Seth Rogen has called on film critics to realise just how much of an effect they can have on actors, saying negative comments can be ‘devastating’.
Rogen, 40, appeared in a new episode of The Diary of a CEO podcast to reflect on the ups and downs of his career and his experience within the entertainment industry.
The Canadian comedian, writer, director and producer’s films have collectively grossed $2.8 billion at the box office, but in spite of his incredible success from films like Superbad, Knocked Up and Pineapple Express, he’s been no stranger to negative reviews – something he believes can have a huge impact on those behind the craft.
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Rogen spoke about how self-doubt can creep in when outlets tell readers that actors ‘suck’ at their jobs, saying the criticism ‘hurts everyone’.
“I think all creative people and people who have creative pursuits in their life have self-doubt,” he said, adding: “For me, it comes in waves. You make a thing everyone likes, it gets a little better; you make a thing everyone f**king hates, it gets a little worse. And that’s a part of doing what I do.”
The actor said bad press around an opening weekend or whenever he has a ‘thing coming out’ can really ‘suck’.
He continued: “I think if most critics knew how much it hurt the people that made the things that they are writing about, they would second guess the way they write these things.
“Like, it’s devastating. I know people who never recover from it, honestly – years, decades of being hurt.
“Because it’s very personal, you know? And so it is devastating when you are being institutionally told that your personal expression was bad.
“That is devastating and something that people carry with them literally their entire lives. And I get why, it’ f**king sucks!”
When asked how he deals with bad reviews, Rogen said: “Life goes on. You could be making another movie as your movie is bombing, which is a funny thing because it’s bittersweet. You know that things will be okay – you're already working. You know what I mean? If the fear is the movie bombs and you won’t get hired again, well, you don’t have to worry about that, you’ve been hired. It’s too late.
“But it’s an emotional conundrum at times just dealing with that and navigating that.”
He added that ‘on the grand scale of things’ in life, ‘it’s not that bad’, saying he’s become much better at dealing with it as he’s grown older.
Elsewhere in the interview, Rogen also said Hollywood was ‘not a fair industry’, explaining: “Who makes any given phone call is one that is like making your f**king life or one that is yet another door slamming in your face…
“We had finished Superbad and then we wrote Pineapple Express. No one wanted to make it, but if you don't quit, you might make it."
Topics: Seth Rogen, Film and TV, Celebrity
Jess Hardiman