In an interview on the Armchair Expert podcast, actor Jesse Eisenberg explained how his negatively-received portrayal of the villainous Lex Luthor in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice "hurt" his career.
Despite earning over $874 million globally, Batman v. Superman faced harsh criticism, with many reviewers singling out Eisenberg's portrayal for scrutiny. The film also picked up four Razzie Awards, including one for Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill as the worst on-screen combo, while Eisenberg earned a Razzie for worst supporting actor for his performance.
He recalled that the criticism was particularly hurtful because the film was so widely seen by the general public:
"I was in this Batman movie and the Batman movie was so poorly received, and I was so poorly received."
"I've never said this before, and it's kind of embarrassing to admit, but I genuinely think it actually hurt my career in a real way because I was poorly received in something so public."
“In the industry, if you’re in a huge, huge movie and not seen as good, the people who are choosing who to put next in their movie are just not gonna select you.”
Eisenberg described the experience as "depressing," particularly given his personal enthusiasm for the project:
"I loved my role and I loved the movie, doing it and everything. So I feel just myself is to blame. I'm not like they did me wrong. No. I'm like, 'Oh, I guess I did something wrong there.' And so it did feel like I had to climb out again."
“It was depressing, but I’m depressed all the time in some ways. Just like, ‘Oh, yeah, of course, I had this great opportunity. Of course, it didn’t go well.’ Just pessimism.”
You can hear what he said in the video below.
- YouTubeyoutu.be
Opinions were mixed, with some saying director Zack Snyder deserves at least some of the blame for Eisenberg's performance and the final product.
Eisenberg, who received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in 2010's The Social Network, is currently experiencing a career high.
He is the writer, director, and star of A Real Pain, a film about cousins who reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their grandmother but run into personal tension along the way. Eisenberg has received plaudits for his directing, is nominated for Best Screenplay and Best Actor In A Comedy at Sunday's Golden Globes, and his co-star Kieran Culkin is widely seen as a favorite for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
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