Seth Rogen | |
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_(cropped).jpg) Rogen in 2019 | |
| Born | Seth Aaron Rogen (1982-04-15)April 15, 1982 (age 42) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
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| Years active | 1999–present |
| Works | Filmography |
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| Awards | Full list |
Seth Aaron Rogen (/ˈroʊɡən/; born April 15, 1982) is a Canadian actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known primarily for his comedicleading man roles in films, the accolades he has received include nominations for threeGolden Globe Awards, fivePrimetime Emmy Awards, aScreen Actors Guild Award, and anIndependent Spirit Award.
Originally astand-up comedian in Vancouver, Rogen moved to Los Angeles for a part inJudd Apatow's seriesFreaks and Geeks in 1999, and got a part on Apatow's sitcomUndeclared in 2001, which also hired him as a writer. Rogen landed a job as a staff writer on the final season ofDa Ali G Show (2004), for which the writing team was nominated for aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series. Apatow subsequently guided him toward a film career.
His first movie appearance was a minor role inDonnie Darko (2001), and he had a supporting part in Apatow's directorial debut,The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), which he co-produced. He had leading roles in Apatow's comediesKnocked Up (2007) andFunny People (2009). Rogen and his writing partner,Evan Goldberg, co-wrote the filmsSuperbad (2007),Pineapple Express (2008),The Green Hornet (2011) andThis Is the End (2013), and directedThis Is the End andThe Interview (2014), all of which starred Rogen. He had further comedic roles inZack and Miri Make a Porno (2008),Neighbors (2014),its 2016 sequel,The Disaster Artist (2017), andLong Shot (2019). He has played dramatic roles in50/50 (2011),Take This Waltz (2011),Steve Jobs (2015) andThe Fabelmans (2022). He also starred in theFX on Hulu miniseriesPam & Tommy (2022) for which he receivedPrimetime Emmy andGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor nominations.
Rogen has co-developed theAMC television seriesPreacher (2016–2019), on which he also served as writer, executive producer and director. He has also executive produced theAmazon Prime Video superhero seriesThe Boys from 2019, andInvincible from 2021. Rogen is also known for his voice roles in the animated filmsShrek the Third (2007),Horton Hears a Who! (2008), theKung Fu Panda series,The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008),Monsters vs. Aliens (2009),Sausage Party (2016; which he also co-wrote and produced),The Lion King (2019),The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023),Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023; which he also co-wrote and produced) andMufasa: The Lion King (2024).
Seth Aaron Rogen was born on April 15, 1982, inVancouver,British Columbia, into aJewish family of Ukrainian and Russian origin.[1][2] His mother, Sandy Belogus, is asocial worker, and his American father, Mark Rogen, worked fornon-profit organizations and as an assistant director of theWorkmen's Circle Jewish fraternal organization.[3][4][5][6] Rogen is a dual citizen of Canada and America who once said "I definitely associate with being Canadian much more than being American" due his upbringing in the former.[7] He has described his parents, who met on kibbutzBeit Alfa inIsrael, as "radical Jewish socialists."[4] Rogen has an older sister named Danya.[2][3] He attendedVancouver Talmud Torah Elementary School andPoint Grey Secondary School, incorporating many of his classmates into his writing, and took up kyokushinkarate for 10 years.[8][9] He was also known for thestand-up comedy he performed at Camp Miriam, aHabonim Dror camp.[3][10][11][12][13][14][15]
