Canadian-American actor Seth Rogen has made a name for himself as one of the comedy kings of Hollywood. From the inspiration behind some of your fave movies to hilarious behind-the-scenes moments, check out these 43 facts about Seth Rogen that will have you laughing out loud.
Seth Rogen Films Facts
43. Call the Ambulance
In Pineapple Express, there is a scene where Saul runs into a tree. James Franco got a little over excited during the shooting of this scene and actually ran into the tree, which resulted in him having to get three stitches.
Pineapple Express, Sony Pictures
42. Write What You Know
In Funny People, Adam Sandler’s character asks to see Seth Rogen’s character’s penis. Apparently, this awkward exchange is based on a real-life conversation that happened between Sandler and director Judd Apatow, who had lived together previously. Apatow recalls a time when Sandler simply said to him, “Let me see your penis.”
Funny People,Universal Pictures
41. Age Difference
The four leads (Andy, David, Cal, and Jay) in The 40-Year-Old Virgin are portrayed as being roughly the same age. However, in reality, Rogen was only 22 years of age at the time of shooting. Meanwhile, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, and Romany Malco were 10 to 20 years Rogen’s senior, all being in their 30s and 40s during filming.
The 40 Year Old Virgin,Universal Pictures
40. Puppy Love
Near the end of This is the End, Rogen’s character is seen holding a dog. Turns out, this is his actual dog, Zelda.
39. Steve Who?
Despite playing American inventor and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak in Steve Jobs, Rogen admitted to having no idea who Wozniak was before being cast in the film. To prepare for the role, he met with the real Wozniak numerous times and watched hours upon hours of his speeches online.
38. Nepotism
In Knocked Up, Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd played a married couple with two children. Instead of hiring child actors to play the parts, director Apatow (who is married to Mann) had their real-life children, Iris and Maude, step in for the roles.
37. Rainbow Bumper Sticker
One of the most quoted scenes from The 40-Year-Old Virgin is the “You Know How I Know You’re Gay” scene. Turns out Rogen, who is a master improviser, improvised this entire scene along with Rudd.
The 40 Year Old Virgin,Universal Pictures
36. Improv Queens
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Most of the lines spoken by Apatow and Mann’s daughters Iris and Maude in the film Knocked Up were improvised.
Knocked Up, Apatow Productions
35. Summer Camp
In Funny People, Rogen’s character mentions attending a camp called Mahaneh Miriam. Though viewers might think this is fictional, it’s actually the name of a real Jewish camp in Canada that Rogen went to while growing up.
Funny People,Universal Pictures
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34. First Impressions
Turns out, first impressions really are important! American actress Mila Kunis was up for the role of Alison in Knocked Up. Though she was never offered the part, she made an impression on Apatow, who later cast her in the lead part in Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
33. Thirteen
Rogen and Evan Goldberg have teamed up on numerous films, but the first one they ever wrote together was Superbad. They starting writing the script for Superbad when they were just 13 years old.
32. Rated R for Language
When you compare the length of Superbad to the number of times the "f" word is said (186), it averages out to the swear word being used 1.6 times per minute. That’s got to be some sort of record!
31. A Canuck at Heart
Though Rogen might seem like a Hollywood golden boy, he’s actually from Vancouver, Canada. References to his home city are made throughout his movies, including Superbad. In one scene, McLovin, played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse, is talking to the police officers and mentions the address of the party he’s trying to get to. The address he gives is “13th and Granville.” Granville Street is a major road in Vancouver.
30. Stars Are Born
Emma Stone, now an Academy Award winner, had her film debut in Superbad. It was also Christopher Mintz-Plasse’s first film.
29. Bleeeeeep!
Fans of Rogen know he’s no stranger to cursing, which is why it probably won’t come as a surprise that in Knocked Up, the "f" word is said in one form or another a whopping 120 times.
Knocked Up, Apatow Productions
28. Improv Masters
Rogen’s no stranger to improvisation, but according to his writing partner Evan Goldberg, about 85% of This Is the End was improvised, which is particularly impressive.
27. Breaking Records
Sausage Party is the highest-grossing R-rated animated movie in history. And just in case you think this is a niche honor, the previous record was held by South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.
26. On a Budget
It’s no secret that animated films are expensive and time-consuming to make. That’s why it’s pretty amazing that Rogen’s Sausage Party cost only $19 million to create (in comparison, most other animated movies cost roughly $100 million).
25. Impromptu Haircut
For 50/50, Joseph Gordon-Levitt actually cut all of his hair off for filming; the scene in which he shaved his head was totally improvised and was not included in the script.
24. Get Your Passport!
At one point in 50/50, Gordon-Levitt’s character, Adam, is listing off things he’s never done in his life. One of them is that he’s never even been to Canada. While the film is supposed to take place in Seattle, it was actually filmed in Vancouver, making this line pretty ironic!
23. Superfan
Believe it or not, rapper Eminem is a huge fan of Superbad, and has even referred to it as his favorite movie ever. His love for the Rogen comedy runs so deep, he includes references to it in his songs, “Brainless” and “Ballin’ Uncontrollably.”
22. Real-Life Connection
Gordon-Levitt’s character in 50/50 was based on a real person’s battle with cancer. Screenwriter Will Reiser, who is a close friend of Rogen’s, was diagnosed with cancer at a young age. Though he eventually recovered, it was during this tough period in his life that Rogen helped him and simultaneously convinced him to write a screenplay about the experience.
