Jason Bateman Laughs Off Bad Ozark Reviews — Here’s Why

Jason Bateman reads his reviews. All of them. And when one early Ozark takedown compared his performance to the cheery void of an airline counter, he didn’t brood — he laughed.

He actually reads everything (and cares what you think)

In a new chat with Esquire, Bateman — nearly five decades into his career — calls himself a people pleaser who pays attention to both audiences and critics. As he puts it, he reads the reviews because the work is for public consumption. That stuff matters to him.

At the same time, he’s big on keeping his internal thermostat steady. He likes the weather inside to be '72 and breezy,' and he says it takes real work to stay happy, clear, and proud of what he’s doing.

The Ozark review that roasted him (and why he found it funny)

The sharpest jab he remembers came from The New York Times’ Mike Hale, who was not sold on the Ozark pilot back in 2017. Bateman recalls the gist as: so boring to watch, it evoked the person selling him a ticket at the airport. Hale’s actual line was, well, memorable:

Bateman plays Marty 'with the aggressive blandness of an airline gate agent.'

Bateman didn’t spiral. He says his reaction was simple: 'I laughed my a-- off.' He even appreciates when a critic gets creative with the wording. That’s a pretty healthy way to metabolize a burn.

How it shook out after that first punch

• Ozark ran four seasons, and Bateman’s turn as Marty Byrde aged very well with awards bodies.
• He racked up four Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
• He also landed multiple Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations over the show’s run.

Where his head is now

For Bateman, it sounds like the goal is simple: do the work, keep the inner weather calm, and be proud of the effort — a perspective forged from the ups and downs of going from child star to the career he has now. Reading every review isn’t masochism for him; it’s part of the job, and sometimes, the harshest lines are good for a laugh.