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With a career spanning over three decades in Hollywood, Jason Bateman has become synonymous with not just acting, but also directorial roles in films and shows. But much like every other individual, even Bateman had his preference sealed in direction. This eventually led the star to feel disinterested in acting in his hit Netflix showOzark.
According to Jason Bateman, given how he had the opportunity to direct a few episodes inOzark, the actor recalled getting the desire to quit his job as an actor completely and sharpen his directorial skills. Thankfully, with a big fat cheque from Netflix, Bateman continued acting, and he even released his latest movieCarry-Onon Netflix in December 2024.
Jason Bateman felt like quitting his acting career inOzark
After appearing in productions likeSilver SpoonsandArrested Development,asJason Batemanfound his global stardom through Netflix’s hit seriesOzark, the actor began exploring different niches. Trying acting and direction simultaneously, Bateman even directed a few episodes of the crime drama series.
Real Reason Why “Ozark” Discontinued After 4 Seasons, Explained
But that’s what made things challenging for Jason Bateman, as he developed a deeper interest in direction over acting. Despite starting his career as an actor, once Bateman got the taste of direction, the actor toldThe Associated Pressabout considering the idea of quitting his acting career, to focus on direction and sharpening his directorial skills.
Acting changed for me a while ago when I started to become disenchanted with pretending to be other people. I’m not interested in tricking you into thinking I’m somebody else.
I’m trying to not do ANY acting. I’m trying to not be distracting at all. I don’t want to rock the boat. I don’t want to do anything where the audience goes, ‘Oh! Look at that performance!’ I’m just trying to service the story.
Admitting how his perspective towards acting changed after sitting on the director’s chair, Jason Bateman mentioned that he didn’t want to do any acting at all. But thankfully, Netflix had its strategy of keeping the star on both ends of the screen. And according toVariety, it was a big fat cheque from the company that kept Bateman’s interest in acting intact.
Jason Bateman recently released his highly anticipated action-thrillerCarry-On
Reports suggest that Jason Bateman pulled in $300,000 per episode ofOzark, which came to a staggering $3M a year for 10 episodes per season. Therefore, by the end of the Netflix series, the actor bagged around $12M or more (perhaps his pay changed in the years that followed) for his role as Martin “Marty” Byrde.
“I’m Kevin Hart, b-tch”: Ozark Actor Jason Bateman Regretted Underestimating Jumanji Star Kevin Hart For Going on Shark Tank
Thankfully, as this million-dollar strategy from Netflix worked wonders for Jason Bateman, we as audiences got to see him appear onscreen to light up our day with his phenomenal performances. Recently he even appeared in theaction thrillerCarry-On, on Netflix, which already earned an 86% RT rating, since its release on July 04, 2025.
Despite his keen interest in direction, which oozed out with his directorial roles inBad Words, The Hogan Family, and HBO’sThe Outsiders, Jason Bateman continued his acting career afterOzark. And recently he played the titular role of a mysterious traveler inCarry-On, who blackmailed a young TSA agent (Taron Egerton) into letting a dangerous package slip through security and onto a Christmas Eve flight.
OzarkandCarry-Onare both available to watch on Netflix.
Krittika Mukherjee
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3217
Krittika Mukherjee is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on films, TV shows, and celebrity news with over 3,000 articles published. With an educational background in Journalism, and a keen interest in filmmaking, Krittika blends factual precision with creative flair, when crafting her editorials, or dissecting fan theories.Her coverage often includes news and analyses of critically acclaimed films, celebrity news, and franchises like the Wizarding World, LOTR, DC, and MCU—particularly Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Superheroes, and fan theories. As a Wizarding World aficionado, Krittika has spent countless hours exploring hidden backstories, unadapted book moments, spells, and trivias surrounding J.K. Rowling’s lore.An imaginative writer with a way with words, Krittika has worked as an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a web content writer for a year. She brought her experience and expertise to FandomWire to pursue her desire for sipping coffee while dissecting films and tracking celebrity drama.
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Jason BatemanTaron Egerton
