Key Takeaways:
– Charlie Wright, who played Rodrick Heffley in the film ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul’, claimed the negative backlash from fans “ruined” his acting career.
– Wright addressed this issue in a recent YouTube and TikTok video, gut-wrenchingly stating that he received death threats for playing the role.
– Despite the online criticism, Wright has moved on but indicates a significant impact on his career.
– Wright’s revelation sparked a conversation about the need for a systemic change in the entertainment industry.
Actor Charlie Wright, renowned for his role as Rodrick Heffley in the fourth live-action ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ film, recently broke his silence about the impact of the bitter backlash he received back in 2017.
Backlash After The Casting Announcement
Following the initial release of ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul’ trailer, a wave of negative reactions blighted Wright’s newfound fame. Key among these reactions was the online movement christened with the hashtag #NotMyRodrick.
Authored by Jeff Kinney, The Long Haul was a standalone sequel to the third film ‘Dog Days’. In the film, Wright played Greg Heffley’s older brother, assumingly a role that would kickstart his career. However, the casting didn’t go down well with fans who voiced their displeasure en masse online.
Wright’s Harrowing Experience
In a video uploaded to YouTube and TikTok, Wright candidly revealed his feelings about the backlash. He said, “When the world found out I was playing Rodrick, they weren’t very happy…For the better half of 2017 and honestly until like 2018, I was kind of a worldwide meme.”
The trend soon escalated into severe mockery, with even some issuing death threats, which left the typically humorous Wright rattled. Subsequently, even after seven years, the film’s YouTube trailer comments remain closed.
The Actor’s Psychologically Damaging Experience
In a shocking admission, Wright declared that he went through “a depressive episode for almost three years” due to this intense and mostly unjustified outrage.
He added, “To have people saying they wished I was dead for just doing my job was kinda crazy… no one was really there to guide me through it or help me.”
Despite the backlash subsiding, there were still stragglers who continued to belittle Wright via his social media channels, which he admitted had been disturbing.
Wright’s Career After The Backlash
The aftermath of this experience had a significant effect on Wright’s career, who says it’s “ruined” but assures that he’s still alive and has moved on. However, the scars remain. “No one was there to really guide me through it or help me. I just had to suck it up and deal with it; I had to figure it out on my own and it took me three years to finally let go and move on,” said Wright.
Fans Demand Change in Hollywood
Wright’s candid experience has ignited the need for systemic changes in the industry. Fans are increasingly frustrated about unnecessary online abuse that actors have to face. The conversations via various platforms argue that actors need to be seen as playing characters, not being them in reality.
Looking Forward
Despite the 2017 film not boding well with fans and having a low score on Rotten Tomatoes, Wright’s fans hope to see him in a new role soon. In the meantime, ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul’ is available to stream on Disney Plus.
