#Chris Evans Recalls His Nightmare Audition for a Seth Rogen Movie

Chris Evans portrayed Captain America as a man who never backed down from a challenge, no matter how much pressure he felt, from the US government to the U.N., to alien despots. But Evans the actor is a different person from his character, and he recently revealed to Backstage magazine the time he failed an audition for a Seth Rogen movie called Observe and Report not once, but three times.

“I walked in the room, and there were [Seth Rogen] and the director and a producer, and for some reason, my brain just started shrieking, just screaming, “No, no, no.” I began my audition, and about three lines in, I got this wave of sweats and my face went red. Mid-audition, I said, “I’m sorry, guys. I’m sorry. I’ve got to stop.” It’s even worse because they were incredibly nice about it, like, “No, it was great. You were doing great.” I said, “Let me just go to the hallway and collect my thoughts.” I go into the hallway, I collect my thoughts. I’m laughing at myself. Go back in, we start up again, and it fucking happens again. My face just goes so red. I start sweating and I have to stop again.”

In the past, Evans has been honest about the severe bouts of anxiety he suffers from, and how they have occasionally hampered his abilities as a performer. But like a true Captain America, the actor refused to back down and vowed to jump back into the ring to go another round with the audition process… with the same result.

“I go to my car and I call my agent and I say, “That was a fucking nightmare. Whether I get this movie or not, I can’t let that be the last taste they have in their mouths. I’ve got to come back tomorrow and do this again. You’ve got to get me back there. I’ve got to do it again.” They were like, “All right, but they said you were OK.” I’m like, “They’re lying. It was terrible.” They got me back in a couple of days later and I’m back in. Don’t you fucking know, it happened again! [Laughs] There’s a wave of heat and sweat and I had to stop again. And I just say, “Guys, I’m so sorry…I’m just going to go.” I did not get that role.”

The actor can now look back on that disastrous experience with a degree of detachment, knowing his career turned out all right despite not having been selected for the role of a supporting character in a Seth Rogen film.

After playing the role of Captain America in multiple MCU films (a role he initially turned down multiple times}, Evans has the financial security and box-office clout to do any project he chooses without worrying about how it will affect his career. The actor’s latest project, the Apple TV show Defending Jacob, sees Evans in the role of an assistant district attorney forced to defend his son against charges of manslaughter. This news originated at Backstage.