Jonah Hill 'hated' one Superbad co-star so much that he ‘didn’t want them to get the role’
Teen cult classic Superbad would've looked very different if Jonah Hill had had his way and prevented one co-star from being cast in an iconic role.
Released in 2007, Superbad marked Hill's first lead role, opposite Michael Cera. The film, directed by Greg Mottola and written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, launched the careers not just of Hill, but of a host of young stars, including Cera, Emma Stone and newcomer Christopher Mintz-Plasse.
However, the cast of the movie produced by Judd Apatow would've been short of a phenomenal portrayal of teenage awkwardness due to Hill's intense hatred for his co-star.
We're talking about Mintz-Plasse, at the time a 17-year-old just fresh out of high school and drama school, who went as far as insulting Hill during his audition.
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What Jonah Hill said about Mintz-Plasse
Speaking to Vanity Fair in 2022, Hill reminisced on meeting Mintz-Plasse for the first time.
After the first audition, the future Kick-Ass star was the only one getting a callback where he got to read with Cera and Hill.
Looking back on their first meeting, Hill said that Mintz-Plasse was 'really, really amazing off the bat', though he added that he found him 'annoying' at the time.
"I think he was really annoying to me at that time," Hill said.
Why Jonah Hill hated Mintz-Plasse so much
What could've possibly happened in that audition that rubbed Hill the wrong way? Mintz-Plasse clarified the mystery about their quasi-beef during Fan Expo Chicago.
"Jonah Hill hated me so much after my audition. I get it, I was 17, I was not a professional actor, I was in high school and we're playing high school kids," he recalled.
"So Jonah's roasting me - and you remember being in high school, you just like yeah it's my f**king buddy roasting me, it's not going to bother me, I'm going to roast him back. And that's what I did in the audition.
"And I left the room... and Jonah's like 'f**k that guy'."
What other cast said about Jonah Hill's reaction
The other cast and creative team involved seemed to be amused at Hill's instant dislike of Mintz-Plasse, which made him perfect to play the dorky McLovin.
Rogen, who also played Officer Michaels, said: "Jonah immediately hated him. He was like - 'that was f**king with my rhythm. I couldn't perform with that guy'."
Producer Apatow also remembered Mintz-Plasse being 'very caustic', adding that he 'attacked Jonah and did improvs insulting Jonah', hence why the almost feud between the two of them.
Apatow also said that Hill had asked for Mintz-Plasse not to be cast but, luckily, the producer pushed back.
"That's exactly why we’re hiring him. It couldn't be more perfect," Apatow recalled saying. "The fact that it bothers you is exactly what we want."
Topics: Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Emma Stone
Stefania Sarrubba