Stay with us, but do you remember the viral recasting for Rodrick in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series? The time when on social media, fans were making edits comparing the old versus new brother with the hashtag “Not My Rodrick”?
Well, the actor behind the new role is speaking out — and how the viral meme ultimately cost him his career in Hollywood.
Keep reading to find out everything Charlie Wright has said about the Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul film.
Charlie, who played the long-haired older brother in the 2017 film has a lot to say about becoming a “worldwide meme.”
“Let’s just say that when the world found out I was playing Rodrick, they weren’t very happy,” he revealed in a video posted to his Youtube Channel on March 24, 2024.
The actor recalled what it was like after the casting announcement was made, explaining that he received an influx of messages and harassment.
These comments would include people saying “Name me a bigger downgrade” to more extreme messages like “sometimes I want you to die.”
“Now, I’ll be honest, some of the memes were funny… [but] the random death threats were a little disturbing,” he expressed, adding that after all these years, he’s still receiving harmful messages.
“Do I have any hatred or anger towards people who participated in the #NotMyRodrick thing? No, I don’t. I did go through a depressive episode for almost three years afterwards and it kind of ruined my acting career, but I’m still alive. I’m still here,” he said.
In case you didn’t know, the third film in the Wimpy Kid franchise was completely recasted! When the announcement was made, many fans of the original films felt that Devon Bostick couldn’t be replaced.
“The hardest part about dealing with the hate was that I felt like I hadn’t really done anything to deserve it. Granted, the movie wasn’t great and maybe some people hated my performance, but I acted my little ass off in that movie, okay? And to have people saying that they wished I was dead just for doing my job and being in a movie was kind of crazy.”
Charlie added that despite all the hate he received, he continued to push forward and try out other acting gigs. “I just had to suck it up and deal with it. I had to kind of figure it out on my own and, you know, it took my three years to finally let go and move on.”
Love J-14? Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for fun, exclusive videos with your favorite stars.
