Seth Rogen Opens Up About His Self-Doubts & Struggles That Nobody Sees!

hey there welcome. writer producer and actor you know from. Pineapple apple express Knocked Up and. super bad. Hollywood it's not a fair industry it is. not fair who makes any given phone call. is one that is like making your life or. one that is yet another door slamming in. your face we had finished super bad and. then we wrote Pineapple Express no one. wanted to make it. but if you don't quit you might make it.

people would obviously look at you and. assume that you have zero self-doubt. because you've been so successful in. what you've done but what's your journey. been with self-doubt I'm at the point. it's funny my career where like not a. lot of people are in a position to like. yell ing but Iowa will have a cultural. institution tell everyone that I suck. that will add self-doubt. Green Hornet. critical reviews for that like what's. that phase like any opening weekend. honestly and any time I have a thing. coming out it sucks I think if most.

critics knew how much it hurt the people. that they are writing about they would. second guess the way they write these. things like it's devastating and. something that people carry with them. literally their entire life foreign. before we get into this episode just. wanted to say thank you first and. foremost for being part of this. community. um the team here at the diver Co is now. almost 30 people and that's literally. because you watch and you subscribe and. you um leave comments and you like the. videos that this show has been able to.

grow and it's the greatest honor of my. life to sit here with these incredible. people and just selfishly ask them. questions that I'm pondering over or. worrying about in my life but this is. just the beginning for the day of this. year we've got big big plans to scale. this show and to every corner of the. world and to to diversify Our Guest. selection and that's enabled by you by a. simple thing that you guys do which is. to watch so if there's one thing you. could do to help this show and to help. us continue to do what we do it's just. to hit the Subscribe button if you like. this show if you like what we do here if.

you watch these episodes please just hit. that subscribe button means the world. let's get on with it. [Music]. so if you've had an incredible. twisting turning career and I have to. say when I was reading about your. earliest years. an unexpected one in many respects. to me too. what do I need to know about.

um about you where you came from how you. were raised to understand the man that. you are. I mean I get that depends on your. appetite I guess. um uh I don't think anyone needs to know. anything but if uh if you're curious. um. I don't know I mean there's a lot uh I. uh I think a general uh when I look at. my life I guess I started young I think. that's something that I uh I I kind of.

view is one of like the defining traits. and characteristics of my life and I. think uh I've always worked very hard uh. and I've always had very supportive. parents and I think those things all uh. are things that when if you're looking. at like if you're if you're curious. about how I got to where I am from like. a career standpoint I think and just. like who I am as a person a lot of ways. I think those those things were. instrumental yeah your parents yeah I. was reading about them yeah they're very.

strange people yeah. how so I mean everyone's parents are. strange to them I would imagine I would. uh yeah they're just they're kind of uh. you know my dad's kind of eccentric my. mother's uh also kind of eccentric. um you know they uh but again they were. very they're both incredibly supportive. uh I think because they're excited I. think a lot of you know my writing. partner Evan his parents were much less. eccentric by kind of more traditional. metrics and were much less supportive of.

uh of his career in a lot of ways and so. uh I probably benefited from their you. know uh eccentricities more than. anything yeah eccentric's uh a broad. word what is it because I could I could. do this my parents specifically one of. them is being eccentric but yeah when. you say eccentric what exactly do you. mean. um I mean my dad. well my whole family you know I'm uh you. know like a lot my grandmother was like.

an immigrant. um who fled uh World War One a lot of. Jewish families are defined by the fact. that people uh have been trying to kill. Jewish people for a very long time and. my family is no different. um a lot of the reasons Jews live where. they live and are where they are and not. you know in you know Eastern Europe. somewhere is because uh you know people. were trying to kill them and that also. shapes I think uh Jewish sensibility to. a large degree I know it did mine.

because it's kind of informed by uh. neurosis and Trauma to a large degree um. and uh so yeah my grandmother is a. immigrant and. um she met my grandfather uh who uh his. parents were immigrants to uh Winnipeg. which is a very cold unforgiving part of. Canada. um. they moved to Vancouver ultimately and. had my mother. um and my mother wanted to go to Israel. to travel my dad's from Newark New. Jersey which is.

um like especially where he's from like. one of the worst parts of America. from like a a kind of crime standpoint. especially at that time in the 70s and. 80s. um and he my dad's like a so uh you know. a socialist and moved to a kibbutz in. Israel where him and my parents uh him. and my mother met and then move uh to. Canada so my dad has always been like. incredibly left-wing. um especially both my parents but my dad. really like he would have he would have. stayed like essentially living on like a.

