Chris Rock says Adam Dandler and Rick Rubin make him feel insecure, impacting mental health
If you think Chris Rock’s unshakable, he says two industry heavyweights still rattle him — even as therapy and Misty Green reshape his creative outlook.
On the October 3 episode of The New York Times’ podcast The Interview, Chris Rock talked about the therapy he’s leaned on since the pandemic and how it ’s pushed him to believe he’s already “enough.” The trigger for his anxiety, he said, isn’t fame — it’s being around people who seem to grind at an almost inhuman pace.
“Occasionally, I’ll meet people that are obviously working harder than me and that’ll make me feel insecure. You know, Adam Sandler, Rick Rubin.”
Rock added that the feeling can also pop up when he sees friends who look fully immersed in parenting, despite the fact that he considers himself a good dad. He shares daughters Lola and Zahra with ex-wife Malaak Compton-Rock, and described artists as carrying huge confidence and an inferiority complex at the same time.
Back behind the camera
Those themes — status, ambition, and the fear of falling behind — run straight into his next project. Misty Green is Rock’s first feature as director in 12 years, since Top Five, and he also wrote the screenplay and appears on screen. Rosalind Eleazar stars as an Emmy-winning actress whose career has stalled; she’s scrambling for work while facing eviction from her late ex-boyfriend’s home and caring for a brother living with mental illness.
- Rosalind Eleazar — leads the film
- Chris Rock — writer, director, and appears in the film
- Adam Driver — supporting cast
- Anna Kendrick — supporting cast
- Topher Grace — supporting cast
- Daniel Kaluuya — supporting cast
One casting get took extra effort. Rock told Variety that he had to actively pursue Daniel Kaluuya, who had stepped away from major screen work for a bit; Eleazar’s attachment to the film helped bring him on board. Rock also said Adam Sandler’s dramatic turn in Uncut Gems was a north star as he shaped his own return to drama.
Misty Green premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and screened in the New York Film Festival’s Main Slate. A24 is releasing the movie in theaters, with the studio currently listing a 2026 date.