Michael Cera turned down 'Harry Potter' spinoff role over fears he would get too famous

Michael Cera turned down the chance to join the wizarding world of Harry Potter over fears he would become too famous.

The actor explained why he passed on the role of Jacob Kowalski in the 2016 spinoff film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in a recent appearance on The Louis Theroux Podcast.

Cera says he did not entertain the idea of accepting the role when he was being considered for the part.

"I did, sort of, make a conscientious choice to limit my exposure a little bit, or just try and be a little more in control of it," Cera said. "Doing like, especially little kids movies, I had a big fear of doing things that would get me too famous. I think that's changed a little. I think I've outgrown that particular feeling, but I think that's what that was at that time."

Cera also said he had a difficult time adjusting to fame in his youth. He would "react poorly sometimes to being recognized" and struggle with feeling a loss of control when fans gave him attention.

In Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Jacob Kowalski is a muggle factory worker who learns about the wizarding world through his friendship with Newt Scamander, played by Eddie Redmayne.

Dan Fogler went on to play the part of Jacob in all three Fantastic Beasts films.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.