Seth Rogen

Seth Rogen

Active - 2001 - Present  |   Born - Apr 15, 1982 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada  |   Genres - Comedy, Drama, Action

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Biography by AllMovie

Canadian-born actor Seth Rogen tapped into his skills as a comedian when he was only 13, signing up for comedy classes and honing his deadpan style. He tooled around as an amateur for a few years but eventually took his act down south, hoping to find success as an actor and standup comedian in the U.S. He was soon discovered by Judd Apatow and was cast in his short-lived series Freaks and Geeks. After its cancellation, Apatow cast Rogen in his next series, Undeclared -- for which Rogen significantly contributed as a writer. Undeclared met the same fate as Freaks and Geeks and was canceled mid-season, but both series became surprisingly hot cult hits upon their DVD releases. Rogen went on to write for Da Ali G Show and take minor roles in Donnie Darko and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy before being tapped by Apatow once again for a new project, this time on the big screen. The film was 2005's The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Rogen's role as Steve Carell's well-meaning friend Cal finally brought him the large-scale success that made his comic skills a valuable commodity. Rogen also acted as co-producer on the film, which was touted as the funniest movie in years by critics and audiences alike, eventually grossing well over a hundred million dollars. There was obviously good chemistry on the set of The 40 Year Old Virgin, so Rogen signed on to appear in Apatow's 2007 comedy Knocked Up. Appearing alongside his old cast mates Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann, Rogen starred as a man who is forced to deal with serious unforeseen consequences when his one-night stand becomes pregnant. After the filmmakers' initial plans to cast Anne Hathaway in the opposite role fell through, Grey's Anatomy star Katherine Heigl signed on to star as the female lead. The smash success of Superbad made him one of the biggest comedy stars of his generation and led to Pineapple Express, a pot comedy opposite James Franco. He was Zack in Zack and MIri Make a Porno, and took a screenwriting credit on Drillbit Taylor in 2008. He lent his distinctive gravelly voice to a number of animated films including Kung Fu Panda and Monsters vs. Aliens. In 2009 he stretched himself, reteaming with Apatow for Funny People, and taking the lead in the black comedy Observe and Report. In 2011 he was The Green Hornet, but he also appeared as the best friend to a young cancer victim in the comedy 50/50. He also played the husband of Michelle Williams in Sarah Polley's Take This Waltz.

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Factsheet

  • Started his comedy career at the age of 13 with a stand-up class at a Vancouver gay bar.
  • Won second place at the Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest when he was just 16.
  • Discovered by writer-producer Judd Apatow and subsequently cast in his acclaimed NBC drama, Freaks and Geeks, as well as Apatow's followup series, Undeclared.
  • Made his big-screen debut in 2001 with a small role in the cult sci-fi/drama Donnie Darko.
  • Worked as a writer for one season on Sacha Baron Cohen's HBO comedy series Da Ali G Show.
  • Often works with childhood friend Evan Goldberg, who co-wrote the 2007 comedy Superbad and executive-produced the Rogen-starring smash Knocked Up (2007).
  • Showed a different side to his acting in the 2011 comedy-drama 50/50 with his effectively funny-but-serious turn as the best friend of a cancer patient; Rogen also produced the film.
  • Active in efforts to combat Alzheimer’s disease.