commune his whole life uh if you know he. never met my mother basically yeah. um Andy has like incredible kind of like. I guess it's OCD. I don't know if it's a disorder I would. say he has obsessive compulsive uh. Tendencies. um and uh yeah and he has Tourette. Syndrome so he's Twitchy and uh and I I. have it as well to some degree but those. are connected uh kind of compulsive uh. you know compulsion and Tourette's uh so. yeah I mean uh yeah no shortage of.

strangeness to draw from when uh in my. family what was his um relationship like. with money. um I'd say not not that's relevant I. mean yeah we I was not Ronnie was I. think we did not I did not grow up with. a lot of money you know um. my parents my mother uh went to school. to be a social worker when I was very. young and then became a social worker. but when I was a kid she was a cashier. at a uh you know a department store and.

my dad was uh worked at like a. vocational College as the known budsman. which uh kind of you know is like a. swing position to some degrees helped. facilitate life on the on the campus you. know a lot of time was spent working in. the game room from my memory uh so yeah. we grew up you know in a small apartment. and then. um so yeah I think some people who don't. grow up with a lot of money I think are. taught to really like Revere money and. kind of put a lot of emphasis on it and.

I think other people who don't grow up. with a lot of money uh kind of are. taught that it's not that important and. as long as you have enough to do certain. things then then that's enough and it's. not something that you should like. fetishize or. um you know make the be-all end all by. any means and I was definitely. more raised like that yeah is there some. sometimes a bit of a paradox when your. parents. um don't value money and maybe they. sometimes struggle with it that you grow. up trying to avoid that struggle.

definitely I for sure had some things. when I was younger I was afraid of being. broke and I'm sure that for sure. informed elements of my ambition you. know I'm very lucky in that it also. coincided with a very strong like. Creative Drive you know. um but I definitely yeah remember being. very concerned that we didn't have. enough money and my parents not being. that concerned that we didn't have. enough money which probably made me more. concerned that we didn't have enough.

money because I was like why aren't they. worried we don't have enough money. um so yeah that was that was something. that was cut but then that was when I. was like very young and then as I got. older. I saw that. uh you know uh when I got into high. school and stuff I saw that it I would. be fine you know what I mean on the girl. on the grand scale of things in that. apartment when you were quote unquote. very young if I'd asked you if I said. Seth what are you uh what are you gonna. be when you're older what would you have. responded to me. um.

I mean I probably would have said I want. to write movies or something like that I. probably would have wanted to be a ninja. up until a certain age uh a Ninja Turtle. specifically probably yeah. um and then uh and then yeah I remember. uh when I was probably like six or seven. years old is when I started to Really. Wanna like the idea of making movies. became very like fascinating to me and I. was one of those kids with a camera who. was like running around making movies. out obsessed with movies quoting movies. want to watch all I want to do is watch. movies I like I love I like fell in love.

with movies at a very young age was. there an influence in your household. that inspired that of the movies my. parents love movies they're like huge. movie fans. um they would go to movies again it was. one of those things like we did not have. a lot of money we would go to movies all. the time and uh in Vancouver Tuesdays. was like the cheap movie night for. whatever reason it's a slow night so. maybe they incentivize customers and. almost every Tuesday we as a family. would go to whatever new movie had come. out that week so we saw I saw everything.

in leaders like constantly and I loved. it um and my parents you know had a vcr. and would take movies off of television. and we had this you know I think a lot. of you know people my age are kind of. defined but also by like those VHS tapes. that you grew up with because it was. like a finite amount of movies and then. I went to high school me and Evan across. the street from two uh video rental. stores a blockbuster and a Rogers which. was like the Canadian competitor but we. would go there every day after school. and just like walk the hour aisles and.

for hours and rent movies we go there on. the weekends and rent talk walk the. aisles and rent movies like we were. um and yeah ever since I was young and. then I met my riding partner who became. my producing partner directing partner. Evan when I was 12 so I was very young. but ever since ever since then I can. remember I was like obsessed with movies. basically yeah and stand up that came in. at 12 years old as well roughly yeah you. know for me I loved comedy in general. and I love stand-up comedy my parents. are big stand-up comedy fans but truth.

fully it was kind of like a means to an. end to me because I okay again it's. funny because it's like it was like. weirdly well thought out for being 12 or. 13 years old but I was like oh if I do. stand-up comedy at that time sitcoms. were very popular Seinfeld things like. that so I was like. I was like the most practical path for. me to have some sort of success doing. this is I'll start doing stand-up comedy. maybe I can get an agent and then maybe. I can like get on a sitcom and be like.

you know Ray Romano or Jerry Seinfeld or. something like that and then maybe I can. write movies and that can like turn into. a movie career basically and that was. like if you were to ask me when I was. like 12 years old like what is your life. gonna be like that's what I would have. hoped it would be like you know. remarkable because most 12 year olds I. know. I'm thinking like that what was school. what was your relationship like with. school was there any influence there on. you as a man today that early. relationship with school in your peers. for sure I mean the first movie I wrote.

