Who is Charlie Wright? All about the Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul star as actor reveals he received death threats after the film
Charlie Wright is well-known for playing Rodrick Heffley in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul. His appearance in the fourth film of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid franchise led to significant backlash. In a video posted by Charlie Wright on TikTok, the actor revealed that he received criticism and even death threats after his portrayal of Rodrick in the film.
Opening up about his life in a clip shared on TikTok and YouTube, the actor stated that he was turned into a meme and targeted with the hashtag '#NotMyRodrick.'
"I didn't really care about the memes as much. The random death threats were a little disturbing," he said.
Charlie Wright starred in Ingrid Goes West before his appearance in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul
Born on October 22, 1999, Charlie Wright is an American actor who made his acting debut in the television series The Millers. He went on to feature in two episodes of Better Things before featuring in the 2017 film Ingrid Goes West along with Aubrey Plaza and Elizabeth Olsen, among others.
He was then cast in the reboot/sequel of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The Long Haul was touted to be a reboot of the popular film series adapted from the critically acclaimed Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series by Jeff Kinney. However, the complete recasting of the characters did not sit well with many fans, resulting in them criticizing Charlie Wright.
He was cast as Rodrick, the teenage brother of Greg Heffley in The Long Haul. After the first three films in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series were released between 2010 and 2012, The Long Haul marked the fourth installment in the franchise.
After Wright took over for actor Devon Bostick in the role, fans of the series criticized his portrayal of Rodrick. The hashtag '#NotMyRodrick' began trending online and the actor received hatred since fans were not on board with the recasting.
Not only did Wright become a "worldwide meme" but he also experienced racism and death threats. In his YouTube video, he said:
"Let's just say when the world found out I was playing Rodrick, they weren't very happy, but by then it was too late. The movie was finished."
He then mentioned that the hardest part about dealing with the hate he received was feeling that he had not done anything to deserve it.
"I did go through a depressive episode for almost 3 years afterwards and it kind of ruined my acting career," he said.
He added:
"To have people saying they wished I was dead just for doing my job and being in the movie was kinda crazy… no one was really there to guide me through it or help me. I just had to suck it up and deal with it.”
Was Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul successful?
The fourth film in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, The Long Haul was the least successful film in the entire franchise. The film has a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 18%. The critics' consensus on the platform was also that the title featured "juvenile humor" and did not have a well-rounded narrative.
As per Box Office Mojo, the title grossed a total of $40,140,972 worldwide. It earned $19,402,248 internationally and grossed $20,738,724 in the domestic markets.
Where is Charlie Wright now?
After his appearance in Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Charlie Wright rarely appeared in films and television shows. He starred in one episode of the popular series Yellowjackets and appeared as a guest judge in The Great American Mud Wrestle.
Wright is currently not engaged in any acting projects. However, he is active on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
The 2021 Disney+ series Diary of a Wimpy Kid brought the series back to life and was hailed by many. It starred Cyrus Arnold, Erica Cerra, Christian Convery, Hunter Dillon, and others in pivotal roles.