As a child, Rogen did not want to pursue any career other than comedy, stating, "As soon as I realized you could be funny as a job, that was the job I wanted."[5] He got his start in show business at age 12 after enrolling in a comedy workshop taught by Mark Pooley.[3] His early comedy routines involved jokes about hisbar mitzvah, his grandparents and his camp counsellors.[16][3] As a teenager, he would perform stand-up comedy routines at places like bar mitzvahs and small parties, later shifting to bars.[17][18] Amohel paid him to write jokes.[19] At the age of 13, he co-wrote a rough draft ofSuperbad with childhood friendEvan Goldberg, whom he had met at bar mitzvah classes.[5][19][20] Based on their teenage experiences,[4] Rogen and Goldberg spent the rest of their time in high school polishing the script. They initially worried thatAmerican Pie (1999) had beaten them to the idea for the movie, but they decided that the film "'managed to totally avoid all honest interaction between characters,' which is what we're going for."[4]
His mother was supportive of his comic endeavours and would often drive him to stand-up gigs at thecomedy clubYuk Yuk's.[19] With hisdeadpan humour, he placed second in the Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest at 16 years old.[17] Also when Rogen was 16, his father lost his job and his mother quit hers, forcing them to put their house up for sale and relocate to a significantly smaller apartment. Around this time, he landed a role onJudd Apatow's television showFreaks and Geeks after attending a localcasting call.[5][19] Rogen dropped out of high school, began working for Apatow[21][22] and relocated with his family toLos Angeles. Rogen paid the bills and had become the main wage earner at just 16.[5]
Rogen's acting debut was asKen Miller, a cynical, acerbic "freak" inFreaks and Geeks, an eventualcult hit series first released in 1999.[5] Revolving around a group of teenagers' lives,Freaks and Geeks first aired in 1999. Although well reviewed, the show wasNBC's lowest-viewed program and was cancelled after one season due to poor ratings.[21][23] Impressed with Rogen's improvisational skills,[19] Apatow then chose him as the lead in another of his shows,Undeclared. Rogen was originally set to play a fairly popular college freshman, but the network did not think he was leading man material. Apatow opted not to go along with the show.[19] Rogen also served as a staff writer to the short-lived production.[24][25]
Following the show's cancellation in 2002, Rogen did not get many auditions, which was not upsetting to him, as he always thought he would achieve better success as a writer.[26] He was soon part of Apatow's "frat pack," a close-knit group that includedSteve Carell andPaul Rudd.[17] Of the awkwardness of a grown man spending so much time with a teenaged Rogen, Apatow said, "I'm such a comedy fan that, even though he's 16, I know I'm hanging out with one of the guys who's going to be one of the great comics."[19] To simulate their creativity, Apatow gave Rogen and Goldberg unusual writing tasks, such as turning an idea of his into a movie in 10 days, and coming up with 100 one-page film ideas.[26] Regarding Apatow's professional effect on him, Rogen said in 2009, "Obviously, I can't stress how important Judd's been to my career."[17]
Rogen had roles inDonnie Darko (2001) andAnchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004).[27] A big career point for him was becoming a staff writer forSacha Baron Cohen's last season ofDa Ali G Show in 2004.[22] Along with the show's other writers, Rogen received aPrimetime Emmy Award nomination.[28] He became familiar to audiences as one of the main character's co-workers in Apatow's well-reviewedbuddy comedy directorial debut featureThe 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005),[29][30] which Rogen also co-produced, and in which he improvised all his dialogue.[22][31] "[Rogen] hadn't done any screen work that indicated he could carry as memorable and convincing a performance as he does with the character Cal,"MTV's John Constantine wrote.[27]The Boston Globe reviewer Wesley Morris wrote that Rogen, along with co-stars Rudd andRomany Malco, were each hilarious in their own right.[32] TheOrlando Sentinel's Roger Moore believed that Rogen "had his moments" in the film,[33] whereas Moira Macdonald ofThe Seattle Times said the actor was "droopily deadpan".[34] Rogen followed this with a small role inYou, Me and Dupree (2006), a critically panned comedy featuringMatt Dillon,Kate Hudson andOwen Wilson.[35]
