Emmy winner Jason Bateman recalls getting "a terrible review" about his Ozark performance - here's what the star recently said

Ozark first premiered on Netflix on July 21, 2017. The show ran for four seasons and ended in April 2022. The story follows a normal financial adviser pulled into crime.

The main character is Marty Byrde, played by Jason Bateman. Marty moves his family from Chicago to the Lake of the Ozarks. He does this to pay off a debt to a dangerous cartel. However, he becomes involved in money laundering. And soon, the violence follows. His family is pulled into danger and moral conflict.

Even years after the finale, Ozark is still talked about. New details about the show continue to appear. Recently, Jason Bateman looked back at the early days of the series. In an interview with Esquire magazine, he shared a surprising memory. Bateman revealed that one of his performances once got “a terrible review” from The New York Times.

While Ozark later became a big success, The Times review by Mike Hale stayed with him.

Jason Bateman about “a terrible review” for his role in Ozark

In an interview with Esquire magazine, Bateman said:

“I got a terrible review from The New York Times on the pilot of ‘Ozark.’ Mike Hale basically said I was so boring to watch, it reminded him of the person that he buys a ticket from in the airport. I laughed my ass off. I appreciate those that get creative with it.”

Bateman made these comments as the 56-year-old actor was talking about how he reads all reviews of his shows and movies because he is a “people pleaser.” He cares a lot about what others think of him.

He said his work is made for the public. So public and critical opinions matter to him, and he likes feedback. But he also said his inner peace is most important. He described it as keeping “the weather inside at 72 and breezy.”

Now, the most curious part of it all is what exactly Mike Hale wrote in their review? The New York Times review in question read:

“...Except that Byrde, a Chicago financial planner played by Jason Bateman with the aggressive blandness of an airline gate agent, is already bad.”

They added:

“Mr. Bateman (who is also an executive producer of the series and directs four of the season’s 10 episodes) isn’t really able to make a compelling character out of the blankly craven Marty, but Ms. Linney, with her gift for high-comic indignation, makes Wendy at once hilarious and sympathetic. If there’s a Season 2, maybe she can take over the business.”

What was Ozark about?

Ozark is a crime-drama show made for Netflix by Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams. The story is about Marty Byrde, played by Jason Bateman.

He is a financial adviser whose money-laundering plan goes very wrong. To save his family, he moves them from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks. However, he becomes trapped by a Mexican drug cartel. His job is to wash hundreds of millions of dollars to pay off a huge debt. He must do this while keeping his family alive.

His wife is Wendy Byrde, played by Laura Linney. They have two children. As the family sinks deeper into crime, the show explores fear, survival, and moral choices. It also shows how the family slowly falls apart under pressure. The series ran for four seasons from 2017 to 2022.

The first season got mostly good reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it earned a 70% approval rating. Its average score there was 6.8 out of 10. On Metacritic, it scored about 66 out of 100.

Critics praised the show’s complex story. They also praised Jason Bateman’s acting. Some reviewers said the show was not yet as strong as famous crime dramas. Others said it lacked some originality or weight at first. Still, many critics saw strong potential. CNN said the show “carves out its own path with clever twists.”

As Ozark moved into later seasons, reviews became more positive. Season 2 did better than Season 1. Its Rotten Tomatoes score went up to 76%. Critics said the story was getting darker and more mature.

Notably, the big turning point was Season 3. It earned about a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Many called it the show’s best season. Critics praised the strong tension and tight story. They also praised the full cast.

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Season 4, the final season in 2022, also got mostly good reviews. Critics praised the suspense and acting. Laura Linney received special praise. By the end, the show was seen as one of Netflix’s best original drama shows.

Ozark won many big awards during its run. The show earned 45 Emmy nominations in total. It was nominated three times for Outstanding Drama Series. Jason Bateman won an Emmy for Outstanding Directing in 2019. The supporting cast also won awards. Julia Garner won multiple Emmys for her acting.

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