Seth Rogen’s Honest Take on His Early Acting Days
Seth Rogen looks back on his first acting gig in Freaks and Geeks, calling his own performance the worst, but credits the show’s relaxed, supportive vibe for helping him improve.
When you think of Seth Rogen, it’s easy to imagine someone who’s always been at home in front of the camera. But Rogen himself reckons he landed somewhere between a natural and a learner, picking up the ropes as he went along. He’s spoken about how his early days were a mix of on-the-job lessons and figuring things out as he went, shaping the performer he’d eventually become.
Learning the Craft on Set
Rogen did a few acting classes growing up, and kept at it in a pretty laid-back way through high school. None of it was especially strict, and he didn’t get drilled on the sort of skills you’d need if you were lucky enough to end up on a film or TV set. He’s pointed out that there’s heaps of industry know-how you just pick up over time, and it’s easy to forget how odd it all seems if you’re new. As he put it,
“I take for granted a lot of the movie bullshit you pick up over the years, and you forget how specific it is. And how if you didn’t know, if no one told you what a mark is, it would be so foreign.”
Most of these thoughts came up when he was asked about his time on Freaks and Geeks. At just 17, he was still getting his bearings. He remembers the steep learning curve, but also the way the team encouraged the cast to sit in on the writers’ room, just to see how things worked. That sort of open-door approach isn’t all that common these days, with most sets keeping actors and writers in their own corners.
A Different Kind of Set
On Freaks and Geeks, though, the attitude was different. Rogen remembers the team thinking, “Let’s teach these people” and “Let’s go out of our way to explain everything,” giving the young cast a chance to get involved in more than just their lines. It was a rare chance to learn the ins and outs of the whole process.
Still, Rogen doesn’t look back on his performance as anything to write home about. In fact, he’s pretty blunt about it.
“When I watch [the episodes], it looks terrible—like the worst acting in the entire world. But that was the mantra of the show: Act normal. Act natural. What would you do in this situation? What would you say? The writers would ask us what we would actually say in a situation. Not ‘What do you think will be funny?’”
Finding His Feet
He went on to say,
“I think that type of attitude went across the whole show, which is why I think the performances are so great. Except me. Although, I got better near the end, just in time to get cancelled. We still say that every day when we’re shooting: ‘Do what feels natural.’”
That relaxed approach was a double-edged sword. For a young bloke like Rogen, though, it was probably the best place to start out—somewhere you could have a go, be taken seriously, and have the time to get better at your craft. Turns out, that was just what he needed to grow into the actor he is today.