Every year the Razzie Awards roll around, honouring the worst acting performances of the season. But although the ceremony is meant to be a bit of fun, DC star Jessie Eisenberg says winning one in 2017 seriously affected his career.
"I couldn't get into movie studio parts anymore because I had won a Raspberry Award from [being in the] Batman movie," said Eisenberg at the BFI London Film Festival (via Variety).
Eisenberg was awarded the Razzie, officially known as The Golden Raspberry, for worst supporting actor for his performance in the 2016 DC movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The star played villain Lex Luthor across from Henry Cavill's Superman and Ben Affleck's Batman. The movie itself took home four Razzies in total, including worst sequel, worst screenplay, and worst screen combo.
However, what was supposedly meant to be a lighthearted joke made Eisenberg change direction in his career. "A lot of it just came from fear," added the star. Eisenberg moved away from acting and began to pursue writing and directing. "The industry tells you what they want from you. The industry did not want me to be in a superhero movie, and if you're smart and self-aware, you learn that quickly."
In fact, Superman v Batman's bad reception made him turn away from the superhero genre altogether. "It's the unsuccessful actor that goes, 'No, I want to be in more of those.' It's not going to happen, and they don't want you there, and they wouldn't have given you a Raspberry Award if they wanted you there. That's an award for bad acting," he explained. "So I was like, 'I've got to direct movies.' That's why I started writing them, just to kind of keep my career afloat, really."
Since the 2016 movie, Eisenberg has written and directed movies When You Finish Saving the World, the Oscar-winning 2024 flick Real Pain, and new release The Debut. But Eisenberg is still acting, starring in movies such as Vivarium, and returning for sequels Zombieland: Double Tap and Now You See Me: Now You Don't.
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