was super bad with Evan and it was very. much informed by our high school. experience it's largely based on real. things that happened I would say the. educational aspect of school were was. lost on me and and I from a very young. age knew that My ultimate uh life path. did not it was not gonna you know follow. you know an academic route you know um. and and my parents never put that much. emphasis on it honestly like they.

weren't like you have to my dad dropped. out of college you know that they. weren't like you have to do this you. know I think more than anything they. actually saw that I was like. very inspired to do comedy and I loved. movies and they saw I was willing to. work very willing to work very hard from. a very young age and so. um honestly from the time I entered High. School which when I was 13 they were. like. they didn't care that much that I was. not doing that well in high school. because from because I was always. working really hard on writing movies.

and doing stand-up comedy uh like from. around that time. uh until I got a little older but like. they saw I wasn't like lazy I was just. motivated to do something other than. school but the culture of school I loved. and the things that happened at school I. loved and I thought the kids I went to. school with were hilarious and and we. would go to parties every weekend and. people's parents would be out of town. and we were trying to hook up with girls. and buy beer and our friends were. getting licenses and fake IDs and all. this [ __ ] and and I thought it was. awesome and hilarious and and I went to.

like a public high school in like a big. city you know like. um there was like 3 000 kids at my. school Vancouver is a real big. Metropolitan City with downtowns and so. you know neighborhoods and the good area. the bad like hey you know you could. really get into trouble in Vancouver so. um it provided a lot of like Adventures. you know and and I loved it and and I. wasn't one of those people I haven't. either it's not like we were popular or. cool or anything but we weren't like.

tortured by high school we were like. this is a fun adventure and we can have. fun here and. um and especially if we don't. put too much Stakes on the actual like. doing well here part of it. Adam at 15 years old you went to a. Canadian Comedy Festival do you remember. yeah. um yeah I remembered like a competition. I think it was yeah. um and uh yeah and I did pretty well I I. placed pretty well in the in the.

competition I was okay I was pretty good. at stand-up comedy like it it was uh. yeah do you remember the instance where. Jerry Seinfeld showed up yes I do I I. came that was actually I was auditioning. to get into the Just for Laughs Festival. in Los Angeles and I show up and it's. during the day which is not great. there's not that many people there it's. maybe like five o'clock it's not a good. time to stand up comedy I'm like 15. years old and I fly I flew in for this. you know. um. there's Comics going up and doing their. thing there's like the Scout from the.

just relax Festival there and like I'm. about to go up and I'm next and the MC. is about to introduce me and yeah and. someone comes over and they're like. Jerry Seinfeld is about to show up and. he's going to go up instead of you and I. was like what I'm like I'm here for I'm. here to audition for this thing and. they're like yeah well he'll go up and. then you'll go up after and I'm like I'm. gonna go on after Jerry Seinfeld uh. they're like yes and so he goes up he. like Anaya I mean he says his show is. still like he's as famous as as you can.

as a comedy Star as there is alive at. that moment and it's what you're hoping. it's like you go to a stand-up comedy. club at that time hoping Jerry Seinfeld. will come in and then it happened and. these people like it's like they won the. lottery and he comes and he just like. annihilates and then he gets off stage. and then they're like and now like from. Vancouver 15 year olds Seth Rogen and uh. yeah my bombed horribly um and I did not. get into the Just for Laughs Comedy.

Festival. and I told Jerry Seinfeld that story and. he was uh completely uninterested. he could have cared less. it seems like a tough thing for 15 year. olds a pretty horrific firing line for a. 15 year old to put themselves in. stand-up comedy yeah I think part of it. honestly was informed by like my night. my overall like naivete to some degree. but I also. I. yeah I I was I was good enough at it.

that it instantly wasn't like a visceral. painful experience you know what I mean. and it's probably. you know I played some sports in high. school but it was probably a similar I. imagine it's a similar mentality where. you're like yeah there's Stakes to this. and there's ups and downs to this but. overall I'm good at it and I seem to be. moving progressing in the right. direction so it's worth the the stress. of it in order to to pursue it you know. um and at times it's phenomenal and as.

fun as you would hope anything would be. you know. um but also honestly what was more fun. was at that time me and Evan started to. write super bad. and that was like what I really loved. doing and like I like doing stand-up. comedy and writing stand-up jokes but. like I loved sitting with Evan and. writing a movie and to me that was like. at the time it's frustrating because. you're like will this ever get made is. this pointless are we wasting our time. is this just a silly Pursuit but it was. still. it was I just loved it you know is this.

