Miles Teller has revealed that he deliberately avoided magazine interviews for years following a controversial 2015 profile that went viral for portraying him negatively. The actor, now 39, described the experience as a violation during a recent interview at the Cannes Film Festival.
Background of the Viral Profile
The 2015 Esquire article on Teller began with the journalist attempting to determine if the actor was a d***, concluding later that he was, despite his charm. Teller responded at the time, stating he did not find being a d*** cool or entertaining. Over a decade later, he told IndieWire that the story caused him to step back from written press because he felt it inaccurately represented him.
Teller's Reaction to the Profile
"That was so mishandled," Teller said. "The reason why I have not done profiles is because I said, 'Wow, if I'm not doing this interview on camera, this person can misquote things or put things out of order or say things that didn't happen.' It felt like such a violation of what actually transpired." He noted a disconnect between his portrayal and his real behaviour.
Teller told his team, "Guys, I don't think I'm doing this again, because I'm reading this and this doesn't sound like me to me. This is not life, so why would I ever want to be a part of something where they can just put that in?" He added, "It's unfortunate that being a good person, that doesn't sell. People want to click on the negativity. If you go to bed and put your head on your pillow and how you treat people truly, that's what matters. That interview was like 12 years ago."
Career After the Controversy
Following the bad press, Teller starred in Fantastic Four months later, which was critically panned. However, he landed a major role in Top Gun: Maverick (2022), which was a huge success. He is expected to reprise his role alongside Tom Cruise in the third installment of the franchise. Recently, Teller played Michael Jackson's attorney John Branca in the biopic Michael and starred in Eternity with Elizabeth Olsen and Callum Turner. At Cannes, he is promoting Paper Tiger with Adam Driver.
Teller concluded by saying his colleagues know his true character, adding, "You can't hide who you are when you're on set."
