Reminder: Jordan Peele Quit Acting After Being Offered Role of Poop Emoji in The Emoji Movie
Even with its reputation as one of the most atrocious works of cinema to ever creep its way onto the silver screen, The Emoji Movie is actually so much worse than a critically panned, dystopian nightmare highlighting each and every one of Hollywood's critical flaws. Yes, reader, as the internet rediscovered last week, The Emoji Movie, a film so terrible that it somehow fared lower than The Room on Rotten Tomatoes, caused more damage than merely sending each critic forced to sit through it into a seemingly impenetrable state of existential panic – it also drove beloved comedian Jordan Peele to prematurely retire from acting.
Despite the popular misconception that Peele began focusing on directing following the astounding success of his widely copied 2017 horror film Get Out, it seems being offered a part in The Emoji Movie pushed him over the edge, a tidbit he confirmed while accepting a Directors Guild of America Award in 2018.
“The Emoji Movie actually helped me quit acting,” the filmmaker said after winning the prize for best first-time director, per Vanity Fair. “I was offered the role of Poop," he continued, noting that he would not “make this up.” Although at the time, he was horrified by the prospect of appearing as a poop emoji in the highly-cursed movie, allegedly telling his manager “that’s f----- up," he ultimately considered the offer. “I’m going to sleep on it," he recalled.
Yet by the time Peele awoke the following day and started inquiring about potential pay, his chance to star as a literal pile of shit on the big screen had already passed him by. “'They’ve already given it to Sir Patrick Stewart,’” Peele recalled his agent informing him. "I was like,
‘F--- this.’” F--- this indeed, Mr. Peele. But hey, considering its absolutely atrocity, at least we can say it's for the best.
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