three line in all your sort of creative. work often which is about like making. people laugh. yep have you ever figured out like why. you know because I've sat here with a. lot of Comedians and I've and it always. seems to be something about comedians. where. I don't know some instance when that you. know maybe they were younger or some. kind of inspiration in their life which. made them somewhat compelled to. and and almost energized by the pursuit. of making other people laugh and happy. have you ever does that resonate with. you and have you ever identified where. that comes from in you that pursuit of.

making people laugh and happy. um. I think for me. I don't I I don't like I think some. comedians have like a dark origin story. you know what I mean. um. I don't you know. um I think for me it was like something. I liked and something I was good at and. something that I was very like. encouraged and and fostered to do from a. very young age and I was lucky enough to.

find another guy my age who was as good. at it as I was and as interested uh at. at doing it as I was which is like. miraculous like I had a lot of like. you know I read part of that Malcolm. Gladwell book and I'm not you know about. the uh. about you know the miraculous kind of. set of circumstances that it takes to. become like remotely successful in this. terrible world of ours you know what I.

mean and like I think it was things like. my parents were big comedy fans so I saw. comedy from a very young age I'm from. Canada which is like a place that. acclaims comedy and respects comedy so. culturally I'm like from a place where. comedy is like. you know a relevant part of the culture. you know. um Canadians some of their biggest like. exports are Comedians and comedy shows. Lauren Michaels is Canadian you know.

SCTV you know a lot of uh great uh some. of the greatest means of all time are. Canadian you know um and so it's. something that was always kind of just. always a part of like the DNA of being a. Canadian person I think to some degree. as well also I'm from Vancouver where. they made movies not to say it's like I. grew up in Hollywood but like they you. would see movie sets around you would. see I went to a high school they shot. some movies at the high school because. it was a very like cinematic looking. high school so you would see trucks and. stuff like that I didn't know anyone who.

worked in the entertainment industry but. like you kind of would see it around so. it made it a little more obtainable and. if we lived like in the middle of. [ __ ] nowhere and it just seemed like. completely abstract you know what I mean. so I think that I think that like my. path is honestly one of like being. supported and and being and working hard. and being very diligent but also like. having an environment that kind of like. bolstered my ambition you know what I.

mean. um yeah 16 years old you you get a part. in Freaks and Geeks yeah and that brings. you to LA with your family yeah. why your entire family came to L.A my. parents my sister was in college yeah. and I read that they'd lost their jobs. around that time yes and that made you. the sole Breadwinner in the house. basically yes. well did that feel like pressure. being 16 years old and being the. breadwinner for your house because your. parents have lost their jobs in a way it.

felt like an alleviation of pressure. because after six I remember my dad. telling me like after after like three. months or six months of being on Freaks. and Geeks he's like you've made more. money in this time than I've made my. entire life put together so like like if. anything was like an amazing alleviation. of uh of a weight because there was. money all of a sudden for the first time. in our lives.

things could be paid for easily you know. and so I was more than happy to provide. for everybody because I suddenly had. access to an amount of money that was. like absurd compared to the amount of. money. I grew up with access to or anyone in my. family grew up with with access to you. know you work ethic which I've read. about over and over again throughout. your book and throughout various. interviews you've done seems to be. pretty spectacular and one of the quotes.

that I read is if there were any kind of. dark driving force behind. um your other Ambitions quote it would. be some sense of financial insecurity. yeah probably but that's gone which is. maybe why I don't make as many things as. I used to. that's um that's a that's an interesting. journey to go on being driven by having. that sort of financial insecurity. developing a real sort of really strong.

relationship with work and then that. falling away yeah and it fell away. pretty fast I think honestly like I. think by the time I. you know there was a point. so yeah I was on freezing Geeks uh and. then Undeclared and then I didn't work. for years but by then it felt like my. parents were like incapable of making. enough money to survive on their own. also so like once I had some money like. they it was just bonus money you know. what I mean like uh part of what had.

happened is they lost their jobs and we. lived in a house so we sold our house in. Vancouver and and that's why everyone. moved to LA so there was a little more. money available because we had sold. their house so like it's not like my. parents were like just like a you know a. leech on uh you know they they they were. able to like make a baseline level of. like survivable income so when I had. more money it just. um yeah it kind of just added a a. cushion of comfort and then there were. times then they moved back to Canada. um when I was like 18 and I was in LA.

and that's around when I became. unemployed for years and years so I did. then start to have financial burden but. it was like a soul file you know it was. my own financial burden and and it was. not I did not feel like I was letting my. whole family down or not you know. providing for my whole family it was. more I just myself was like oh I might. have to move I might have to move back. in with my family because I might not be. able to afford to live in Los Angeles uh. for longer because I was unemployed for. years basically yeah you were unemployed. for years and years yeah.

