Actors who refuse to watch their own movies

You’d expect movie stars would love seeing themselves shine on the big screen, but not all do. For many actors, the job ends when the director yells “cut” for the last time. Whether it's avoiding the emotional weight of intense roles, cringing at their own voice, or just being their own worst critic, plenty of stars skip watching the final cut.

With hectic schedules, overlapping projects, on-set drama, and bad memories, there's a long list of reasons why some would rather move on than relive it all. So yes, actors are just like us: slightly allergic to watching themselves on video.

Curious why some of your favorite starts refuse to see themselves on screen? Click through the gallery to find out! 

Cillian Murphy

Cillian Murphy may have an Oscar and over 60 acting credits, but he’s skipped watching most of his own films. He confessed he once “hated” seeing himself on screen, like in 'Red Eye' (2005), but these days he’s trying to be less self-critical.

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp prefers performance over playback. The 'Edward Scissorhands' (1990) star avoids watching his own films, saying once filming wraps, it’s “none of [his] business.” He’d rather stay in blissful ignorance than relive it on screen.

Jared Leto

Believe it or not, Jared Leto hasn’t seen his own movies in over 20 years. The Oscar winner says watching himself would lead to endless second-guessing. The last one he sat through was 'Requiem for a Dream' (2000), and only because Darren Aronofsky insisted.

Emma Stone

Emma Stone couldn’t sit through 'Easy A' (2010). Despite its cult status, the actress left a friends-and-family screening before it ended. She’s never watched the full film, just a few scenes, and prefers not to see herself on screen.

Andrew Garfield

Andrew Garfield keeps the magic alive by staying off-screen. 'The Amazing Spider-Man' (2012) star avoids watching his own performances, saying it might ruin the creative spark he treasures most: the mystery of getting lost in a role.

Constance Wu

Constance Wu keeps her focus forward. While she made an exception for 'Crazy Rich Asians' (2018), the actress says she won’t watch newer films like 'Hustlers' (2019), not out of dislike, but to stay present and avoid falling into self-criticism.

Al Pacino

The legendary actor told USA Today he doesn’t feel the need to revisit his work: “I’ve seen it; I know what it is.” But if one of his classics pops up on TV, he might just stop and watch for a moment.

Jesse Eisenberg

In a Business Insider interview, Jesse Eisenberg revealed he doesn’t watch his own films or plays, nor does he read reviews or analyses of his performances.

Megan Fox

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Megan Fox shared that insecurities keep her from watching herself on screen, making the experience too uncomfortable despite her fame.

Andrew Lincoln

Andrew Lincoln avoids watching himself on screen to avoid focusing on mistakes. He told Entertainment Weekly that staying truthful in his roles means steering clear of reviews, good or bad, to keep his focus intact.

Rupert Grint

Best known for his role in the Harry Potter series, Rupert Grint shared in a Variety interview that he only watched the first three movies during their premieres and hasn’t revisited the films since. However, now that he has a daughter, he’s considering watching them together.

Dakota Johnson

Dakota Johnson has a refreshingly irreverent take on her career, often poking fun at Hollywood and herself in equal measure. Despite coming from a legendary acting family, she doesn’t take things too seriously, and that includes never watching her own films. 

Marlon Brando

Marlon Brando had a notoriously rocky experience filming 'Mutiny on the Bounty' (1962), with endless script issues and on-set tensions. In the end, the film flopped, and unsurprisingly, Brando never bothered to watch it, just like many of his other films.