Heavy John Corbett felt like a puppet on sets.
A former Hallmark actor recently revealed regrets about choosing acting as a career. John Corbett, who starred in Hallmark’s “November Christmas” and “A Smile as Big as the Moon,” was blunt in the assessment of his life after turning 63 in May.
“I can reveal now, I picked the [expletive] wrong thing to do with my life, right?” Corbett said on the July 3 episode of Dana Carvey and David Spade’s podcast, “Fly on the Wall.”
“Look, I’m at the fourth quarter of the football game now — in life and in show business. And it’s just a fact,” Corbett, who rose to fame on the 1990s show “Northern Exposure,” said, adding there was no reason to hold back on his opinion at this point.
John Corbett Said He Doesn’t Like Being Told What to Do
Corbett pointed out the irony of his career choice given his anti-authority disposition.
“Since I was a kid, I hate to be told what to do … by any authority figure,” he said. “So I picked something to do with my whole life, for my fulfillment of my work life, which is, ‘Dude, stand here. Say this. Put this on. Look this way. Say it faster. Cut your hair like this.'”
Corbett, Carvey and Spade pointed out the limitations that come with not being a leading man — even with a resume featuring nearly 80 acting credits and roles in high-profile projects such as “Sex and the City” and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” and their sequels.
“As an actor in my position — which is, you know, always second, third banana in something,” he said. “Yeah, I’m not Emma [expletive] Stone … I’m not collaborating with the writers.”
Carvey said, “You feel like a puppet.” Corbett concurred, reiterating that he’s “no part of any creative process” in roles.
The Hallmark Alum Felt Unfulfilled Creatively
Corbett noted, “Here’s the part of the puppet. Have you ever sat in a [expletive] waiting room of a doctor’s office for like an hour and you’re going, ‘What the [expletive]?’ For me, that’s what making a movie is like, because I’m not part of any creative process.”
The actor acknowledged he might sound ungrateful, saying, “I made a lot of money. I live in a beautiful home. People come to me in every [expletive] restaurant I go in. I’m a friend of the world’s.”
However, he said, “But as far as a fulfilling creative work life, I didn’t write one [expletive] line. I didn’t write one joke to make people laugh. So it’s been unfulfilling on that level.”
Podcast listeners had a mixed response to Corbett’s comments about regretting his career choice. Some thought he was great on the podcast, while others disliked his commentary on regretting his career. A few pointed out he could still pursue writing and directing.
“This was the most enjoyable episode in a long time, John is so fun to listen to,” one Instagram user noted.
Another podcast listener commented, “John Corbett, you have the best stories and such great energy!!”
A listener shared on X, formerly Twitter, “Ouch..nice guy, I’ve met him, boy how about a little gratitude for having a career that has enabled a roof over you and your family’s HEAD? Perspective…actors…humans…sheesh.”
“Rich People Problems are weird y’all,” tweeted someone else.
“So? Write a script. Produce an indie. Learn how to edit. There’s no law stopping you,” a different post on X read.
“No time like the present, he can do it. He’s literally John Corbett,” pointed out a separate poster.