Actor and filmmaker Jesse Eisenberg has said that winning a Razzie Award for his performance in Zack Snyder’s 2016 superhero film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice damaged his acting career and prompted him to explore filmmaking and directing to keep his career afloat.
Eisenberg, 43, opened up about the impact of the award during an appearance at the BFI London Film Festival while promoting his film The Debut, according to Variety.
“Listen, a lot of it just came from fear,” Eisenberg said, explaining that he could no longer secure roles in studio films after receiving the parody award for his portrayal of Lex Luthor in the superhero movie.
“I couldn’t get into movie studio parts anymore because I had won a Raspberry Award from [being in the] Batman movie … and I saw the trajectory,” he added.
Eisenberg starred opposite Ben Affleck, who played Batman, and Henry Cavill, who portrayed Superman, in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. His performance as the iconic villain earned him the Worst Supporting Actor award at the Golden Raspberry Awards, popularly known as the Razzies.
The film also won the awards for Worst Remake, Rip-off or Sequel, Worst Screen Combo and Worst Screenplay.
Reflecting on the uncertainties of the acting profession, Eisenberg said, “If you’re an actor, you’re constantly panicked about ‘Am I on an upslope or a downslope?’ Because there’s no plateau. Acting is just this unstable, awful industry where you are either on the treadmill and you’re doing okay and you’re running up or you are yesterday’s news and it’s awful. And if you’re a paranoid person like me, you see it way in advance.”
He explained that his concerns about his career trajectory led him to start writing and directing films.
“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,” he said, according to People.
Influence of the film industry
The The Social Network actor also spoke about how the film industry shapes an actor’s career by indicating the kinds of roles they are expected to pursue.
“The industry did not want me to be in a superhero movie, and if you’re smart and self-aware, you learn that quickly,” he said.
Eisenberg added that actors need to recognise how the industry perceives them and understand the implications for their future opportunities.
“And you know, 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. And so the industry tells you what it wants and if you want a career in the arts you have to follow the things that you’re being told are liked,” he said.
Despite the criticism surrounding his superhero role, Eisenberg continued to appear in major film projects, including sequels to Now You See Me and Zombieland, as well as Snyder’s Justice League.
He subsequently moved into filmmaking, making his feature directorial debut in 2022 with When You Finish Saving the World, which he also wrote. His directorial work was followed by the 2024 film A Real Pain.
Eisenberg had also spoken about the impact of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice on his career during an appearance on the ‘Armchair Expert’ podcast in 2024.
“I was in this Batman movie and the Batman movie was so poorly received, and I was so poorly received,” he said at the time.
“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,” he added, according to People.
Source: Khaleej Times