Top 10 Actors Who Don't Watch Their Own Movies
#10: Gwyneth Paltrow
Paltrow doesn't spend much time watching her own films. Nowadays, she's more preoccupied with other ventures like her company "Goop." On more than one occasion, the actress has mentioned that she really dislikes watching any of her projects, including her acclaimed role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This resiliency actually extends to Paltrow's kids, who also avoid their mother's movies, claiming that it’s “weird” to watch her on screen. As she shifts her focus to her business and family, there's even less chance that the actress will view her role as Pepper Potts any time soon.
#9: Jesse Eisenberg
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Jesse Eisenberg brings a mix of awkward comedy and quirkiness to his many roles. Even though we love it, Eisenberg himself doesn't like to engage with these performances because he feels it opens him up to a lot of self-inflicted criticism and second-guessing. Since the late 2000s, his constant and determined work ethic contributed to his Oscar-nominated turn in "The Social Network" and successful comedies like "Zombieland." There’s a good chance he owes part of that to his refusal to get caught up in his acting. Avoiding reviews and excessive media attention, the performer finds fulfillment in looking toward the next project.
#8: Reese Witherspoon
As a successful lead actress and a producer, Reese Witherspoon has a high quality catalog of material to replay over and over. However, the performer prefers to keep pursuing future projects instead of focussing on past ones. She even went so far as to say that she "would spiral into a state of self-hate" if she watched her stuff back. Witherspoon also mentions that, if she does happen to come across some of her old work, she rarely remembers it. Even if she prefers not to see herself on screen, we’re just glad the performer shows no signs of slowing down.
#7: Javier Bardem
Javier Bardem finds watching himself to be an unenjoyable experience, to the say the least. The talented performer, who won an Oscar for "No Country for Old Men," loves acting far more than he does experiencing the end result. If he watches anything back, he’ll pick apart his physical appearance – which is crazy talk to us, but we digress. The magic seems to come when he doesn’t have to see himself, and we’re so glad that, despite his negativity, the talented and multilingual artist presses on with critically-lauded work.
#6: Andrew Garfield
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Oscar-nominee Andrew Garfield generally ignores his performances after he wraps filming. Typically, the actor will find self-reflection to be a distraction from his technique. Garfield did happen to see films like “The Social Network,” but several other high-profile roles have escaped him. He doesn't want to over analyze his films only to end up feeling uncertain about his art and negatively affect any subsequent efforts. This means he hasn’t seen even some of his most popular stuff, such as "The Amazing Spider-Man" or "Hacksaw Ridge." Still, his devotion to his work brings him prosperous opportunities and near-endless accolades.
#5: Adam Driver
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Adam Driver's rise to mainstream success came after several breakthrough roles, the most notable being Kylo Ren in the "Star Wars" franchise. Building his talents on TV and in the theater, he feels that the work is all about what happens on stage or on set. Driver has openly stated his displeasure of watching or even hearing himself. In an interview with National Public Radio, the actor even walked out when the radio host played a clip of him from "Marriage Story." It's clear that he doesn't have any time or interest in being confronted with his recorded self. Even if the performer can't stand the sight of himself acting, his work continues to be among the best of his generation.
#4: Julianne Moore
From "Boogie Nights" to "Kingsman: The Golden Circle," Moore's diverse filmography is enjoyed by legions of fans. Despite her great roles in critically-acclaimed films, Julianne Moore skips out on sitting through her own work. The "Still Alice" star takes great pride in her efforts without needing to see the final product. She's clearly missing out on several decades of incredible and award-winning performances but her focus remains on the acting itself, with the craft serving as the ultimate reward for her. One could easily argue that it's this kind of vision that leads to an Oscar win.
#3: Johnny Depp
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Johnny Depp might be famous for playing Jack Sparrow, but he actually doesn't watch his pirate anti-hero on screen. In an interview with David Letterman, the actor mentioned that he avoids looking at his films, instead preferring to move on to the next movie without reviewing any old ones. Like other performers of his ilk, he feels that his work is done by the time shooting comes to a close. While we can't blame him, we also think he's missing out on many fan favorites from "Edward Scissorhands" to "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
#2: Nicole Kidman
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Academy Award-winning actress Nicole Kidman features in a variety of acclaimed film and TV projects that she actively avoids. Critical of her performances, she makes few exceptions when it comes to considering watching them. The exception in question, you might ask? Baz Luhrmann films. Appreciative of the director's vision and big screen spectacles, the performer picks out "Australia" and "Moulin Rouge!" as two of the only roles she dares to check out. There's no telling the number of great projects she's willfully passing up the chance to view. We can’t believe she’s never seen her Oscar-winning turn in "The Hours"!
#1: Joaquin Phoenix
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Joaquin Phoenix has been known to be an intense and dedicated actor. This might contribute to his aversion to watching himself on screen as Phoenix admits that he rarely ever views his films. In fact, he says that he's only viewed a few of them during his entire career. Reportedly, the actor watched his Oscar-nominated role in "The Master," after the director encouraged him to do so. He also says he ended up seeing the Academy Award-winning film "Her." In spite of his self-consciousness, the artist still churns out fascinating work year in and year out.
