Summary

Chris Evans, known for his role as Captain America, wants to act less and focus on enjoying his success and personal life. He values the freedom and peace of mind that his career has provided, allowing him to plan for the future and leave anxiety behind. Evans sees Seth Rogen as a role model for this new chapter of his life, seeking simple pleasures like pottery and autonomy.

After a very busy set of years, especially since joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Steve Rogers aka Captain America, Chris Evans wants to forget about fame, act less, and enjoy the success he has achieved. At 42 years old, Evans has become one of the most requested actors in Hollywood, along with many of the MCU veterans. The popularity he achieved thanks to his portrayal of Captain America is something that has undoubtedly boosted his career, leading him to be able to choose the projects he really wants to work on. However, lately, the actor has slowly stepped away from the cameras, choosing to work less. And there is a reason for this behavior.

Speaking with GQ magazine, Evans reflected on the moment he is going through in life, both personally and professionally, revealing that he would like to act less and instead sit back and enjoy his success:

“Now it’s really about, well: What time of year are we filming? Am I gonna miss autumn? You know, I don’t want to miss autumn. I only have so many of them. I could just make furniture for nobody and be happy. I don’t want to—I’ve got to frame this the right way. I was going to say, I don’t want to waste too much time in this industry, but that doesn’t really feel.… That doesn’t sound correct. I don’t want to occupy too much space in an industry that I’ve already poured 20 years into.
Sometimes I wonder if I’m lacking some sort of—like, I think I’m a very driven person. I have a lot of energy. I wake up early, I get a lot done in a day, but it’s not always focused on acting. Sometimes reading a script is the last thing I want to do. I haven’t worked all year and I don’t plan to, which has been lovely.”

Related: Chris Evans Sides with Quentin Tarantino’s Critique on the Marvel Cinematic Landscape

Chris Evans Wants to Live Life Like Seth Rogen
Warner Bros. Pictures

Although being part of a franchise as large, and with as many fans, as the universe created by Marvel Studios comes with a great responsibility, Evans feels that his participation in the project also helped him think about life differently. Being aware of how fortunate he is to have reached such a high point in his career, one that gives him the peace of mind of not having to think about the future, the actor also spoke about how his role in the MCU helped him leave anxiety behind:

“If I wanted to stop everything now, I could. Which is incredible. And that’s a blessing beyond words. Specifically, because life is unpredictable and anything can happen. I’m a bit of an overplanner. I try to set things up so that any sort of future curveball that happens, I’ve planned for it. And that’s ostensibly exactly what Marvel’s provided. And part of that relaxing is just, uh, putting my brain down, putting my anxiety down. And the analysis, the kind of planning for tomorrow. I don’t have to do that as much anymore, and I can just be present.”

Evans has even considered who he would like to emulate in this new chapter of his life: none other than Pineapple Express star Seth Rogen.

“I like autonomous things. I’d like to just smoke a joint, put on some music, and like, get into pottery. You know what I mean? Seth Rogen, what he’s doing, it’s good for you, man. You just go to your workshop and make something. And how satisfying, how simple, how quotidian. I love acting, but you can’t act alone. I chose a profession that requires not just a lot of different artists, but it requires an audience.”

Evans will next star alongside Emily Blunt in Pain Hustlers, which is due to land on Netflix on October 27, 2023.