In a recent interview with The Guardian, Michael Cera (Juno), opens up about why he disappeared from mainstream Hollywood. The 35-year-old Brampton, Ontario native rose to fame after playing Evan in Superbad (2007) and Paulie Bleeker in Juno (2007).
Of the intense fame he received that year, Cera told The Guardian:
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.
Cera found a lot of fans had a lack of respect for physical space, especially if alcohol was involved. For a while, he thought he’d quit acting. Luckily, he was able to find projects he loved and still fly under the radar. He and his wife, Nadine, welcomed their first child in 2022.
Following his retreat from blockbuster Hollywood films, Cera starred in 84 episodes of Arrested Development (2003-2019) alongside costar Jason Bateman (Horrible Bosses). He played roles in some lesser-known films, including How to Be a Latin Lover (2017) and Lemon (2017). He also did some voice acting in films like Sausage Party (2016) and The Lego Batman Movie (2017).
Cera signed onto his first big live-action blockbuster in years with Greta Gerwig’s Barbie (2023).Â
In the Mattel toy-inspired film, Cera plays Allan, a real doll introduced in 1964 as a friend to Ken. He was discontinued soon afterward. Still, this appears to be a refreshing change from all the Kens running around, played by Ryan Gosling (The Notebook), Simu Lui (One True Loves), and Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education).
The new film focuses on a listless Barbie (Margot Robbie) who leaves the Barbie world to travel to the real world. Barbie and Ken (Ryan Gosling) go on a journey of growth and self-discovery along the way.
Watch the official Barbie trailer here:
Barbie is set to release on July 21, 2023.
