Michael Cera reveals he turned down a role in the Harry Potter prequels

The Harry Potter franchise is one of the most successful pieces of pop culture in recent history. It has spawned a slew of films, books, an upcoming television series, theme parks, merchandise, and more. One of these is the spin-off series, Fantastic Beasts, which covers different eras from the Harry Potter wizarding world and universe.

The spin-off series has had a lot of success and helped boost many of the actors' and actresses' careers. However, there was one actor who could have been considered for the role, but turned it down before he was even given an offer. Why would he refuse such a potentially impactful role? He had two reasons, and one may be especially surprising.

Michael Cera is an actor most known for his roles in a mix of comedies and dramas, including Arrested Development, Superbad, Juno, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Barbie, and The Phoenician Scheme. For much of his early career, he was known as a quirky individual one might expect to see in the indie comedy genre.

One franchise that may have led him in a different direction was Fantastic Beasts, in which he was considered for a role, but he declined. He cited two specific reasons why he said no. The first was the time commitment. He chose not to engage with the opportunity due to what was expected to be a six-year time commitment, something he was not ready to commit to at the time.

The other reason, though, is more surprising. Cera shared with the Louis Theroux Podcast that he wanted to avoid films that would be too popular, or put him out there too much. This is more surprising, since for most celebrities in that industry, higher exposure is a huge plus for them and their career growth and arcs.

Cera explained his thinking.

"I did sort of make a conscientious choice to limit my exposure a little bit, or just try and be a little more in control of it," Cera said. "And I felt like doing, especially little kids’ movies, I had a big fear of doing things that I would get too famous."

"I think I’ve outgrown that particular feeling, but I think that’s what that was at that time. But if a franchise came along now and seemed interesting, I don’t think on the grounds of it being a franchise I would storm out of the office or anything.”

It appears he is more open to more mass-marketed opportunities now, though it is clear where his comfort lies.

Perhaps that makes sense for an actor most known for having a quirky, indie style niche personality in movies. He would want to ensure the project matches who he aims to be. That said, some opportunities can be too big to pass up for many in the industry.

I respect the fact that Cera has a certain image in his mind of what he wants to be and sticks to his guns about it. Despite working in multiple genres, it is clear that he is selective with the projects he chooses to take on. While he no doubt would have been a great addition to Fantastic Beasts, he had made his mark on the industry in different ways as well, including in the recent blockbuster Barbie.

Fantastic Beasts has also done fine, releasing three different films, all of which are available on Max. Stay tuned for more updates on Harry Potter news as well as the upcoming MAX television series!

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