Chris Evans is Captain America. It's a dream role for generations of kids weaned on the ultra-patriotic super soldier -- and one he initially refused to take. Again and again.
In this month's GQ cover story, which hits newsstands June 21st, Evans talks about his role in the upcoming Marvel big screen epic, saying that he wanted to no part of it at first, before introspection took over.
"I said no a bunch, and every time I said no, I woke up the next morning so happy and content," he reveals. "I kept saying no; they kept coming back. And eventually I was like, 'You know what? This is your biggest fear — this is exactly what you have to do.'"
Now that he's counting down the days to its July release, the massive marketing campaign and expectations are a whole other set of problems for him.
"The problem is, if the movie's bad, that's one set of problems. If the movie's great, here come the sequels, here come the f*ckin'…" he says, before catching his complaints -- no need to sound petty, he insists.
That being said, he has felt the sting of perception -- even if it was good for his career.
When he got the role of a smarmy Hollywood villain in "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World," he learned a hard truth about himself.
"The character's supposed to be this horrible actor and a douchebag, and I get the job and so many people were like, 'You're perfect, you're gonna crush it!'" he joked. "I was like, So I got this role as an a*shole actor, and you guys think I nailed it? That I'm a natural and that nobody in town can do it better?"
Evans' frame fluctuates wildly in the film, as he goes from a 5'7, 120 pound kid to a massive, sci-fi creation of a man. But while the special effects made him smaller, the muscles you see on screen are all him. It's something he spoke about with USA Weekend in April.
"They went back and forth on the type of technology they were going to use. Initially, they were just going to do body shrinking, and then they thought, 'Well, maybe we can get another skinny actor and put Chris' head on it,' and I really, really was against that," Evans said. "I said to Joe [Johnston, director], "Look, I know we want this to look good and this effect to not be distracting from the film, but it has to be my performance. I don't want to share this. Your body is a huge piece of the acting puzzle, and I don't want to have somebody else's body tell the story that I'm trying to tell.' So they did some tweaking and they did a bunch of tests and we went back to the initial plan to shrink my body."
It may have been impossible, though, to come off poorly in the interview, given the relationship he fostered with the article's writer; instead of a profile of Evans' career or adjustment to coming megastardom, much of it reads a dating log.
"We were heading our separate ways for dinner first. I said I was going to call a cab, but Chris laughed and insisted on his driver taking me back to my hotel. In the vast backseat, Chris was even more fliirtatious than before, touching my arm and my knee," the author, Edith Zimmerman, writes. "At this point, which was a…number of drinks in, it was easy to forget that it really was an interview, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind that something might happen (and that we'd go to the Oscars and get married and have babies forever until we died?). But there was always the question of how much of it was truly Chris Evans, and whom I should pretend to be in response."
Whether it was an actor looking for good PR or more, it's hard to say. But if "Captain America" does as expected at the box office, Evans will have all the good press he can handle. Even if he doesn't want the attention.
WATCH
:
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.