fans who don't understand the concept of personal boundaries, fame can be a lot to handle, and sometimes these problems lead young actors to abandon their Hollywood dreams forever.

This almost happened to Michael Cera, who found himself in a very vulnerable position after the release of Superbad and Juno. Only 19 years old and already facing a level of popularity he wasn't ready for, the actor almost left the profession and ended his career before it had a chance to develop.

Cera recalls having "a bit of a crisis" in his recent interview with The Guardian. Fortunately, he was able to overcome it and learned to manage his own emotions and the way people treat him, but it was a real problem at the time.

"That was sort of overwhelming. I didn't know how to handle walking down the street. 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," the actor shared.

The amount of attention on his persona was not something Cera was used to or comfortable with. Especially when it came to fans who couldn't control themselves under the influence — those encounters left the actor exhausted and questioning his career choice. He went to the extent of thinking about not going back to acting.

The only thing that kept him in the profession was Edgar Wright's 2010 film Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, for which he was already signed. Out of sheer commitment to the director and the story they were excited to tell, Cera continued to act and work out his approach to his celebrity status along the way.

If you want to see what Michael Cera is up to today, check out Greta Gerwig's Barbie in theaters. The movie is set to premiere on July 21, so mark your calendars and pick up a ticket at your local theater.

Source: The Guardian