When Seth Rogen got his big break as Ken, a wisecracking slacker on Judd Apatow's late, great TV show 'Freaks and Geeks,' few pegged him as leading-man material. Yet here he is in Apatow's 'Knocked Up,' starring as ... Ben, a wisecracking slacker who's in over his head when his one-night stand (Katherine Heigl) turns out to be pregnant. The rising young actor, screenwriter and producer chatted with us via AIM about his superhero inclinations, the mystery that is David Spade and his top three nude scenes of all time.
KnockedUpSeth: Hello, it's seth
MoviefoneTricia: hey, how's it going? long day?
KnockedUpSeth: not too bad. get to talk about myself all day. great.
MoviefoneTricia: what's the most annoying question you've been asked all day?
MoviefoneTricia: or are they all "why are you awesome?"
KnockedUpSeth: Today's okay. no abortion questions so far.
MoviefoneTricia: there's a first for everything
MoviefoneTricia: just kidding
MoviefoneTricia: so... judd apatow and you go way back. do you remember the first time you met him? what was your first impression?
KnockedUpSeth: the first time i met him i was auditioning for freaks. i just remember him laughing alot, which was rad. then i realized he was the boss and i must fear him/suck up to him.
MoviefoneTricia: haha. what scene did you have to read, do you remember? (i'm a huge freaks fan)
KnockedUpSeth: I actually first auditioned for bill, then for a call back, i read a scene that wasn't in the script about trying to grow weed and there was another one about wearing a molly hatchet t-shirt to church. both were hilarious.
MoviefoneTricia: man, those sound great -- though i can't really imagine you as bill
KnockedUpSeth: i know. it was really strange and un-funny.
MoviefoneTricia: i'm sure it was hysterical
MoviefoneTricia: don't be modest
KnockedUpSeth: no, it was bad.
KnockedUpSeth: very dorky
MoviefoneTricia: ha, ok, i'll just have to take your word for it. so... knocked up -- before i get to the movie, i've read that the idea came from a brainstorming session you had with judd where you were pitching sci-fi ideas
MoviefoneTricia: and what i want to know is, what were the sci-fi ideas?
KnockedUpSeth: we still plan on actually making them one day, but they generally involved me saving the world from some kind interstellar/supernatural force.
MoviefoneTricia: would you get to wear a cape?
KnockedUpSeth: we never got there. i know tights would be involved, though
MoviefoneTricia: awesome
MoviefoneTricia: i'm sure it'd be even better than nacho libre
KnockedUpSeth: no comment
MoviefoneTricia: ha -- delete, delete
MoviefoneTricia: ok, so in knocked up... you guys seem like such a fraternity. how did katherine heigl fit in to that?
KnockedUpSeth: she fit right in. she's a super cool chick. she drinks, smokes, curses with the best of them.
MoviefoneTricia: oh, that's good to hear; i really like her. how is she at improvising?
KnockedUpSeth: she was amazing. she can really dish it out. she scared the s*** out of me sometimes.
MoviefoneTricia: how so?
KnockedUpSeth: just the way she argues. she's good. i would often think "wow, this must be how she really argues. must be tough to win a fight with her."
MoviefoneTricia: nice. tell me the truth: if you ran into a woman in a bar who looks like katherine heigl, what would you do?
KnockedUpSeth: Nothing.
KnockedUpSeth: at all.
MoviefoneTricia: heh
MoviefoneTricia: even if wasted?
KnockedUpSeth: then i would vomit on her shoes
MoviefoneTricia: very nice
Go to part 2
KnockedUpSeth: Hello, it's seth
MoviefoneTricia: hey, how's it going? long day?
KnockedUpSeth: not too bad. get to talk about myself all day. great.
MoviefoneTricia: what's the most annoying question you've been asked all day?
MoviefoneTricia: or are they all "why are you awesome?"
KnockedUpSeth: Today's okay. no abortion questions so far.
MoviefoneTricia: there's a first for everything
MoviefoneTricia: just kidding
MoviefoneTricia: so... judd apatow and you go way back. do you remember the first time you met him? what was your first impression?
KnockedUpSeth: the first time i met him i was auditioning for freaks. i just remember him laughing alot, which was rad. then i realized he was the boss and i must fear him/suck up to him.
MoviefoneTricia: haha. what scene did you have to read, do you remember? (i'm a huge freaks fan)
KnockedUpSeth: I actually first auditioned for bill, then for a call back, i read a scene that wasn't in the script about trying to grow weed and there was another one about wearing a molly hatchet t-shirt to church. both were hilarious.
MoviefoneTricia: man, those sound great -- though i can't really imagine you as bill
KnockedUpSeth: i know. it was really strange and un-funny.
MoviefoneTricia: i'm sure it was hysterical
MoviefoneTricia: don't be modest
KnockedUpSeth: no, it was bad.
KnockedUpSeth: very dorky
MoviefoneTricia: ha, ok, i'll just have to take your word for it. so... knocked up -- before i get to the movie, i've read that the idea came from a brainstorming session you had with judd where you were pitching sci-fi ideas
MoviefoneTricia: and what i want to know is, what were the sci-fi ideas?
KnockedUpSeth: we still plan on actually making them one day, but they generally involved me saving the world from some kind interstellar/supernatural force.
MoviefoneTricia: would you get to wear a cape?
KnockedUpSeth: we never got there. i know tights would be involved, though
MoviefoneTricia: awesome
MoviefoneTricia: i'm sure it'd be even better than nacho libre
KnockedUpSeth: no comment
MoviefoneTricia: ha -- delete, delete
MoviefoneTricia: ok, so in knocked up... you guys seem like such a fraternity. how did katherine heigl fit in to that?
KnockedUpSeth: she fit right in. she's a super cool chick. she drinks, smokes, curses with the best of them.
MoviefoneTricia: oh, that's good to hear; i really like her. how is she at improvising?
KnockedUpSeth: she was amazing. she can really dish it out. she scared the s*** out of me sometimes.
MoviefoneTricia: how so?
KnockedUpSeth: just the way she argues. she's good. i would often think "wow, this must be how she really argues. must be tough to win a fight with her."
MoviefoneTricia: nice. tell me the truth: if you ran into a woman in a bar who looks like katherine heigl, what would you do?
KnockedUpSeth: Nothing.
KnockedUpSeth: at all.
MoviefoneTricia: heh
MoviefoneTricia: even if wasted?
KnockedUpSeth: then i would vomit on her shoes
MoviefoneTricia: very nice
Go to part 2