Imagine this scenario: You sit down with your friends to watch a critically acclaimed movie starring a talented actor. The movie features a main character with questionable morals who makes decisions that get his enemies killed. Interestingly enough, this famed movie was based on a book that came before it. Not only that, but you know a number of people who have seen this movie because it has become so well known. A film critic would guess that this awe-inspiring movie is The Godfather, and its main character Pacino’s Michael Corleone.
The film critic would be wrong in this assumption because the movie is actually Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. You are currently watching Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
It is fair to say that Michael Cera is an established actor, well-known for his comedic movie roles and awkward characters that seem quite similar to himself. The Canadian actor played George Michael Bluth in Fox’s sitcom, Arrested Development. A quiet and obedient teenager, George Michael works at the Bluth family’s frozen banana stand and has a crush on his cousin. In 2007, Cera portrayed one of two main characters in the movie that would change the lives of teenagers: Evan in Superbad. No one can escape this movie. If you yourself are not a fan or have not seen it, one of your friends definitely has.
There isn’t anyone better at playing the lead role of an awkward young adult with the voice of a boy still struggling through puberty. If there were an Oscar for this specific category, every other nominee had best go home because Michael Cera would win with each movie release. Even playing a character who gets a school friend pregnant in 2007’s Juno, Cera made waves in an ocean of coming-of-age movies.
Most recently, Cera stole hearts by playing Allan, the (you guessed it) awkward friend of Ken’s that helped Barbie take back Barbieland from the patriarchy. Everything Michael Cera touches is gold.
Take, for example, Blaze Foley’s song “Clay Pigeons.” For his 2014 album, Cera covered the song and it became a staple on the album. Not only an actor, but a singer and musician as well? Michael Cera is my inspiration.
Michael Cera never misses. He always understands the assignment. Film critics don’t like to recognize that fun movies with a quirky, awkward virgin as the main character are worth their time. With that being said, Michael Cera could have done The Godfather, but Al Pacino couldn’t have done Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Michael Cera could absolutely write “Revolver,” but the Beatles could only hope to write “True That.”
Michael Cera balances work life with his personal life in a way that we could only dream of being able to. No one knew he had a child with his wife until Amy Schumer spilled the beans in 2022. Michael Cera manages to hide his talent from film critics who don’t appreciate him enough, and an actual child from the rest of the world.
Michael Cera knows something that we don’t, and I just know he has the secrets to the universe.