The comedy star has revealed the unlikely four-word lesson from mentor Judd Apatow that continues to shape his writing and filmmaking decades later.
Seth Rogen has revealed the raunchy four words of filmmaking advice he still returns to after decades in Hollywood.
The 44-year-old actor, writer and director recalled receiving the naughty instruction from his longtime mentor Judd Apatow while making the 2007 comedy Knocked Up, during a career-spanning appearance at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Seth was speaking at TIFF’s John Bassett Theatre before receiving the Norman Jewison Career Achievement Award, with the festival also screening two of his latest projects, Babies and Tangles.
He said: “At one time, when we were shooting Knocked Up, we would improvise a lot, and we were improvising and Judd screamed from the other room, ‘Less semen, more emotion!’.”
The Canadian star said the crude instruction became a principle he and his collaborators have repeatedly returned to while writing comedy.
He added: “And honestly, as I’ve gone on to make films, it’s amazing how much I come back to ‘Less semen, more emotion’, and how many times I’m writing with my friends and we’re making ourselves laugh and then we stop and go, ‘You know what? Less semen, more emotion’.”
Seth said the advice taught him the “understanding of how to balance humor and emotion and reality and comedy and how to navigate tone”.
His working relationship with Judd stretches back to the beginning of his Hollywood career, when Seth appeared in the cult television series Freaks and Geeks before working as an actor and writer on Undeclared.
Seth had started performing stand-up comedy as a teenager in his native Vancouver and was already writing the earliest version of Superbad with longtime creative partner Evan Goldberg.
Remembering his first stand-up appearance, Seth said: “My first show was at a lesbian bar called The Lotus. It went very well.”
He added: “I don’t know. I think I’m very lucky that from a very young age, I kind of knew what I wanted to do. As soon as I realised you could be funny for a living, and I loved films… and I wanted to make movies. I got a video camera and made movies with my dear friend Evan, who I still make movies with today. I was just very fortunate in that I had a very clear idea of what I wanted to do with my life, and my parents were very supportive of it.”
Seth went on to become one of Hollywood’s most prominent comedy stars, appearing in Knocked Up and co-writing Superbad before making films including Pineapple Express, This Is the End, Neighbors and The Interview.
He has also taken dramatic roles, including playing Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak in Steve Jobs, and this year starred opposite Olihip comedy The Invite
The A24 film centres on two neighbouring couples whose dinner together takes an increasingly intimate turn.
Seth’s latest appearance in Toronto coincides with the premiere of Babies, written and directed by his wife Lauren Miller Rogen.
The film stars Seth and Anna Kendrick as a married couple confronting questions about whether they want children. Lauren and Seth appeared together at TIFF for the premiere, with the film also featuring Issa Rae.
The couple have also produced Tangles, an animated adaptation of Sarah Leavitt’s graphic memoir about her family’s experience of Alzheimer’s disease.
Seth’s television career has meanwhile entered another high-profile phase through Apple TV’s The Studio, which he created with Evan and in which he stars as newly appointed studio boss Matt Remick.
Tagged inJudd ApatowSeth RogenEvan Goldberg
