Eric Andre rejected Oscar-winning role in A Real Pain
Eric Andre turned down the opportunity to feature alongside Jesse Eisenberg in 'A Real Pain' - with the role going on to win Kieran Culkin an Academy Award.
Eric Andre turned down a part in 'A Real Pain'.
The 42-year-old comedian has revealed that he was approached by Jesse Eisenberg to star in the film - about two cousins who reunite for a Jewish heritage tour through Poland in memory of their late grandmother - but declined to take the part as it "sounded really miserable", a decision he now regrets as Kieran Culkin went on to land the Best Supporting Actor Oscar last month for his portrayal of the character Benji Kaplan.
Eric told the 'Whiskey Ginger' podcast: "Two years ago, Jesse Eisenberg called me (and) offered me the role that Kieran Culkin got the Oscar for.
"I was like, 'That seems really miserable and not in my lane.'
"To go to Poland for six weeks and shoot a movie where we're just babbling about the Holocaust seems like a bummer."
The actor continued: "I was like, 'Appreciate the offer. I'm sure it's gonna be great. I don't think that's what I'm looking for right now.
"The m*********** won an Oscar for the role I passed up. It's not like I get offered roles constantly."
Kieran admits that he almost said no to the movie himself as he didn't want spend an extended period of time away from his wife Jazz Charton and their two children, but is grateful that he had a change of heart.
The 'Succession' actor recalled: “The thing with saying no to the movie, it wasn’t for any creative reason it’s just the way the schedule changed and it was taking me away from my kids for a month so I was like, ‘No’. But then I got talked into it and obviously I’m very glad that I was."
Kieran explained that he made an instant connection with Eisenberg's script but it was only later on that he realised he'd based his portrayal on somebody he knows.
He said: "It felt different, the script was incredibly tight, I didn’t wanna rehearse or talk about it or anything. First time I read something where I was like, fully understand this guy, I don’t even want to read it again, I wanna show up on the day and go, ‘What scene? Oh yes, this one’ and the words got in here quickly because they were so well written, so that was a fun new approach.
"It felt like I knew who this guy was, but I couldn’t identify it and didn’t want to analyse it, I know who this guy is, I’m just gonna read it.
"It wasn’t until a year later that I watched it that I was like, 'Oh my God, I know someone exactly like this and I didn’t realise I was doing that.'
"The moment I realised, my wife leaned over to me in the theatre and said his name in my ear. I was like, 'You’re right, I’m totally doing him and I didn’t even know.'
"That was an unusual experience, I’ve never had that before."