Rogen's breakthrough came whenUniversal Studios green-lit him for the lead in yet another Apatow production,Knocked Up (2007), aromantic comedy that follows the repercussions of a drunkenone-night stand between his slacker character andKatherine Heigl's just-promotedmedia personality that results in an unintended pregnancy. On completingThe 40-Year-Old Virgin, Apatow had approached Rogen about potential starring roles, but the actor suggested many high-concept science fiction ideas. After Apatow insisted that he would work better in real-life situations, the two agreed on the accidental pregnancy concept of this production.[36] Rogen called shooting sex scenes with Heigl "nerve-wracking" and was grateful for the supporting cast for shifting some of the film's focus away from him.[37][38] Made on a $30 million budget and released on June 1,Knocked Up was a critical and commercial hit, garnering an approval rating of 90% onreview aggregatorRotten Tomatoes and grossing $219 million.[39][40] Rogen also received favourable reviews.[41][42] Later that year, he played a supporting part as an irresponsible police officer inSuperbad, which he wrote with his writing partner, Evan Goldberg, and was co-produced by Apatow.Michael Cera andJonah Hill originate the main roles, two teenage best friends whose party plans go wrong, based on them.[4] Critics outsiders the film and its writing, finding it very authentic,[43] and it topped the U.S. box office for two weeks.[44] Rogen then made a vocalcameo appearance in the animated filmShrek the Third, also released in 2007,[45] and hostedSaturday Night Live in October 2007.[46]
Rogen's projects in 2008 includedJimmy Hayward'sHorton Hears a Who!, ananimated film based on theDr. Seussbook, where Rogen voiced Morton the Mouse,[47] and the fantasy filmThe Spiderwick Chronicles, where he voiced ahobgoblin.[48] He additionally co-wroteDrillbit Taylor, also produced by Apatow and starringOwen Wilson as the homeless titular character.[49] He based the screenplay on a 70-pagescriptment done byJohn Hughes.[50] The movie was panned by critics who thought its plot—a grown man becoming three kids' bodyguard and beating up their bullies—had no focus and was too drawn-out. "IfSuperbad were remade as a gimmickyNickelodeon movie, it would probably look something likeDrillbit Taylor," Josh Bell wrote in theLas Vegas Weekly.[51] Rogen voiced another animated movie,Kung Fu Panda, withJack Black andAngelina Jolie.[52] It did exceptionally well in theatres, making more than $630 million.[53] He made a cameo appearance in the comedyStep Brothers, released in July.[54] Rogen, Goldberg and Apatow were behind thestoneraction comedyPineapple Express directed byDavid Gordon Green atColumbia Pictures. Apatow produced it while Rogen and Goldberg wrote the script.[55] Rogen was chosen to play the film'sprotagonist, a 25-year-old who accidentally witnesses a murder while delivering asubpoena.James Franco was cast as hishippie pot dealer with whom he becomes a fugitive. When asked about its inspiration, Rogen said "I write what I know".[56]Pineapple Express was released to theatres in August and made $101 million against its $27 million production budget.[57] Critics lauded it, appreciating the performances and humor.[55][58]
In April 2008,Empire reported Rogen and Goldberg would write an episode for the animated television seriesThe Simpsons.[59] He also voiced a character in the episode,[60] titled "Homer the Whopper," which opened the21st season.[61]Kevin Smith'sromantic comedyZack and Miri Make a Porno rounded out 2008 for the actor. He andElizabeth Banks portrayed the title roles of two Pennsylvania roommates who try to make some extra cash by making anadult film together. After having difficulty trying to secure anR rating, Rogen commented to MTV, "It's a really filthy movie," but complained, "It's really crazy to me thatHostel is fine, with people gouging their eyes out and shit like that ... but you can't show two people having sex – that's too much."[62] The picture was distributed on Halloween byThe Weinstein Company and disappointed at the box office.[63] Along withReese Witherspoon, he voiced a character in the animatedscience fictionMonsters vs. Aliens (2009), which did well commercially, with a total of $381.5 million.