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College Tribune | September 16 2008
Freaks, Geeks an Cian Taaffe caught up with Seth Rogen, during his recent stay in Dublin, to discuss his rising success in the film industry, his plans for the future, and his relationship with his drug dealer. Canadian writer and actor, Seth Rogen, was discovered at the age of sixteen by film producer and director Judd Apatow who gave Rogen his first acting role as Ken Miller on the short-lived, now cult, television series Freaks and Geeks in 1999. With the cancellation of Freaks and Geeks, Apatow set out to develop another television series, and once again brought Rogen on board as Ron Garner on Undeclared. Undeclared, unfortunately, met the same fate as its predeccesor and was cancelled during its first series. Despite two unsuccessful shows under their belts, the relationship between Apatow and Rogen grew stronger and the two are now responsible for some of the most successful comedy films of the naughties, including Anchorman, 40-Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up and Superbad. “I first met Judd at the audition for Freaks and Geeks and when we were doing the show nothing led me to believe that he liked me any more than anyone else. If you told me then that in ten years you’ll be the guy that still works with him a lot, I would not have believed you at all,” says Rogen. “I think I just showed him that I was really eager to be a writer and I was really into it and enthusiastic about it and I think that meant a lot to him. Then he hired me on Undeclared and we had a great experience and he taught me a lot about writing. Then when we all made 40 Year Old Virgin, I felt like everything just clicked into place for everyone involved; me and Paul Rudd, Steve Carrell and Judd and everyone just kind of looked at each other and thought this is what we need to be doing and ever since then it’s just been easy and fun and we’re gonna start shooting another one in a few weeks, so obviously I wouldn’t keep doing it if I didn’t enjoy it.” In late 2007, Rogen wrote and costarred in Superbad, a film based on the relationship between himself and his best friend Evan Goldberg, who co-wrote the film. “Evan and I met when we were twelve years old, I think, maybe a little before that, but yeah we’re really good friends, we live a couple of blocks away from each other and see each other on a very regular basis”. The relationship in reality, however, is not quite so close as Superbad. “We have never hugged each other nor have we ever said that we loved each other, so it’s not quite as it was depicted in Superbad.” Despite the fact that Superbad was based on his own teenage experience, Rogen was too old to take on the character based on himself so instead he played a police officer in the film while Jonah Hill took on the role of Seth. “I thought Jonah Hill
was great as Seth in Superbad. It was perfect, he was hilarious, but it was annoying because he could do it better than I could, and the character is based on me.” With the success of Superbad, it wasn’t long before Rogen and Goldberg were approached to write another film; Pineapple Express. “Judd Apatow actually came up with the loose notion for a weed action/comedy, but me and Evan Goldberg realised that there was no movie that really showed what your average pot head experience was actually like, as in, what it was like to go and buy weed in some weird guys apartment and to sit in your car and smoke joints all day and we just wanted to show what that was like and that was all very based on personal experiences, so marijuana really was my muse for this movie.” Pineapple Express is the story of Dale Denton (Rogen), who befriends his drug dealer as they run for their lives. Rogen who has publicly admit-
“I wouldn’t say that I’m friends with my drug dealer. Not really – I have been in the past, but these guys are all business and that’s why I like them” ted to smoking hash on a regular basis, says that his relationship with his current drug dealers are in no way depicted in this film. “I wouldn’t say that I’m friends with my drug dealer. Not really – I have been in the past, but these guys are all business and that’s why I like them. They are great guys though. I would constantly tell them they are the best pot dealers I ever had. And I was really subconscious because they wanted to go see the movie and I just wanted to tell them, ‘It’s not based on you, we wrote this before we met you and we really like you,’ so that’s kind of awkward.” Pineapple Express sees Rogen reunited with fellow Freaks and Geeks alumni James Franco, who plays drug dealer Saul Silver in the film. “It was great working with James Franco again. He went off on a very different career direction from myself after Freaks and Geeks – in the sense that he was in some of the most popular movies of all time and I didn’t do shit for years and years,
so I never thought our paths would necessarily cross again professionally, and when I heard he wanted to do comedy again and he wanted to work with us, I was thrilled and I don’t think it could have worked out better.” Since the release of Pineapple Express in the States rumours have been rife about a Superbad/Pineapple Express crossover sequel but Rogen confirms they are merely rumours. “We started those rumours about the crossover, but there’s no truth to them. Not right now anyway, but we’d like there to be a crossover if we could think of a way to actually make that work, I would honestly love to do that, but as of now we have not cracked that egg.”
If there was a Superbad/Pineapple Express crossover, Rogen would have to choose between his Superbad character, Officer Michaels, and his Pineapple Express character, Dale Denton. “If there was a crossover I’d probably prefer to play Dale, but maybe not – it would be really funny if they both died early on in the movie and I just play a new guy altogether.” As well as the recent release of Pineapple Express, Rogen stars in another film, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, directed by Kevin Smith, which will be released later this year. “Zack and Miri Make a Porno is going to be awesome. It’s hilarious. It’s me and Elizabeth Banks and we play two friends, who are room