9 Actors Reveal Why They Don’t Watch Their Own Movies

It took Shia LaBeouf many hours to watch all the movies he acted in. But not all his star colleagues share the same passion for their own work. Many of them can’t stand the idea of watching themselves on-screen. And each of them has their own reason for not doing so.

We at Bright Side have found 9 celebrities who confessed that, despite their love of the shooting process, watching the result is not, and never will be, on their agenda.

1. Reese Witherspoon

It seems like Reese Witherspoon dives so deeply into a role that it literally feels like she has lived someone else’s life. That’s why she even forgets about the scenes she was actually in: “I sometimes catch the odd clip of something. I look at it and think, ’I have absolutely no memory of that.’ It’s really weird.”

Well, no wonder she doesn’t like to watch any movies she was in.

2. Julianne Moore

Julianne Moore has a great filmography. She’s earned multiple Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations. But the Hunger Games star reveals that she can’t sit through any of her films. And she even confesses that she hasn’t seen any of them.

“I can’t sit there for a premiere or anything. I like being in the movie more than I like watching them. That’s my big thrill, rather than seeing the finished product.”

3. Johnny Depp

This 3-time Oscar nominee is also well-known for not watching his own films. He says that he made that choice a long time ago and since then has never ever watched anything he acted in. Even during interviews, when they show some clips out of his movies, he listens but doesn’t look at the screen.

“I feel like it would just harm me. I would rather stay as ignorant as possible about the result of anything because once you’re done playing that character, it’s really not your business anymore.”

4. Rupert Grint

The Harry Potter star also can’t stand watching himself in movies. He states that he has seen probably the first 3 episodes of the Servant at the premieres, but after that, he stopped watching them. “But now that I have a daughter, I will probably have to watch them with her.” So maybe it’s really not a good idea to give him a box set as a housewarming gift after all.

5. Jared Leto

Oscar-winner Jared Leto doesn’t usually watch his own work. But there have been a few exceptions, like Requiem for a Dream and Blade Runner 2049. “As soon as you watch it, that’s when it becomes subjective,” he says. “I’m not sure how much win there is for me.”

He also says that watching his movies is not that interesting because he already knows how they will end.

6. Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix is a very talented actor, but he himself has seen only 2 of his many films: Her and The Master. He hoped that watching his own films would help him to learn and grow as an actor, but it seems he can manage it all without it. ’’I thought I might be mature enough to watch and learn," Phoenix said. “To think: These are the mistakes that were made. But it’s still something I struggle with.”

7. Javier Bardem

The fact that Javier Bardem likes to create characters doesn’t mean that he likes to watch them being made, watch his own performance, become a witness of the process, and look at it all from a different angle. He is also too judgmental when it comes to viewing his work on screen.

“I can’t even watch that nose, that voice, those ridiculous eyes. I can’t handle that. But when I’m doing it, I don’t see my nose or hear my voice; it’s like there’s something stronger, bigger than that. And I need to express it.”

8. Jesse Eisenberg

Jesse Eisenberg avoids watching himself on screen, and he doesn’t read any critical comments, reviews, or analyses of movies he’s been in or of his plays. He states that he likes to work in this bubble without thinking that it’s going to be scrutinized by many people. “To take that burden off yourself of thinking about how it’s going to be perceived by other people or myself has kind of made me feel that much more comfortable.”

9. Maggie Smith

In an interview with Steve Kroft on 60 Minutes, the British actress said she was proud to film Downton Abbey. But she confessed that she hasn’t watched her own character, Lady Grantham, in action. “Because it’s frustrating. I always see things that I would like to do differently and think, ’Oh, why did I do that?’” Hopefully, she’s not that judgmental of her Harry Potter character.

If you were an actor, would you watch the movies you appeared in? Why or why not? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.