21. Class Clown
Despite the entire cast being made up of comedians, there was one actor on the set of This is the End who made everyone break character. According to Rogen, Danny McBride was the biggest jokester on set, to the point that one of the scenes took 18 takes to film because no one could keep a straight face after McBride said his line.
20. Hometown Boy
The license plate number on Rogen’s character’s car in 50/50 is YVR 515. The first three letters, YVR, are another reference to Vancouver, Rogen’s hometown and the filming location of the movie. YVR is the airport code for the Vancouver International Airport.
19. That’s What We Call Commitment
Randall Park, who played Kim Jong-un in The Interview, gained weight (over 15 pounds) and had his hair cut to resemble Jong-un’s signature 'do for the role.
18. Baby Obsession
In Neighbors, Rogen’s character has a baby daughter named Stella. Stella was portrayed by twin sisters Elise and Zoey Vargas. According to Rogen, the cast and crew of the film fell in love with the twins and became so attached to them that they all showed up on the babies’ last day of shooting just so they could say goodbye.
17. Celeb Cameo
Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally, who are married in real life, were originally going to be in Neighbors, portraying Mintz-Plasse’s character’s parents. They filmed the cameo, but the scene ended up being cut.
16. Abercrombie Models
At the end of Neighbors, you may recall the hilarious scene when Zac Efron’s character Teddy and Rogen’s character Mac are standing outside the Abercrombie and Fitch store. This entire scene was completely improvised, meaning Efron had no idea that Rogen was going to remove his shirt.
15. Turning Tables
Rogen admitted that in The Disaster Artist, he had a hard time being directed by Franco. However, this was in part due to the fact that Franco never broke character during filming, meaning that even when he wasn’t in front of the camera and was giving directions, Franco still insisted on speaking with a vaguely Eastern European accent like Tommy Wiseau.
The Disaster Artist, New Line Cinema
14. Bounced Back
Nothing keeps Efron down! During a fight scene in Neighbors, Efron broke his hand. Everyone on set started panicking, wondering how they would work a broken hand into the movie, but to their surprise, Efron had emergency surgery and was back on set within a day.
13. The Franco Trio
Most of you are familiar with James and Dave Franco, but we bet you haven’t heard of the third Franco brother, Tom. Tom Franco, an artist, had a small role in The Disaster Artist as Karl.
The Disaster Artist, New Line Cinema
12. Dog Lovers
In real life, Rogen is married to actress Lauren Miller. Miller made a small appearance in 50/50 as the woman walking her dog who runs into Adam and Kyle while they’re walking Skeletor.
11. Gag Reel
Learning names is hard, even more so when your real-life friend is playing a character who goes by a different name. In The Night Before, Rogen’s character mistakenly calls Gordon-Levitt’s character "Joseph" instead of "Ethan" in the limo. Of course, Gordon-Levitt’s first name in real life is Joseph.
The Night Before,Columbia Pictures
10. Harry Potter Connection
When assembling the cast for This is the End, Goldberg and Rogen asked Daniel Radcliffe to join. Unfortunately, the Harry Potter alumnus said no, but fellow Hogwarts student Emma Watson would later make an appearance in the film.
9. Character Swap
When Rogen wrote the script for Pineapple Express, he originally envisioned himself in the role of Saul Silver, the drug dealer who befriends one of his customers. However, during the table read, he quickly realized that Franco would be much funnier in the role.
Pineapple Express,Apatow Productions
8. Summer Daze
Though The Night Before took place around the holidays, some scenes were filmed in August. Cast members complained about how hot they were having to film outdoors wearing thick Christmas sweaters in the height of summer.
The Night Before, Sony Pictures
7. Lost in Translation
To American audiences, the title of the movie Knocked Up is another way of saying that someone is pregnant, but in Portugal, the movie was released under a different name that translates to “Bloody Bad Luck.”
Knocked Up, Apatow Productions
6. Breathe in, Breathe out
Rogen was not prepared for the physical scenes in Pineapple Express. To get in shape and to increase his flexibility, he practiced yoga.
Pineapple Express,Apatow Productions
5. Birthing Controversy
Apatow might be known for pushing boundaries, but one time he may have taken it a little too far. When shooting the birthing scene in Knocked Up, Apatow planned to use footage of a real-life woman giving birth. In the end, he changed his mind as it was too much of a hassle due to a mandatory worker’s permit needed for the unborn child. When the plan was still on the table, however, it caused some controversy: Anne Hathaway, who was first cast in the title role of Alison Scott, left because of the real birth idea, and the part eventually went to Katherine Heigl.
Knocked Up, Apatow Productions
4. Bad Girl Riri
In This is the End, the script called for Michael Cera to slap Rihanna’s butt. Originally, Cera was not actually hitting her butt, and instead stopped before he touched her. However, the crew decided this looked too fake on camera and he would have to actually touch Rihanna’s butt. Rihanna agreed, but only on the condition that she could slap Cera in the face for every time he smacked her butt.
3. Awkward Encounter
Talk about an awkward situation! Mintz-Plasse was underage during the filming of Superbad (he was just 17 years old), which meant that his mother had to be on-set while he shot his sex scene the night of the party.
2. Master Roller
In the stoner comedy Pineapple Express, Rogen rolled every single joint that was seen on camera. Talk about hands-on.
Pineapple Express,Apatow Productions
1. Wild Accusations
Although The Interview is generally thought of as Rogen's most controversial movie, but a less obvious one drew some extremely serious accusations from Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday. Hornaday implied that Rogen's movie Neighbors may have been partly to blame for a mass shooting at a college in 2014. Rogen was personally offended by the article, and took to Twitter soon after to defend himself.
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