Jonah Hill thought 'Superbad' co-star Christopher Mintz-Plasse was 'really annoying'
Edward Segarra, USA TODAY Edward Segarra
In a Vanity Fair interview published Wednesday, Hill revealed the two actors didn’t get off on the right foot during his audition.
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USA TODAY
First impressions may not count for everything, especially in the case of "Superbad" co-stars Jonah Hill and Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

For the 15th anniversary of the 2007 teen comedy, the cast and crew dished on the making of "Superbad" in an interview with Vanity Fair published Wednesday. Hill – who played Seth – said that while he was impressed with Mintz-Plasse's talent, the two didn’t get off on the right foot during his audition.

"Chris was really, really amazing off the bat," Hill told the outlet. "And I think he was really annoying to me at that time."

Director Greg Mottola recalled Mintz-Plasse portrayed the role of Fogell, aka McLovin, "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."

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Judd Apatow, a producer on the film, added that Hill became the butt of Mintz-Plasse’s acerbic jokes.

"In the audition, he was very caustic and attacked Jonah and did improvs insulting Jonah," Apatow explained.

This comedic approach didn’t sit well with Hill.

"Jonah immediately hated him," said Seth Rogen, who co-wrote and starred in the film. "He was like, 'That was (messing) with my rhythm. I couldn’t perform with that guy.' "

But this oil-and-water dynamic was the tension needed to bring these characters to life, Apatow said.

"Jonah said, 'I don’t like that guy. I don’t want him doing it,' " Apatow recalled. "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.' "

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Apatow's instinct proved to make movie magic. The film, which starred Hill and Mintz-Plasse alongside Rogen, Michael Cera and Emma Stone, grossed $121. 5 million at the box office.

Mintz-Plasse, who auditioned for the film during his senior year of high school, said landing the role of Fogell was a surreal experience.

"I was just a scrawny kid. I was super stoked to be there," Mintz-Plasse said. "I had Seth and everyone sign my script because I didn’t think I was going to get the part."

The film’s success was also a life-altering experience for the then-teen actor.

"I remember the weekend after (the film’s release) going to Chipotle. I got recognized, and a girl would climb over my friends to try and touch me. And I would run out of the Chipotle, and all of their friends would run after me," Mintz-Plasse said.

"Young me would’ve been so annoyed with all that," he added. "Because there was a really good four-year period where I had (McLovin) screamed at me everywhere I went. And it was pretty draining. Especially as a 20-year-old, who is trying to figure out who the (expletive) I am. My brain is still developing and trying to figure out my career path."

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