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# Tobey Maguire lashes out at press
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/spiderman-2-the-best-comic-book-flick-ever/
- Published: 2004-07-02T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T04:41:32.000Z
- Author: Dan Dunn
- Tags: Entertainment, Santa Monica, #archive-import

An unusual thing occurred when Tobey Maguire chatted up a roomful of showbiz scribes recently to promote his latest film, “Spiderman 2.” The normally congenial Maguire got a little testy when a reporter (not this one) pressed the star about widely circulated rumors concerning his involvement in the sequel. Now, ripping the entertainment press a new one might not be the most advisable way to create positive buzz for a film, but this is Spiderman we’re talking about here — Spidey don’t need no stinkin’buzz to rule the box office. Besides, good movies are rife with conflict … what’s wrong with infusing a little into the junket as well? Lest you think this Webbed Wonder has gotten soft since raking in a few hundred million in 2002, here are some highlights from his spirited exchange with the media: QUESTION: It was reported after “Spiderman” came out that you had some issues with the costume being uncomfortable. Was it any better this time?

TOBEY MAGUIRE: It seemed a little more comfortable in the second one, not because it actually was, but just because I got used to it. I don’t complain about it anymore because who cares? I’m just wearing the thing. It’s not terrible. It’s just not as comfortable as being in regular clothes.

Q: Would you address reports that director Sam Raimi came to you and said you were going to be dropped from “Spiderman 2” because the studio was afraid your ailing back wouldn’t stand up to the physical demands of the role?

TM: Sam never came to me and said to me I won’t be playing Spiderman. That never happened. I really did want to do this again. Whatever happened outside of me, in terms of your comments (about what Raimi reportedly said), I wasn’t involved in that aspect, so I don’t know about that. From my perspective, if you want to know my experience, rather than presuming things and making statements of which you have no idea … if you’d like to know what actually happened from my side, I’ll tell you.

Q: Let’s do that then. TM: Thank you. (sighs) Oh, the press. My back, coming out of “Seabiscuit,” was not great. Not because of “Seabiscuit” — the reports of this happening on “Seabiscuit” were absolutely false. It’s a condition I’ve had for several years, before “Spiderman” all the way through to right now. It goes kind of up and down, sometimes it irritates me more than other times. Coming out of “Seabiscuit” it was really bugging me more than it ever had.

Q: So you let the studio know you were hurting? TM: I thought that the responsible thing to do was to disclose my back condition to the insurance company because (“Spiderman 2”) is a $100 million film, and it would be irresponsible not to disclose that. If something happened to me in the middle of shooting it would screw the studio, the insurance company would be pissed, and it would maybe screw up my career.

Q: Apparently it all worked out, though. TM: I went in and worked with the stunt guys, doing various stunts, testing my back out, basically. And my back was fine. It had actually gotten better over that two-week period that I was so concerned about it. My back felt better than it had in three years, but all of sudden there was all this hoopla, and the press were presuming a lot of things without any real solid information, as they do. I went, boy, I’m going to have to answer questions about this for years.

Q: Nothing in your filmography prior to the first “Spiderman” suggested you’d make a great action hero. Were you surprised when you were offered the role?

TM: I thought I was an interesting choice. Maybe not the obvious one, I understand that. But again, I thought it was an interesting choice, and ultimately a good one. Whenever someone chooses me I think it’s a good choice.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 2, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/070204.pdf?ref=smdp.com)