um after that first roll on Freaks and. Geeks yeah we did freaky Geeks and we. did a show called undoclare that was on. Fox in 2000 2001 and then then I. basically didn't work for like three. years essentially yeah what's going. through you you know you're presumably. doing auditions and stuff like that yeah. does it ever like what's that phase like. of unemployment most people quit at that. point that's the point where you say. [ __ ] this that didn't even occur to me I. I I I I I I did not. um I was freaking I was pretty kind of.

had like a chip on my shoulder uh to. some degree I was writing a lot still. you know. um we were still. that's probably when we wrote Pineapple. Express you know so we had finished. super bad no one wanted to make it. um. but we thought it was good so we kind of. put it on the Shelf we're like let's. write another movie. um and then we wrote uh Pineapple. Express so we were busy and we thought. it was awesome and we thought both the. movies were awesome and in general we. were also getting like very positive.

feedback as writers we just weren't. getting like hired to do anything and no. one would make our poofy so it was it. was this weird mixture of things kind of. being like encouraging and and very. frustrating at the same time and and and. that's almost like the worst part about. kind of being in that part of your. career which is the part of the career. most people who live in Hollywood are in. which is one where it's like. any given phone call is one that is like. making your [ __ ] life or one that is.

yet another door slamming in your face. that you have to like just suck up and. keep moving forward you know what I mean. and and so that that's happening a lot. at that time. um yeah and seeing your friends also. start to do very well and start to make. things you know that is uh it's very. encouraging in some ways but you. inherently get very jealous and you. start to doubt yourself and you start to. doubt if you are good enough to. um do it or if anyone will ever like see.

and you're seeing you what you see in. yourself you know. um but. yeah it's you know it's pretty warm you. know and only usually so it's easy to. just hang out and keep plugging along. what's your um you use the word doubt. yourself there what's your journey been. with been with self-doubt people would. obviously look at you and assume that. you have zero self-doubt because you've. been so successful you've done. um I think. I think all creative. people and people who have creative.

Pursuits in their life have self-doubt. like it's impossible to put yourself out. there I think from my experience and. from meeting all the creative people. I've met in my life from people who you. know it's their first day on set. you know and and they have one line to. Steven Spielberg they all have. self-doubt they're all worried people. won't like what they're doing that. people are gonna think it's stupid that. they're gonna think they're stupid for.

wanting to do it that they're gonna just. reject it and and and by proxy reject. them you know. um that is like that is. from my experience pretty constant. across the board for all creative types. who genuinely like care about what they. do I'm sure there are some people who. technically like are maybe actors or. something and and do not have any of. that but they're probably not very good. and don't care that much about what they. do you know what I mean but in general.

from my experience I would say that. applies to to creative people with. self-doubt and and for me it's. it comes in waves you know you have you. make the thing Everyone likes gets a. little better you make a thing everyone. [ __ ] hates it gets a little worse uh. you know it you know and and uh and. that's a part of also doing what you. know I do is like you get you know like. there you know it's it's like. you know it's funny I was saying to.

someone I worked with the other day like. I'm not I'm at the point it's funny in. my career we're like not a lot of people. are in a position to like yell at me in. my job but like the New York Times will. like publish an entire article like. saying I I suck at my job and so like. that's the trade-off is like I've worked. my way up to not having to deal with. that much like personal conflict and. face-to-face conflict but I will have. like a just like a cultural institution. to tell everyone that I suck you know.

and so that that's kind of like that. that will add self-doubt uh things like. that you know. um and uh yeah and so it it's for me. it's for me something that's present but. I I try not to let it stop me from doing. the things that I think are interesting. and and uh and the things that I think I. would enjoy watching you know. um. oh yeah uh I mean what like what. self-doubt I'd say a lack of self-dest.

baby hurt me at times. the criticism like someone oh yeah. of course it hurts everyone yes very. much so. um I think if most critics knew how much. it hurt the people that that made the. things that they are writing about uh. they would second guess the the way they. write these things like it's devastating. it takes year I know people who never. recover from it honestly years year.

