No matter how accomplished an actor is, not every one of their projects is going to strike a chord in audiences the same way as the one’s their most famous for. Seth Rogen may have had built a name for himself during his over 20 years starring and making movies, but it’s an especially tough road when one doesn’t turn out how he’d wished it would. Here’s why per his words:
When I like it and am proud of it, I am definitely more relaxed. It's awkward to promote a movie that you yourself would not be that excited to go see. I remember You, Me and Dupree was the first time I had to do that, and that movie's fine, I just didn't love it. It honestly was not a movie I would have gone out to go see.
Yikes! The actor brings up an understandable point. Few industries require those involved to go out and promote all their work ,and it can be unpleasant to gush about a movie if you are not happy with. While most actors might find it easy to simply fake their enthusiasm about a bad movie (maybe pretend they’re doing a character who liked the movie?), Rogen told GQ it really takes a toll on him. He continued with these words:
I actually remember standing in my fucking closet in my apartment on Hayworth, doing a radio interview, being like, ‘Yeah, go see it, it's great,’ and being like, Ugh. Never again do I want to have to tell people to go see a movie that I myself actually wouldn't see. It's hard enough to promote a movie. When you're also morally corrupting yourself, it's a real bummer.
Ultimately, it looks like something positive came out of Rogen’s discomfort doing press for the movies he’s made. Namely, it made him only want to do projects he could be proud of. You, Me and Dupree may have been a bummer for the actor (which was directed by the Russo Brothers… you know those guys behind a little indie movie called Avengers: Endgame) but it pushed him to be more involved in his projects.
One year after that film, Seth Rogen made it big with his breakout hit Knocked Up, which he also was an executive producer on. That movie is still his biggest success, and was the start of Rogen being a regular producer on his movies (some of which he wrote as well) including Pineapple Express, 50/50, This is the End, Neighbors, The Interview and The Night Before.
Seth Rogen clearly loves being a part of the development process of a film, and having a say in the way it’s marketed. With the exception of a few movies, Rogen told GQ he gets uncomfortable about being in movies he is solely the actor in. This year he starred and produced in Long Shot, is producer on upcoming comedy Good Boys and is voicing the role of Pumbaa in The Lion King.
Way to pave your own success in the business. Seth Rogen may be high all the time (he said it, not me) but he can look back on a majority of his career feeling proud of what he’s accomplished and walk into press tours relaxed because of these experiences.
