Miles Teller Says 2015 Esquire Profile Led Him to Avoid Interviews

Miles Teller said a 2015 Esquire profile misquoted him and led him to stop doing print interviews.

The 39-year-old actor told IndieWire that the piece left him wary of editorial profiles because he felt the writer put statements out of order and described events that did not happen.

"That was so mishandled," Teller said. "The reason why I have not done profiles is because I said, 'Wow, if I'm not doing this interview on camera, this person can misquote things or put things out of order or say things that didn’t happen.'"

He added that the experience felt like a violation of what actually took place.

Teller said he told his team he no longer wanted to take part in that kind of press. "Because I’m reading this and this doesn’t sound like me to me," he said. "This is not life, so why would I ever want to be a part of something where they can just put that in?"

He noted that negativity draws clicks. "So it’s unfortunate that being a good person, that doesn’t sell," Teller said. "People want to click on the negativity."

The actor said the 2015 interview took place about 12 years ago and that how a person treats others matters more than public perception.

Teller said actors, directors, crew members and producers see a person’s true character on set because no one can hide who they are while working.

After the Esquire story ran, Teller posted on social media that the magazine could not have been more wrong. The article carried the headline "Miles Teller is on a quest for greatness (with a bit of d---ishness too)." Teller replied that he did not think there was anything cool about being a jerk or an asshole and called the piece very misrepresenting.

Some social media users questioned Teller’s account and said people who have met him described him and his wife as unpleasant. Others said they understood why he became cautious after the experience.