Decades of being hurt by because it's. very personal you know it's not like. it's not it is personal you know. um and so it is devastating when you are. being like institutionally told that. your personal. expression was bad like that is like. devastating you know and something that. people carry with them uh literally. their entire lives and and I get why it. [ __ ] sucks you know I read it I was.

reading through various moments in your. life where I mean you've had back to. back to back successes so it's hard to. find. [Laughter]. it. that's definitely not true yeah you seem. to I mean from the bird's eye view you. look at your work your portfolio I've. been trending well. you talk about you've spoken about in. interviews is is Green Hornet where. you've got you received some critical. reviews for that can you zoom me if I. was a fly on the wall in one of those. moments where you've received that. feedback is coming in and it's coming in.

you know critically what what would I. see if I was flying the wall in your. home like what do you does it do you. stay in your bed do you you like what's. the the human impact it has on you it's. different things and I think there's. different. you know and that's another funny thing. about making movies is like and having. like and just being like a person who. works a lot is like life goes on like. you could be making another movie as. your movie is bombing which is a funny. thing because it's it's bittersweet.

because like you you know that things. will be okay you're already 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're all. right you've been hired it's too late. you know. um but it's an emotional. wait conundrum at times just just. dealing with that and navigating that. you know um for Green Hornet it's like. literally yeah like. the critics for the reviews were coming. out and it was pretty bad and people. just kind of like hated it like it.

seemed like a thing people just were. taking like joy and disliking a lot you. know what I mean. um but it was it opened to like 35. million dollars which was like I think. at the time the biggest opening weekend. I'd ever been associated with in any. capacity and so it was also like it did. pretty well and that's and it was a. funny thing where it really didn't that. one and that's what's nice sometimes is. like you you do get. you know you can grasp for some sense of.

success at times you know and and and uh. but I honestly think things like the. interview were more like painful as far. as like people really taking joy and. talking [ __ ] about it and uh and uh. really kind of questioning you know the. types of people that would want to make. a movie like that in general like I. think yeah that felt far more personal I. think Green Hornet felt like I just had. fallen victim to like. which was true like like you know I a.

big fancy thing which was like I was. super and we were just kind of like also. like ahead of the curve a little bit too. much I think as well to something like. we were early on that on that wave you. know and so I think that. was easier to deal with in a lot of ways. because it was like not so much like a. creative failure on our parts but more. like a conceptual failure I think uh. like the interview people more treated. us like we had creatively failed uh. which sucked much worse uh and that's.

happened a few times yeah where people. really act like we've just uh and again. it's not I'm not gonna act like this is. that bad like this is not on the grand. scale of things in life it's not that. bad like and I've gotten much better at. dealing with it as well and I think when. I was younger I really like. did not have as much perspective as I do. and now I am not I do not carry it with. me nearly as much as I used to you know. um yeah it's like it is the center of. Your World though these things because.

you've pulled your creative heart into. into something so it's you oh yeah it's. like it feels like a personal rejection. it's like very much attached to yourself. oh yeah it feels like a very personal. rejection and it doesn't and it doesn't. feel like constructive it feels human. impact though what's like the human yeah. yeah I don't know sometimes you try you. try different things sometimes you go. out to dinner when you just try to. forget about it sometimes you sit there. and watch movies sometimes you literally. just like sitting on the couch [ __ ]. pissed and devastated uh that I've had. different approaches I use sometimes I.

would go to the beach I used used to. have a house on the beach and I would go. to the beach the weekends my movies came. out. um yeah and and. any opening weekend honestly and anytime. I have a thing coming out it sucks. because it just is stressful it's like. birth like it which is just an. inherently painful process even though. it is maybe bringing something beautiful. into the world it is a painful act and I. think that is like what releasing a.

movie is for the people who made it is. like. in some ways it's inherently painful and. and in some ways it's inherently. beautiful and joyous but in some ways. it's also just very painful this is the. story of creativity yeah. making anything that you care about that. is slightly challenging or original or. new risks both exceptional success but. also. um potential Faith like yeah and the. more personal it is it's like. the more. the the higher the highs can be if it.

works and the lower the lows are if if. it doesn't so you know the more the more. personal the rejection feels yeah a lot. of people can relate to that I know for. sure that that period say after you. receive feedback on the interview how. long is that process of trying to like. get back on your feet and get it out. your head and stop it occupying your. mind. I mean. it's interesting like I think. it's different and it rears its head in. different ways and I think like imposter.

syndrome or self-doubt or you know this. phenomenon where like the more you know. about a thing the less you feel you know. about it in some ways and vice versa. um you know I think that is something. again that is like a common theme in. Creative people's lives the fact that. you read about it all the time is is. comforting honestly because you're like. oh it's a thing it's out there you know. um but to me it's never been that hard. to. to do the Creative really risky thing.

and it's never been that hard for me to. convince myself to like take the leap. and do the thing that is maybe crazy and. do the thing that is a big swing and and. to put myself out there and I think. that's also what's good I guess about. being rejected enough times is you kind. of like you see like it sucks but you. can survive it and so it's ultimately. worth. trying to do it again you know and and. and even the worst case scenario. is survivable if you just keep going uh.

