The Razzie Award for Lex Luthor closed the doors to major studios for Jesse Eisenberg

The Razzie Awards are meant to be a bit of fun, but for Jesse Eisenberg, winning one turned into a real career problem. The actor said that taking home a Razzie in 2017 noticeably affected his standing in the industry.

I couldn't get into movie studio parts anymore because I had won a Raspberry Award from [being in the] Batman movie.

Eisenberg received the worst supporting actor award for playing Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The movie took home four Razzies in total, including worst sequel, worst screenplay, and worst screen combo.

According to Eisenberg, fear drove much of his decision to change course. He started moving away from acting and focused on writing and directing.

The industry tells you what they want from you. The industry did not want me to be in a superhero movie, and if you're smart and self-aware, you learn that quickly.

It's the unsuccessful actor that goes, 'No, I want to be in more of those.' It's not going to happen, and they don't want you there, and they wouldn't have given you a Raspberry Award if they wanted you there. That's an award for bad acting.

Eisenberg kept his explanation for becoming a director simple.

So I was like, 'I've got to direct movies.' That's why I started writing them, just to kind of keep my career afloat, really.

Since 2016, Eisenberg has written and directed When You Finish Saving the World, Real Pain, and the new release The Debut. Real Pain came out in 2024 and won an Oscar.

Acting hasn't disappeared from his schedule, though. He starred in Vivarium and returned for the sequels Zombieland: Double Tap and Now You See Me: Now You Don't.