JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
'I Really Couldn’t Stop Crying': Jesse Eisenberg Opens Up About Emotional Struggles While Filming The End Of The Tour
Jesse Eisenberg has shared how playing a deeply envious character in The End of the Tour left a lasting impact on his mental health. Here's what he said.
-
Jesse Eisenberg revealed that filming The End of the Tour deeply affected his mental health
-
Eisenberg played a fictionalized version of writer David Lipsky, who struggles with envy
Jesse Eisenberg recently opened up about the emotional toll he experienced while filming the 2015 drama The End of the Tour. Speaking in a GQ video, Eisenberg revealed that the project left a deep impact on his mental health, sharing that he was glad when filming wrapped as he encountered intense emotions throughout the process.
In The End of the Tour, directed by James Ponsoldt, Eisenberg plays a fictionalized version of writer David Lipsky, who reflects on his time interviewing novelist David Foster Wallace, portrayed by Jason Segel. The storyline, which unfolds after Wallace’s death, required Eisenberg to embody a character grappling with feelings of envy and inadequacy.
Eisenberg shared that the character he was playing [Lipsky] was a deeply envious person. He is interviewing a writer that he’s deeply envious of, and it was very uncomfortable for him and very emotional for him to be in that role.
Eisenberg shared that the role affected him more than he anticipated, though he couldn’t entirely pinpoint why. He said he was confused if he was going through something in his career at that time or something that, for some reason, just mirrored what was happening in that movie, and he said it just was killing him.
The actor revealed that he struggled to manage his emotions while filming, often crying during scenes even when it wasn’t required. “I really couldn’t stop crying during the scenes,” Eisenberg said. “And then the director told me to stop crying during the scenes.”
Despite the director’s guidance, Eisenberg found it difficult to hold back his emotions. He said it was hitting him in an emotional way that he couldn’t explain even to a therapist, which he was probably mistakenly not going to at the time.
Eisenberg also shared how his admiration for Segel contributed to the emotional intensity of the experience. He said that he just had these very strong feelings for Jason, the actor, who’s wonderful in the movie. He added that he’s an imposing person, and all these profound feelings of inadequacies were eating him alive during that movie.
The movie’s tight budget and demanding schedule also added to Eisenberg’s challenges. The production required long hours of filming with limited breaks, which left little time for the actors to step away from their characters.
Eisenberg shared he was just in this world, and it actually felt quite unhealthy for him. He was glad when the movie ended, even though it was one of the most creatively inspiring experiences he had ever had.
Know more about Jesse Eisenberg:
Latest Articles
