Michael Cera was known for so long as the awkward dweeb bumbling around both the independent circuit and the Judd Apatow stratosphere. And to some, he’ll always be Evan from Superbad or Paulie Bleeker from Juno or George Michael from Arrested Development (although you’ll have to act fast if you want to see it). But Michael Cera knows it’s easy for viewers to pigeonhole him, even if he doesn’t quite understand what the term “typecasting” entails.
“I guess I don’t really know what typecast actually means,” Michael Cera told The Hollywood Reporter. “I think it could either mean the work that you do or the way that people perceive you. And those are two different things. When you think about the big roles people know me for, then I guess it’s kind of easy [for] people to categorize me in their brains. And I understand that.”
Still, Michael Cera has tried to also focus not just on projects that grab his attention, but also those he considers interesting and with directors he admires. Take David Lynch, for example, who cast =Cera in the Twin Peaks revival. It’s far from a typecast for Michael Cera, but boy is it strange. And how it came about even has its own unique backstory.
“I did a transcendental meditation course with some friends, and a woman there said she was from the David Lynch Foundation and invited us to meditate with David Lynch,” said Cera, checking off what must be a bucket list item for the likeminded. “So about a month later, we went to David’s house, which is the house from Lost Highway, and at first it was me and David. He was so sweet and welcoming, but I was still just so confused about why he was having us, why we were allowed to be there and meet him. I was so excited. So we meditated with him for about 20 minutes. And then a couple of years later, I got invited to do this Twin Peaks scene…I only worked with David for about two hours when we shot that scene, but it was so much fun.”
Typecast or not, Michael Cera does continue to choose interesting projects. OK, last year’s Paws of Fury might not even be for his die-hards, but this year’s The Adults gives him a deserved leading role and the upcoming Barbie will certainly add to his oddball demeanor.
Do you think Michael Cera was overly typecast for too long? What is your favorite performance of his? Let us know!