from a creative standpoint you know what. I mean so I think uh that's also like. yeah uh where yeah we haven't stopped it. it'll nag at you at times but if. anything my biggest fear is to make a. thing that's like [ __ ] boring or not. taking a big swing or it doesn't seem. like it's trying to push things forward. or or like it's just like. happy to relax and you know like I I. think like the fact that we get to make.

anything movies TV shows it's like there. are so many people who are trying to do. it and we get to do it so like we we. should [ __ ] go for it and we're. spending the money of these giant. [ __ ] conglomerate corporations like. they're letting us spend millions of. dollars to make our crazy things like we. should go for it like we should really. look back and be like wow like can you. [ __ ] believe we did that we that we. spent hundreds of millions of Amazon's.

dollars doing that you know like like. that that's what's exciting so. um yeah it's something that like nags. you but I think luckily for me and I and. it's who I'm surrounded by you know to. some degree as well but like we've. always you know there's moments where. you doubt yourself and you kind of. Bobble but I've had always someone being. like [ __ ] it let's do it you know. I get the same it's funnily enough from. just the couple of minutes we spent. together that.

you you have no choice like you almost. don't. you're such a lover of what you do at. heart that you almost couldn't not do it. like yeah so here's a question then if I. told you today that you could no longer. make movies or do anything in the. entertainment or creative space. that would be hard I become a ceramicist. which I do spend a lot of time. a bummer though. what would actually your life be.

um I mean I would it would I could I I. it's tough to think of because it is. very like ingrained with who I am and. what I do and like and it is like I. could stop working I have enough money. to if I didn't want to keep working I. could I could never work again and live. the exact life I live now until I die. you know. um it I have no kids I have not trying. to leave generational wealth to anybody. like I'm gonna I'm gonna you know like.

we could just keep going. it's genuinely because like I enjoy it. and it's and it's a part of who I am and. how I spend my day and and what I love. doing and and people generally seem to. enjoy the output which I enjoy and and. it seems to be additive to the creative. landscape of film and television the. things that I get to be a part of you. know and so. um yeah it's but it I it mostly comes.

down to I just like doing it and so it. would be hard to think of what else I. would do because like on it like I I. just write I love I enjoy writing and. I've been doing it since I've been. writing like you know screenplays since. I was 12 years old you know I'm 40. so. it's like it's so much a part of who I. am that like I do it all the time if I. have I'm generally working on a few. things if I'm making up a coffee and I. have five minutes like I'll I'll write. for a few minutes like uh you know I I I.

genuinely enjoy it so it would be hard. to imagine I wouldn't I don't know what. I would do you're. um you have ADHD I don't know maybe. I mean I'm pretty good at focusing. honestly I read that um I read that you. had Tourette's in ADHD I do have oh yeah. I guess threats I mean maybe I'm more. true yeah I mean I I had some Tourette's. like yeah some Tourette's which is. connected to ADHD yeah yes yeah is that.

ever had a role in your life is it been. caused a little. Tourette's if I'm being completely. honest I don't well well it's kind of. connected to like a compulsion uh. disorder where you it's like it it. manifests in like physical uh ticks and. Twitches. um the most extreme versions are like. people you know screaming like you know. swear words and [ __ ] like that but it. all roots from like a compulsion to do.

it. um and like it's like scratching an itch. that's the best way I can describe it. I'm sure you've been sitting across from. people who twitch or have a weird. eyebrow thing they're doing or a weird. thing they're doing you know what I mean. and I see it so often and that is that. is a mild case of Tourette syndrome and. I think so many people have it are. undiagnosed and I know the exact feeling. those people have when they are doing. that and it literally feels like you. have an itch on your hand and you're. scratching it and it's the same thing.

from like a. musculature like movement standpoint you. feel like if you don't [ __ ] up your. eyebrow you're not scratching that itch. and when you do you're like uh I did it. and you have fun uh yeah at times I for. me it was always pretty mild physically. but I still it does I I feel the urge at. times but I'm very good at not doing it. as you might know the show's now. sponsored by Airbnb absolutely love.

Airbnb always have always been a you. know saved my life on so many occasions. and my team when we first got in touch. with Airbnb were talking about how most. people don't realize that their place. where they currently live could become. an Airbnb and I guess the second. question there is how much could your. place be worth and it turns out you. could be sitting on an Airbnb gold mine. without even knowing it some people are. going to be their entire homes when. they're away that's what I did in New. York whenever I left New York my place. was on Airbnb and people rented it out. sometimes for a day sometimes for two. days sometimes for a week and it's a.

great way to cover some of the bills. while you're away so whether you're. looking to go on holiday or you just. want some extra cash for bills or you. want to buy something nice for a. valentine that you love whatever it. might be head over to airbnb.co.uk host. and you can find out how much your. current property where you live can earn. while you're not there I suspect it. might blow your mind because it. certainly blew mine you know all that. success you've had all those movies you. named recently that you you know some of. them of which are coming up soon you. know having spoken to you today I get.

work ethic I get your innate passion. which seems to have been there since. you're a child but I but there's people. that have both of those things and. they're not Seth Rogen you know what I. mean so is there anything else when you. look back on your life you talked about. the circumstance your mother's you know. being around that culture is there. anything about you in particular a. talent and people find this hard to. answer because it requires you to say. something nice about yourself but and so. celebrities often say you know. but is there any what is it that makes. you good at what you do. um.

