Jonah Hill reportedly despised his Superbad co-star so much that he directly asked for him not to be hired.
If you want to feel old before getting into this article, then you should know that Superbad was released all the way back in 2007.
The comedy followed Jonah Hill as Seth alongside Michael Cera as his schoolmate Evan as they tackle everything that most high school boys will encounter.
Trying to fit in, romance, and trying and failing to get their hands on alcohol.
The film basically follows the pair trying to get some booze to go to a house party hosted by classmate Jules (Emma Stone).
Throughout the movie, they encounter other characters who help the narrative move along, like Seth Rogen and Bill Hader playing cops, and of course, Christopher Mintz-Plasse playing McLovin.
Well, Mintz-Plasse almost didn't get his iconic role all because of Jonah Hill.
Hill, who played the hot-headed, hormonal Seth, admitted he wasn’t exactly vibing with Mintz-Plasse during auditions. “Chris was really, really amazing off the bat. And I think he was really annoying to me at that time,” he said to Vanity Fair.
It turns out, Hill wasn’t exaggerating. Executive producer Judd Apatow backed up the story: “In the audition, he was very caustic and attacked Jonah and did improvs insulting Jonah.”
Apatow added: “Jonah said, ‘I don't like that guy. I don't want him doing it.’ And I said, ‘That's exactly why we're hiring him. It couldn't be more perfect. The fact that it bothers you is exactly what we want.’”
Seth Rogen, who co-wrote the film and also played Officer Michaels, confirmed the tension. “Jonah immediately hated him,” he said. “He was like, ‘That was f***ing with my rhythm. I couldn’t perform with that guy.’”
Hill’s reaction might’ve been intense, but ironically, it solidified Mintz-Plasse’s place in Superbad history.
His portrayal of Fogell, complete with the now-legendary fake ID that simply read “McLovin” became one of the most quoted and recognizable characters in modern comedy.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Mintz-Plasse admitted he was shocked to even get a callback after his open audition, especially since many of his drama class friends also tried out.
“Which was a little weird,” he said. He eventually read alongside Hill and Cera and unknowingly ruffled feathers in the process.
And it wasn’t just Hill who had mixed feelings at first. Director Greg Mottola recalled: “He played it like he was clearly the coolest guy in the room and everyone else was a nerd and a loser. He was Dean Martin instead of Jerry Lewis.”
Mintz-Plasse also shared his perspective during Fan Expo Chicago: “Jonah Hill hated me so much after my audition. I get it, I was 17, I was not a professional actor, I was in high school and we're playing high school kids.
“So Jonah's roasting me - and you remember being in high school, you just like yeah it's my f**king buddy roasting me, it's not going to bother me, I'm going to roast him back. And that's what I did in the audition.
“And I left the room... and Jonah's like 'f**k that guy'.”
But time (and box office success) heals all wounds. Mintz-Plasse said the pair eventually buried the hatchet. Hill later messaged him saying he should have “big bro’d” him after the audition and taken him under his wing.