John Corbett has been an actor for over 30 years, but the acting life just wasn’t for him.
The “Sex and the City” star spoke about his frustrations on David Spade and Dana Carvey’s “Fly on the Wall” podcast last week, saying he regrets his decision to become an actor.
“Look, I’m in the fourth quarter right now in football, in life, in showbiz. It’s just a fact of life,” Corbett said. “So I can now reveal that I’ve made some huge, huge mistakes in my life.”
“I’ve hated it since I was a kid.[d] “I didn’t want to be told what to do by an authority figure, so I chose what I wanted to do for the rest of my life to feel fulfilled in my professional life: ‘Hey, stand here, say this, wear this, look here, say it faster, cut your hair like this,'” he continued.
John Corbett said on the “Fly on the Wall” podcast that he “made some really terrible decisions in life” when it came to acting. (Raymond Liu/ABC via Getty Images)
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Corbett has received acclaim for her performances in shows like Northern Exposure, Sex and the City and United States of Tara, but she admits she feels creatively limited.
“As an actor, in my position, you don’t often get to be second or third all the time. You don’t collaborate with the writers,” he said, adding, “I feel like a puppet.”
He continued, “Have you ever sat in a doctor’s office waiting room for an hour and thought, ‘What the heck?’ To me, making a movie is exactly that, because I’m not involved in any of the creative process.”
The 63-year-old fully acknowledges that he sounds “ungrateful”, but it’s the lack of creative input in much of his work that frustrates him.
Corbett acknowledged he sounded “ungrateful,” but said he often chafes at the lack of creative control. (Axel/Bauer Griffin/FilmMagic)
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“I just want to say, I’ve made a lot of money, I live in a nice house, people come to every restaurant I go to, I have friends all over the world,” he said, “but in terms of a fulfilling creative work life, I haven’t written a single line, I haven’t written a single joke that makes people laugh, so I’m unfulfilled in that respect.”
He continued, “There have been good moments, but most of the time I’m just sitting around waiting for someone to knock on my door and say, ‘Hey, come back and tell that story again.’ That’s a pretty boring life for me.”
“Anyone who’s never been on a movie set, if they came to visit any of us for two days, even if it was just two days of 14-hour work, would say, ‘I never want to come here again,'” he said. [It’s] “It’s like watching paint dry,” the My Big Fat Wedding star added.
Corbett has dabbled in country music for years, telling Billboard in 2006 ahead of his debut album: “It’s not like I just learned to play guitar last year, started writing songs and thought, ‘Oh, I’m going to make a record now.’
Corbett said being on set often felt like “watching paint dry.” (Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)
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But the stint didn’t help him, and in the podcast he recalls that his free time between acting gigs left him wanting more.
He said that in 2022, “the phone didn’t ring once.”
“How am I going to express myself during that year other than playing guitar or piano at home?” Corbett said.
The “Parenthood” star said he’s ultimately happy staying at home with his longtime partner and wife, Bo Derek..
Corbett and Bo Derek have been dating since 2002 and officially married in 2020. (Rodan Eckenroth/FilmMagic)
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“I’m at a stage right now where I love being at home with Beau and the dogs,” he said.
Corbett and Derek have been dating since 2002 and officially married in 2020, but kept the news private until the following year.
Corbett says he doesn’t like traveling for films: “At this point in my life, if something sounds really, really fun, I just say yes. Then two days later I get there and wonder why I said yes.”
The “And Just For Now” star also had high praise for his co-star Sarah Jessica Parker, saying, “If I could play with just one person for the rest of my life, it would be her. There’s something special about her… She’s the best.”
Corbett and Parker were spotted filming scenes for the new season of “And Just Like That” in New York City in May. (Getty Images)
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“Looks like we’re going to do it again. We did a reboot last year and just before the actors and writers strike they said to me, ‘If they hire you, would you do it again?’ And I said, ‘Of course I’d do it. And I haven’t heard anything since.'”
Paparazzi photos show Corbett posing with Parker, presumably reprising his role as Aidan Shaw, so Corbett may have been being coy about his role in season three of the HBO series.
A premiere date for “And Just Like That” season 3 has yet to be announced, but the show is expected to return in 2025.