[64] He then starred in theJody Hill–directed mall cop comedyObserve and Report,[65] in which he portrayedbipolar mall security guard Ronnie Barnhart. The film opened in theatres on April 10. Critics noted a departure in Rogen's acting style from playing laid-back roles to playing a more sadistic character; Wesley Morris fromThe Boston Globe opined that "Often with Rogen, his vulnerability makes his coarseness safe... Ronnie is something altogether new for Rogen. Vulnerability never arrives. He's shameless."[66] Later in 2009, Rogen starred in Apatow's third directorial feature,Funny People, withAdam Sandler. Rogen played a young, inexperienced comic while Sandler played a mentor of sorts to his character; the film had more dramatic elements in it than Apatow's previous efforts.[67]Funny People was a commercial failure, coming up short of earning back its $75 million budget.[68] The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with a consensus that it had "considerable emotional depth."[69] Rogen hostedSaturday Night Live again in 2009, where the music video for theLonely Island song "Like a Boss," in which he starred, premiered.[70]
After years of development, a feature film adaptation ofThe Green Hornet was handled by Rogen and Goldberg, with a theatrical release in January 2011. Rogen chose to do a re-imagining of thetitle character.[17] He was executive producer of the movie and also cast himself as the main character. Rogen later admitted to having been overwhelmed by handling its $120 million budget. "It's insane. But it's not so much the specific amount of money that's stressful, it's all the things that go along with making a movie of that size."[71] The actor also went on a strict weight-loss diet to play the slim crime fighter.[17]The Green Hornet was a critical disappointment; Adam Graham of theDetroit News called it "a big, sloppy, loud, grating mess of a movie,"[72] and theArizona Republic's Bill Goodykoontz found its story to have fallen apart.[73] Nonetheless, it still opened at No. 1 at the box office, making $33 million in its opening weekend before going on to gross more than $225 million.[74] In 2011, Rogen and Evan Goldberg founded the production companyPoint Grey Pictures, named after Point Grey Secondary School, which they both attended.[75]
Rogen provided the voice andmotion capture for the titular character, agrey alien, in the science fiction comedyPaul (2011).[76] The film also starredSimon Pegg andNick Frost as a pair of geeks who help Paul escape fromFBI agents.[77] He reprised his voice role inKung Fu Panda 2,[78] as well as produced and took a supporting role inJonathan Levine's50/50. Thedramedy about cancer was based on an autobiographical script by screenwriterWill Reiser[79] and was released in September 2011. The dramaTake This Waltz, his fourth film of 2011, featured Rogen as a man whose wife (played byMichelle Williams) explores a new relationship with another man.[80] From 2011 to 2015, Rogen played Dirty Randy, a librarian andpornographer, in the sitcomThe League, in addition to writing two episodes.[81] Rogen hosted the27th Independent Spirit Awards in February 2012, and theroad movieThe Guilt Trip, co-starringBarbra Streisand, was released in cinemas that December.[82] The film was about an inventor (Rogen) who invites his mother (Streisand) on a road trip, as he attempts to sell his new product while also reuniting her with a lost love.[83]
In 2013, Rogen and his screenwriting collaborator, Evan Goldberg, made their directorial debut withThis Is the End, a comedy featuring Rogen,Jay Baruchel,James Franco,Jonah Hill,Craig Robinson andDanny McBride playing fictional versions of themselves facing a global apocalypse. The film received positive reviews and was No. 2 at the box office on its opening weekend.[84][85] Rogen recurred on the revivedfourth season of the comedy seriesArrested Development in May 2013, playing a youngGeorge Bluth Sr. (played byJeffrey Tambor) in several flashback scenes.[86] He co-wrote the foreword for the 2014 bookConsole Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation by Blake J. Harris. and was reported be working on an adaptation with Goldberg.[87]
