Seth Rogan is a Canadian actor, comedian and writer, known for his appearances in films such as The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up.
Born in Vancouver on April 15, 1982, he first dabbled with stand-up comedy at age 13. His first screen appearance was in 1999 teen series Freaks and Geeks, spearheaded by Paul Feig and Judd Apatow, as one of the “freaks,” Ken Miller. Impressed with his improvisational skills, Apatow cast Rogen in another of his series, Undeclared, after Freaks and Geeks was cancelled in the middle of its first season. He also wrote several episodes of the series.
Rogen pursued his writing career, eventually snagging a slot, with his writing partner Evan Goldberg, on the second season of Da Ali G Show. The show’s writing staff was nominated for an Emmy in 2005, for Best Writing for a Variety, Musical or Comedy Show. The show folded up immediately after, mindful that its comedy wouldn’t work if the show lasted longer; Rogen claims, however, that he has uncredited contributions to Sacha Baron Cohen’s film Borat.
Rogen also wrote the screenplay for the 2007 comedy Superbad, intending it to be a starring vehicle for himself. The role eventually went to Jonah Hill, who has also frequently worked with Rogen. He also wrote the screenplay for the 2008 comedy Drillbit Taylor, starring Owen Wilson.
Rogen stated that he will not act on another program unless Judd Apatow is involved. He followed up on that vow: in 2005, he was given a major role in the Apatow-directed The 40-Year-Old Virgin. The film, which starred Steve Carell, was a huge box-office success, and Apatow immediately cast him as the lead in the 2007 film Knocked Up, opposite Katherine Heigl. He has since provided voice work for animated features The Spiderwick Chronicles, Horton Hears a Who! and Kung Fu Panda, and is slated to appear in a film that he co-wrote and co-produced, Pineapple Express.