Zachary Levi Reveals Why He Turned Down Auditions For Shazam Initially

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posted on 4 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Zachary Levi recently joined the DCEU as Billy Batson in David Sandberg's 2019 film Shazam!

Being a part of the entertainment industry comes with its own share of pressures and struggles. Zachary Levi recently revealed that he was not unfamiliar with these struggles prior to his being cast for Shazam!

Zachary Levi is popularly known for his role as spy Chuck Bartowski on the action-comedy spy series titled Chuck that ran from 2007 to 2012. Zachary Levi revealed in an Instagram post that finding work after had been difficult for him in the years leading up to Shazam! and that it took a toll on his mental health.

In the lengthy caption of the post, Levi mentioned, "And, when presented with an opportunity to audition for Shazam! the first time, I turned down the opportunity as I ultimately didn’t feel worthy of such a role. Then came therapy. Then came the beginning of finally loving myself. And THEN came the miracle that was me stepping into this life-changing role."

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This last year has been fascinating. The last few, actually. Two years ago today I was moving to Toronto, for the 4th time 3 years, to begin working on @shazammovie, one of the single greatest gifts I’ve ever been handed. Ironically, just 4 months prior, I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to live anymore. My goals, and visions, and hopes, and dreams, and therefore expectations for myself, have always been a lot. So much so that when I surveyed my life a few years back, I genuinely felt like I was failing it. Failing myself. Failing my family. Failing the world. I didn’t feel worthy of the love that was around me. I didn’t feel worthy of any of the things I had achieved up to that point. And, when presented with an opportunity to audition for Shazam! the first time, I turned down the opportunity as I ultimately didn’t feel worthy of such a role. Then came therapy. Then came the beginning of finally loving myself. And THEN came the miracle that was me stepping into this life changing role. I will no doubt be on the journey of self love for the rest of life, and I’m so grateful for the lessons and strength found thru the darkness. But I will also be forever indebted to @ponysmasher, Peter Safran, @rbpix, and everyone at @newlinecinema and @wbpictures and @dccomics, for believing I was worthy of wearing this cape, even while I was still learning to believe that myself. . (Thank you, @jimlee, for this incredible artwork. You’ve always been one of my favorite comic artists. And now you’re my friend. )
A post shared by Zachary Levi (@zacharylevi) on Dec 29, 2019 at 4:38pm PST

Zachary Levi was cast as Shazam! in the latter half of 2017. The film hit theaters in March 2019 and was an instant hit. It received praise for its humor as well as performances by Levi and the rest of the cast.

Earlier this month it was announced that David Sandberg would be returning to direct a Shazam! sequel with Levi reprising his role along with the rest of the main cast. The sequel is set to release on December 22, 2021.

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