Rogen hostedSaturday Night Live for a third time in 2014.[88] That May, Rogen starred inNeighbors withRose Byrne andZac Efron, which was directed byNicholas Stoller. In the film, Rogen and Byrne play a couple that comes into conflict with a fraternity, led by Efron's character, living next door.[89] The film became Rogen's highest-grossing non-animated film, having grossed over $270 million globally.[90] Rogen and Evan Goldberg co-directed and co-wrote the story for the action comedyThe Interview, starring Rogen and James Franco as a pair of journalists who are recruited by theCIA to assassinateNorth Korean leaderKim Jong-un after setting up an interview with him. In June 2014, North Korea threatened a "merciless" retaliation on the United States if it did not banThe Interview, labelling the movie "an act of war" and a "wanton act of terror," and Rogen himself a "gangster filmmaker."[91] In December, Sony Pictures announced that it was cancelling the release of the movie after acyber attack on the studio, allegedly tied to North Korea and threats made subsequently by Kim Jong-un.[92] As a result of criticism of this decision, Sony subsequently made the film available online and it allowed a theatrical release on December 25, 2014,[92] drawing mixed opinions from film critics. Scott Foundas ofVariety found the film to be "about as funny as a communist food shortage, and just as protracted,"[93] whileThe Daily Telegraph criticRobbie Collin opined that it was "a raucous, abrasive, snort-out-loud satire with mischief in its heart and methane in its gut."[94] It grossed $11.3 million in theatres,[95] but had strong online sales and rentals.[96] Also in 2014, Rogen made cameo appearances in the comedy22 Jump Street as the double of Jonah Hill's character and in James Franco's dramaThe Sound and the Fury as atelegrapher.[97][98] During the time, Rogen and Goldberg, through their Point Grey Pictures company, had set up a joint venture with major clientGood Universe to set up mainstream comedy films.[99]
Rogen portrayedApple Inc. co-founderSteve Wozniak in theDanny Boyle–directedSteve Jobs biopic (2015), based on a screenplay byAaron Sorkin. His performance in the film was widely praised, and he was commended by Wozniak himself for doing an "excellent job."[100][101] In November 2015, Rogen starred alongsideJoseph Gordon-Levitt andAnthony Mackie in the Christmas-themed comedyThe Night Before as three best friends who annually reunite to celebrateChristmas Eve.[102] In 2016, he reprised his voice role as Master Mantis inKung Fu Panda 3 and as Mac Radner in theNeighbors sequelNeighbors 2: Sorority Rising.[103][104] Along with Goldberg andSam Catlin, Rogen developed the television seriesPreacher forSony Pictures Television, which premiered onAMC in May 2016.[105] The show is based on the comic book seriesof the same name that was created byGarth Ennis andSteve Dillon and follows a small-town preacher namedJesse Custer (played byDominic Cooper) who possesses a superpower that allows him to command others to do as he says.[106] His last release of 2016 was the animated comedySausage Party, which, in addition to voicing the lead character Frank – a sausage that tries to escape his fate in a supermarket – he co-wrote and produced.Sausage Party became the most commercially successful R-rated animated film of all time, overtakingSouth Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999).[107]Associated Press critic Lindsey Bahr wrote of the film: "There is no one out there making comedies quite like Rogen and Goldberg. They are putting their definitive stamp on the modern American comedy one decency-smashing double entendre at a time."[108]
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Along with Evan Goldberg, Rogen directed and executive produced the science fiction comedy seriesFuture Man, starringJosh Hutcherson, which premiered on the streaming serviceHulu in November 2017.[109] The same year, Rogen and Goldberg also co-directed a short commercial film forWalmart, titledBananas Town,[110] and Rogen portrayed Sandy Schklair, thescript supervisor forThe Room director and starTommy Wiseau (played by James Franco), in the Franco-directed filmThe Disaster Artist, based onthe book of the same name, which chronicles the making of the 2003 filmThe Room.[111] Rogen, as the founder of Hilarity for Charity, an organization that raises funds forAlzheimer's research and support, hosts an annual fundraising comedy event named after the organization.[112] The sixth event was broadcast through the streaming serviceNetflix in April 2018.[112] In July 2018, it was announced that Rogen was to voice public service announcements in his native Vancouver'sTransLinktransit system[113] and Toronto'sToronto Transit Commission.[114] Rogen co-starred alongsideKristen Bell andKelsey Grammer as the love interest of Bell's character in the 2018 comedy-dramaLike Father, directed by Rogen's wife,Lauren Miller.[115] In 2019, Rogen starred oppositeCharlize Theron in the romantic comedyLong Shot, as an unemployed journalist who re-connects with his childhood love interest and babysitter (Theron), who has become a major political figure.[116]
