Miles Teller Felt "Dead Inside" While Shooting Divergent? Allow the Actor to Clarify His Comments to W

"I'd taken the film for business reasons," he says

Miles Teller loved co-starring with Shailene Woodley in The Spectacular Now, but when he took a smaller role in the adaptation of author Veronica Roth's Divergent, he was less enthusiastic about their collaboration—but not because he didn't enjoy working with the Golden Globe-nominated actress. "I didn't have an interesting part [in Divergent], and I'd taken the film for business reasons: It was the first movie I'd done that was going to have an international audience," Teller recently explained to W.

The actor called his agent, who suggested he audition for the buzz worthy jazz movie Whiplash. "I was in good shape from Divergent," Teller, 27, recalled to the magazine. "Damien Chazelle, the director of Whiplash, told me, 'Stop working out! Don't go outside!' He wanted me pale and doughy. This is the first movie where I shut myself off from the world. It was, by far, the hardest thing I've ever done."

Amid fan fury, Teller's rep issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter Wednesday.

"Accustomed to being more involved in the process of filmmaking, Miles regrets those words," the actor's rep said. "He does value his relationship with Lionsgate and his participation in the franchise." Teller tweeted about his W profile and referenced his character's fans, writing, "I've never done a movie for "business" reasons. I'm proud to be a part of Divergent franchise and love all of Peter's Princesses."

Teller further addressed the controversy in an interview with The Los Angeles Times.

When he mentioned doing movies for "business reasons," Teller said he was referring to things like working with Woodley, playing a villain and participating in a movie that had international appeal. "Those were the 'business reasons' which every actor weighs; it's not just the size of the part," he said.

"And if I said 'dead inside,'" Teller continued, "I meant just burnt out and fatigued from doing my first big-budget lengthy shoot and four months was a long time and I just wanted to relax afterwards."

Teller will reprise his Divergent role in Insurgent. The movie is in theaters on March 20, 2015. The actor also plays Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic in the Fantastic Four reboot, slated for release on Aug. 7, 2015.