After over 30 years in the business, John Corbett has no love for Hollywood.
The “Sex and the City” star, 63, appeared on David Spade and Dana Carvey’s “Fly on the Wall” podcast last week and admitted that he regrets becoming an actor.
“Look, I’m in the fourth quarter of the football game now, in life and in showbiz. It’s just a fact,” Corbett said. “So I can reveal now I picked the f–king wrong thing to do with my life.”
The “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” actor, who has been married to Bo Derek since 2020, explained that he hasn’t liked being told what to do since he was a kid, which is partly why he’s unhappy in his career.
“I picked something to do with my whole life for my fulfillment of my work life, which is, ‘Dude, stand here, say this, put this on, look this way, say it faster, cut your hair like this,’” he said. “You feel like a puppet.”
Corbett continued: “Have you ever sat in a f–king waiting room of a doctor’s office for like an hour and you’re going, ‘What the f–k?’ For me, that’s what making a movie is like, because I’m not part of any creative process.”
He also brought up Emma Stone, who has been heavily involved behind-the-scenes in her recent projects like the films “Cruella” and “Poor Things” and the show “The Curse,” and said that he wishes he had those same opportunities.
“I’m just telling you, I made a lot of money. I live in a beautiful home. People come to me in every f–king restaurant I go in. I’m a friend of the world,” he said. “But as far as a fulfilling creative work life, I didn’t write one f–king line. I didn’t write one joke to make people laugh. So it’s been unfulfilling on that level.”
“You know, there were some good times here and there, but most of it’s sitting, waiting for them to f–king knock on your door to go, ‘Hey, we need you to come back and say that thing again,’” Corbett went on. “And to me, man, it’s such a boring f–king life.”
Corbett broke through in Hollywood with his leading role in the 1990s TV series “Northern Exposure.”
He gained more fame playing Sarah Jessica Parker’s on-screen love interest, Aidan Shaw, in “Sex and the City.” He reprised the role in the ongoing revival series “And Just Like That.”
Corbett also starred in “United States of Tara” and “Parenthood.”
On the big screen, Corbett has starred in the “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” and the “To All the Boys” film franchises. His other movie acting credits include “Raising Helen,” “The Messengers” and “The Boy Next Door.”
Last year, Corbett told the New York Times he didn’t think he had the talent to become an actor at the start of his career.
“I was the hunky guy and women would gush,” he said. “I don’t think one person has ever come up to me and said, ‘Hey, I think you’re a good actor.’”
He also admitted that he was never overly passionate about his career.
“I’ve made friends with the idea of, this is just what I do,” he explained. “When the phone rings and it feels like the money’s right and the place is right and the time is right, I’ll go be this guy that these people want.”