Rogen co-starred in the 2019remake of the animated musical filmThe Lion King (1994),[117] voicing the warthogPumbaa, who rescues the film's protagonistSimba with his friend Timon, voiced byDonald Glover andBilly Eichner, respectively.[118] He sang three songs in the film, which were included on thesoundtrack release.[119] Rogen said that, "[a]s an actor, I don't think I'm right for every role — there are a lot of roles I don't think I'm right for even in movies I'm making — but Pumbaa was one I knew I could do well."[120] It had a middling reception from critics, and became one of the highest-grossing films of all time with earnings of more than $1.663 billion.[121] Rogen and Eichner received praise for their chemistry.[122][123] In 2019, Rogen also produced the comedyGood Boys, starringJacob Tremblay forUniversal Pictures, and the television showsThe Boys andBlack Monday, directing the pilot for the latter show with Goldberg.[124] In 2021, he voiced Allen the Alien in the animated seriesInvincible, in which he also serves as producer. Rogen filmed scenes for the James Franco filmZeroville in 2014, which was not released until 2019.[125]
Rogen has a guest chapter giving advice inTim Ferriss' self-help bookTools of Titans.[citation needed]
In 2020, it was announced that Rogen would serve as a producer for the animated film,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.[126] In addition to producing, he co-wrote it,[127] and provided the voice ofBebop.[128][129]
Rogen's first book,Yearbook, was published in May 2021.[130]Yearbook is a memoir that features a collection of essays spanning from Rogen's adolescence to his experiences inHollywood.[130] In September 2021,Nintendo announced in aNintendo Direct presentation that Rogen would be voicingDonkey Kong in the 2023 animated filmThe Super Mario Bros. Movie,[131] with a spin-off film focused around the character planned, as well.[132]
In 2023 it was announced that Rogen will serve as an executive producer, and appear as a guest judge, in the upcoming Canadian reality competition seriesThe Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down.[133] Also in 2023, Rogen was cast alongsideAziz Ansari andKeanu Reeves in Ansari's film directorial debut,Good Fortune.[134] The project began filming in January 2024, withKeke Palmer posting on herInstagram page that she had joined Rogen as part of the cast that same month.[135]
Politically, Rogen describes himself as "left wing".[136]
Rogen has been active in raising awareness ofAlzheimer's disease. The disease runs in his wife's family and has affected his mother-in-law for several years. "I think until you see it firsthand, it's kind of hard to conceive of how brutal it is," Rogen said toCNN. "Until I saw it, you just don't get kind of how heartbreaking it can be."[137] During the interview, he talked about how he tries to be emotionally supportive and around as much as he can for Miller's mother. Both he and Miller spoke toLarry King forA Larry King Special, Unthinkable: The Alzheimer's Epidemic, which aired in April 2011.[137] Rogen testified about the disease and his charity before theUnited States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services on February 26, 2014.[138] Rogen started the Hilarity for Charity movement to inspire change and raise awareness of Alzheimer's disease among theMillennial Generation.[139] Rogen and his wife also initiated the Alzheimer's and Dementia Care Grant Program with Home Instead Senior Care to provide free at-home care to senior citizens.[140] On February 25, 2016, Rogen and Miller were honoured with the unite2gether accolade fromunite4:humanity for their work promoting awareness and raising money forAlzheimer's research through Hilarity for Charity.[141]
