Miles Teller’s Bad Reputation Is Catching Up With Him

Many know Miles Teller as Rooster in “Top Gun: Maverick,” but his career took off long before that. He had roles in “Rabbit Hole” and “Footloose,” and his 2014 performance in “Whiplash” made him a rising star. However, fame seemed to inflate his ego, leading him to disparage his contemporaries. In an interview with The New York Times, Teller remarked, “I feel like a lot of actors of my generation are not proper actors.” He added, “I want to break out of that whole group of actors in their early 20s and really start to put stuff down that lets you know I take this seriously.” He then boldly stated, “I’m pretty hot right now.”

Reputation is crucial in Hollywood, and this wasn’t the first time Teller tarnished his by talking to the media. A year before his New York Times interview, the “Fantastic Four” actor belittled one of the movie franchises that made him a star, prompting significant backlash.

Despite not being at the level of Leonardo DiCaprio or Morgan Freeman, Teller should have been grateful for roles that brought him box-office success. However, he criticized his 2014 film “Divergent” in an interview with W Magazine, stating he wasn’t interested in his role. “I didn’t have an interesting part, and I’d taken the film for business reasons,” he said. “It was the first movie I’d done that was going to have an international audience. I called my agent and said, ‘This sucks.’

Following his comments, Teller’s representatives released a statement via The Hollywood Reporter, expressing regret for his words and emphasizing his value of the relationship with Lionsgate. Teller also addressed the issue on X, formerly Twitter, stating, “I’ve never done a movie for ‘business’ reasons.’ I’m proud to be a part of [the] ‘Divergent’ franchise and love all of Peter’s Princesses.”

In 2015, Miles Teller’s overconfidence was starkly apparent during an interview with Esquire. While discussing his rapid rise to fame with “Divergent” and “Fantastic Four,” he shared an exchange with Kobe Bryant, comparing their struggles for greatness. Throughout the profile, the author characterized Teller unfavorably, noting instances like him casually referring to Joaquin Phoenix as “Joaq.”

The interview sparked significant criticism, prompting Teller to defend himself on social media. “@esquire couldn’t be more wrong. I don’t think there’s anything cool or entertaining about being a d**k or an a**hole. Very misrepresenting,” Teller posted on X. Despite his efforts to clarify, his reputation as arrogant and full of himself persisted.

Since the Esquire article, Miles Teller has been defending himself, trying to alter public perception. In an interview with The Guardian in 2015, Teller reflected on the misrepresentation, stating, “Oh, I felt frickin’ helpless, I felt extremely misrepresented, I felt a little angry. For the average person, they are reading this article… they’re like, ‘Oh Miles is an a**hole. You didn’t hear it? You didn’t read that Esquire? Yeah, she said he was an a**hole — he must be.'” He emphasized his middle-class roots and relatability, hoping to shift opinions.

Years later, the interview still haunted him. In 2017, Teller told Vulture, “Maybe some people have been turned off of me because I take what I’m doing pretty seriously and I don’t feel the need to charm everybody. So, do I think of acting as a popularity contest? No. Was it tough for me when that Esquire article came out? It was.”

Miles Teller’s controversial image continued when, according to the Daily Mail in 2021, he halted production on “The Offer” by contracting COVID-19 after refusing to get vaccinated. An insider claimed, “Miles Teller is not vaccinated. He wouldn’t even get the test. Now he’s brought the virus to the set and the whole set had to shut down.” Teller’s publicist responded with, “Your facts are incorrect.”

Teller faced further scrutiny after appearing in Taylor Swift’s music video for “I Bet You Think About Me,” which was filmed during the pandemic. Critics questioned the decision to hire him, calling out his anti-vaxxer reputation. Teller refuted these claims, stating on now-deleted social media posts that he was vaccinated, emphasizing that he doesn’t condone hate.

Initially cast in “La La Land,” Miles Teller was set to play Sebastian Wilder. However, he was replaced by Ryan Gosling. According to Esquire, Teller’s agent informed him, “Hey, I just got a call from Lionsgate. Damien [Chazelle] told them that he no longer thinks you’re creatively right for the project. He’s moving on without you.” This led Teller to text Chazelle, “What the f**k, bro?”

Per Page Six, Teller allegedly sought an additional $2 million, which contributed to his recasting. Emma Watson, also initially attached to the project, reportedly demanded that rehearsals take place in London. An insider claimed, “Now both Miles and Emma Watson are raising hell with their agents for not securing the roles for them — even though it was the actors’ fault for being too demanding.”

Teller later stated he wasn’t bitter. “I’m a pretty strong believer that everything happens for a reason,” he shared with Vanity Fair. “I’m happy Damien made the film he wanted to make. I don’t get jealous of good reviews. Once you start getting envious of accolades, it’s never going to be enough.”