'She really sent me flying, she hit me hard': Barbie actor Michael Cera recalls getting slapped by Rihanna in USD 126 million movie

Michael Cera revealed Rihanna had slapped him on the sets of This Is the End. The Barbie actor and Fenty Beauty founder starred in the film 10 years ago.

By Avnii Bagaria

Updated on Aug 22, 2023 | 05:36 PM IST | 1.8M

Michael Cera (IMDb) and Rihanna (Instagram)

Michael Cera recalled his time with Rihanna. Most of us would consider ourselves fortunate simply to have seen Rihanna from a distance, but Michael Cera had a once-in-a-lifetime encounter when the singer smacked him across the face hard. This fight, however, had nothing to do with beef; it was all part of a classic sequence in This Is the End, Seth Rogen, and Evan Goldberg's 2013 disaster comedy film.

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Michael Cera recalled that Rihanna had slapped him on the set of This Is the End

Michael Cera is reminiscing about some painful recollections from his time on the set of This Is the End. The 35-year-old actor co-starred with Rihanna in the 2013 picture. Cera portrayed a fictionalized version of himself during a housewarming party in Los Angeles in the film. During his visit, the Juno winner slapped Rihanna on the backside, causing the singer to slap him across the page.

Cera claimed the slap was really real in an interview with GQ that was published earlier this week, and he was extremely surprised by the impact. The actor said, "She definitely hit me, but that's what I wanted. It's a lot funnier and more believable, in my opinion. She hit me hard since a false slap doesn't seem nice." He further added, "Yeah, she really sent me flying, and it was great. This sorrow that I felt is now immortalized on video."

In a June interview with Rolling Stone, the Barbie actor addressed the slap, stating that the Fenty Beauty founder wasn't hesitant to beat him and didn't require much persuasion. He explained, "I figured it would look better if she hit me. I don't think she needed much convincing to do it, and I have absolutely no regrets! I was really into it."

Michael Cera also revealed he felt depressed after he wrapped up the film

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World remains one of Michael Cera's defining roles, 13 years after its theatrical premiere. And his passion for his involvement in the Edgar Wright picture hasn't waned in the least.

Cera goes on a memory trip in the same interview with GQ magazine, recalling some of his most famous performances. When the subject eventually drifted to Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Cera spoke favorably of working on the adaptation of Bryan Lee O'Malley's blockbuster comic novel series alongside Wright and his all-star supporting cast.

Cera said, "We just had the greatest vibe with everybody; I believe that came from Edgar and the energy he was exuding. We all got to rehearse and spend a lot of time together before we ever started filming."

Michael Cera (IMDb)

The Barbie star stated that he struggled to adjust to life following the shoot, as he described feeling depressed when filming concluded. He said, "It all just goes away, and you're like, 'Where did everybody go?' I could have kept making that movie forever, even though it was exhausting."

Cera and the rest of the actors recently returned to the franchise by reprising their roles in the upcoming anime adaptation Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, which will be available on Netflix in November. Wright, who acts as an executive producer on the show, recently expressed his delight at rejoining the film's ensemble cast.

Meanwhile, Michael Cera was last seen in Greta Gerwig’s record-breaking film Barbie, which was released on July 21, 2023.

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