Rogen appeared in aBud Light commercial celebratingLGBT Pride Month and theSupreme Court of the United Statesruling that granted same-sex couples the right to marry.[142] Rogen is a member ofPi Kappa Alpha fraternity (Lambda Delta chapter) at theUniversity of Vermont. He was initiated in April 2017 after his fourth visit to the campus for his Hilarity for Charity movement.[143] Rogen is also a member ofNational Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and an openmarijuana user.[144][145] Rogen and his longtime friend and collaborator Evan Goldberg launched the cannabis companyHouseplant in Canada in 2019.[146]
In June 2018, Rogen was invited byMitt Romney to speak at a seminar for awareness ofAlzheimer's disease hosted by Romney inPark City, Utah.Speaker of the House of Representatives,Paul Ryan, was in attendance, asking Rogen for a photo after Ryan's children engaged Rogen in conversation. Rogen refused, stating in an interview withStephen Colbert, "I look over and his kids are standing right there expectantly, clearly fans of mine, and I said, 'No way, man!'" and telling Ryan, "Furthermore, I hate what you're doing to the country at this moment, and I'm counting the days until you no longer have one iota of the power that you currently have."[147]
On July 3, 2018, Rogen criticizedTwitter and its CEOJack Dorsey, claiming he had a "bizarre need to verifywhite supremacists".[148]Variety reported that he was "directly in touch" with Dorsey over the issue.[149] Several media outlets, includingFortune,[150] speculated that Rogen was referring toalt-right figureJason Kessler, and theProud Boys in particular.[151][152]
Rogen is a supporter of theBlack Lives Matter movement.[153]
During his July 2020 promotional tour for his comedy,An American Pickle, Rogen said he was "fed a huge amount of lies about Israel" growing up, commenting: "They never tell you that – 'Oh, by the way, there werepeople there.' They make it seem like it was just like sitting there, like the fucking door's open."
Rogen has said he believes antisemitism has remained pervasive and prevalent, but also spoke to the importance of a strong Jewish diaspora: "You don't keep something you're trying to preserve all in one place."[154] Rogen later expanded on his comments, stating in an interview: "I think that it's a tricky conversation to have in jest. And that's something that perhaps I now look at and say, 'Oh, now that we joked about that, perhaps we could clarify some things so people don't run around thinking that I think Israel shouldn't exist anymore.' And I'm sensitive to Jewish people being hurt, as a Jewish person. And I'm sensitive to Jewish people thinking I'm not a proud Jewish person, which I am. Truthfully, I think my pride in being Jewish and how deeply I identify as a Jewish person perhaps made me feel like I was able to say things without as much context as perhaps I should give them – you know what I'm saying? And I am sensitive to Jews thinking that I don't think Israel should not exist [sic], and that there are a lot of Jewish people who are alive who wouldn't be without Israel. And my parents met in Israel; I've been to Israel several times."[155]
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Rogen began dating writer and actressLauren Miller in 2004. They met while he was working onDa Ali G Show.[22] They became engaged on September 29, 2010[156] and married on October 2, 2011 inSonoma County, California.[157] Miller has had minor onscreen roles in a few of Rogen's films.[158] They have stated they do not plan to have children.[159]
Rogen created acannabis brand in the city ofToronto, Ontario, with his friendEvan Goldberg.[160] After attendingpottery classes with his wife in 2017, he began makingceramics.[161] He cites artistKenneth Price as an inspiration.[162][163]
In January 2021, Rogen revealed on Twitter that he has mildTourette syndrome, which runs in his family.[164]
Sandy and Mark Rogen are pleased to announce the birth of their son, Seth Aaron, 9 lbs. 2 oz., on April 15, a brother for Danya. Proud grandparents are Kelly and Faye Belogus of Vancouver and Annette and Al Robins, New Jersey. Great-grandparents are Edith and Joe Rogen of New York.
