‘Fantastic Four’ Star Miles Teller Quit Press Tours After Being Called “Kind of a Dick,” Says “It Felt Like a Violation”

Miles Teller has spoken openly about why he stepped back from doing traditional press interviews, saying a past magazine profile changed the way he feels about speaking to journalists. The comments came during the Cannes Film Festival, where he is promoting the film Paper Tiger.

The information comes from an interview Teller gave to IndieWire while attending Cannes. He was there to support director James Gray’s competition film, where he stars alongside Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson.

Miles Teller explained that his discomfort with press interviews goes back to a 2015 Esquire profile that he believes misrepresented him. The article became widely known for describing him as “kind of a dick” and suggesting he would “charm the world with his dickishness.” It also opened with a line that set a negative tone, reading, “You’re sitting across from Miles Teller at the Luminary restaurant in Atlanta and trying to figure out if he’s a dick.”

Teller said the experience changed how he approaches interviews. He told IndieWire, “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.’ It felt like such a violation of what actually transpired.”

He also explained that after reading the finished article, he felt it did not reflect who he is. He said, “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?’”

Teller added that he feels the media often focuses more on negative framing because it gets more attention. He said, “It’s unfortunate that being a good person, that doesn’t sell. People want to click on the negativity.” He also noted that the experience was long-lasting for him, saying the interview happened many years ago but still affects how he works with the press today.

Even with his concerns, Teller did appear at Cannes to promote Paper Tiger, a new film directed by James Gray. The movie also stars Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson. It follows two brothers whose plan to improve their lives goes wrong after they become involved with dangerous criminals. Teller plays Irwin Pearl, a family man who accidentally causes trouble after witnessing criminal activity.

Driver’s character, Gary Pearl, is a former police officer who tries to fix the situation, but ends up pulling the brothers deeper into danger instead of solving their problems.

The film is set in 1986 and focuses on crime, family, and survival as the story unfolds in a tense and violent situation. It is scheduled for theatrical release later this year through Neon.

Teller also responded publicly years ago on X, after the Esquire profile was published. He wrote at the time, “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.”

Despite the controversy from the past, Teller said that people he works with directly, including directors and crew members, know who he really is. He said, “The actors, the directors, the crew and the producers all know who I really am because you can’t hide who you are when you’re on set.”

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