Comedian and actor Matt Rogers, known for his role in Fire Island, recently opened up about an audition that took him far outside his comfort zone. During the August 14 episode of the “Las Culturistas” podcast, which he co-hosts with Bowen Yang, Rogers shared his experience auditioning for the role of Atlas Corrigan, one of Blake Lively’s love interests in the film It Ends With Us.
Rogers, 34, explained that the audition came at a particularly emotional time for him, as he had just gone through a breakup. “I was crying every day, sobbing every day, and I had to cry on this tape — but I also had to be straight,” he revealed. The challenge was not just to convey genuine emotion but also to fit the mold of a traditional romantic lead, a type of role Rogers is not typically cast in.
The actor humorously recounted the difficulty of striking the right balance. “It was just so funny because me crying as a straight man, I don’t really think plays,” he said, adding that the experience felt awkward and mismatched. “You’re not supposed to have those checkpoints where you’re thinking too hard about how you’re expressing the emotion; the emotion should just be there,” Rogers noted, reflecting on the challenges of the audition.
Despite his best efforts, Rogers joked that his performance might not have hit the mark for the character of Atlas. “You’re not going to see me making love to Blake Lively in cinema, I don’t think, anytime soon,” he quipped, accepting with good humor that the role ultimately went to Brandon Sklenar. Sklenar stars alongside Justin Baldoni, who plays Ryle Kincaid and also directed the film.
Rogers’ lighthearted recounting of his audition comes amid broader discussions surrounding It Ends With Us, which premiered on August 9. The film, based on the bestselling novel by Colleen Hoover, has not been without its share of behind-the-scenes drama. Rumors of a falling out between Blake Lively, 36, and director Justin Baldoni, 40, have been circulating, fueled by Baldoni’s absence from the New York City premiere and his removal from much of the movie’s promotional material.
Fans have also noticed that Lively and the rest of the cast don’t follow Baldoni on social media, although Baldoni continues to follow them. This speculation of tension was seemingly supported by Lively’s comments during an August 10 interview with Hits Radio UK. While discussing the film’s soundtrack, Lively hinted at creative differences, particularly regarding the inclusion of Lana Del Rey’s song “Cherry.”
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Lively mentioned that “they”—without specifying who—begged her to remove the song from the movie, a suggestion she opposed. “The moment Atlas enters, things are charged and heavy,” Lively argued, indicating that she felt the song was necessary to convey the emotional weight of the scene.
Baldoni, for his part, has remained diplomatic, expressing only positive sentiments about working with Lively. However, he did suggest that he might not return to direct a potential sequel. “I think there are better people for that one,” Baldoni told Entertainment Tonight, adding that he believes Lively might be ready to take on directing herself.
As the film continues to generate buzz, both on-screen and off, Rogers’ amusing anecdote about his out-of-the-box audition provides a refreshing, lighthearted counterpoint to the more serious discussions surrounding It Ends With Us. While the role of Atlas may not have been the right fit for Rogers, his ability to find humor in the experience showcases his resilience and versatility as an actor.
