Miles Teller On Why He Stopped Doing Press Profiles After He Was Labeled As “Kind Of A Dick”: “People Want To Click On The Negativity”

Miles Teller is opening up about why he stopped doing press profiles and how he has taken control of the narrative around his persona.

While at the Cannes Film Festival, where he was promoting James Gray’s Paper Tiger, in which he stars alongside Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, Teller addressed the 2015 Esquire profile that had categorized him as “kind of a dick.”

“That was so mishandled. The reason why I have not done profiles is because I said, ‘Wow, if I’m not doing this interview on camera, this person can misquote things or put things out of order or say things that didn’t happen,’” Teller said in an interview with IndieWire.

He continued, “It felt like such a violation of what actually transpired. I told my team, ‘Guys, I don’t think I’m doing this again, because I’m reading this and this doesn’t sound like me to me. This is not life, so why would I ever want to be a part of something where they can just put that in?’ So it’s unfortunate that being a good person, that doesn’t sell. People want to click on the negativity. If you go to bed and put your head on your pillow and how you treat people truly, that’s what matters. That [2015] interview was like 12 years ago.”

The actor added, “The actors, the directors, the crew, the producers, you can’t hide who you are when you’re on set.”

In 2015, Teller called out Esquire on Twitter, now known as X, and said the publication “couldn’t be more wrong,” adding, “I don’t think there’s anything cool or entertaining about being a dick or an asshole. Very misrepresenting.”

@esquire couldn’t be more wrong. I don’t think there’s anything cool or entertaining about being a dick or an asshole. Very misrepresenting

— Miles Teller (@Miles_Teller) August 5, 2015