I think I. I think I think man I honestly think. because I grew up watching so many. movies. um and having parents that appreciated. them. um I. from a very young age had an inherent. understanding of. cinematic storytelling of what and that. specifically from a writing standpoint. from how the movies were written that is.

for whatever reason how my brain. processed it. how the characters were introduced how. the conflicts between them were set up. how they played out throughout the movie. how they resolved themselves or didn't. resolve themselves throughout the movie. how they manifested and set pieces and. sequences that exemplified the conflicts. and the themes and the and the the. tensions between the characters for. whatever reason from a very young age I. was able to understand and write those. things and I you know I look back now as.

like a 40 year old person who has. produced and helped countless people. with their screenplays and written. countless screenplays like there are. things about like what we put into. Superbad as like 14 year olds that are. like. fundamentally functional and good in a. way that is like Beyond like the average. 14 year old's ability the average the. average writer's ability in a lot of. ways you know um like and and that is.

something that me and Evan really just. we we're lucky like we we got it and and. I think honestly as an actor. I mostly credit my ability to act as my. from like a right through a writing lens. and I think as an actor I understand. what the story needs I understand. I understand how that character needs to. affect things what that character needs. to do in order for this story to be told.

effectively I don't view my acting as. internally as the other actors I work. with I know it I see it I talk to them. about it all the time I view it much. more from like a big picture like okay. here's the role this character plays in. the story how do I make that work as. well as it possibly could you know. um and I can do it so I I have some. performance ability which not everyone. does but I think I think I am I think my. understanding of how story Works kind of.

helps compensate for my the fact that. I'm not the greatest actor and that I am. able to work with actors who are much. better than I am honestly um but I think. if I had to answer that question which. I'm uncomfortable doing that is how I. would answer it is for whatever reason. me and I found a guy with the same skill. which is like miraculous but like from a. young age me and another guy had a very. inherent sense of like. how to write a movie basically there's a.

young creative listening to this now sat. in their bedroom or driving in their car. pushing that problem walking their dog. whatever and they they're a creative in. whatever industry it could be DJing or. you know the author there could be an. actor no. what is the actionable advice that you. could give to them to to you know. give them a shot of because there's a. lot of creatives out there that are. struggling yeah and you you would have. had this bird's eye view on creators. that end up being successful you know in. their careers and those that maybe have. the talent but don't end up getting that. is there anything actionable that you.

can say to them that would help them end. up in The Talented successful group. um unfortunately the only way to. mitigate not being successful is to not. quit. that's it. if you don't quit you might make it and. if you quit you definitely won't. and and honestly I think after all the. years I've seen people make it and not. make it the only.

common denominator is is that like I've. seen actors write themselves off be like. I'm never gonna [ __ ] do this. try to get other jobs one of my dear. friends who's an actor. he's been an actor he's a great actor a. brilliant actor and his career Ebbs and. flows comes and goes they'll star on a. TV show for a few years he won't work. for two years he went and tried to get a. job at like a car dealership one day and.

I was like what are you doing man like. and he's like I I can't I've quit acting. No One's Gonna [ __ ] hire me again I'm. unhirable now he's like. like the star of the most successful. player on Broadway right now and like. because he just got this role a couple. of years after that and he's in uh one. of the biggest movies that's coming out. next year he's in it like and and it's. because he didn't actually quit he he. kept going you know and it's not you. know especially Hollywood it's not a. fair industry it is not fair who makes.

it the best people don't make it you. know it's very luck oriented it's very. connections oriented. um I'm lucky like and I also worked hard. and thank God I you know have I'm a good. enough writer that I've been able to. have enough longevity in my career once. I got lucky but. like a lot of luck played Into My. Success you know but that being said. I've seen people get lucky very random.

times through random ways I always think. about like Ian McKellen like did you. have you heard of him before he was 65. years old like that guy I didn't like as. I had never [ __ ] heard the word Demi. Kelly until he was Magneto and X-Men and. all of a sudden he's like in Lord of the. Rings he's with one of the famous people. on Earth he got famous when he's like. 60. like like that's what happens to. people sometimes you know what I mean. it's like you never know you know and so. I think that is is what's interesting is.

and if you like it then just don't quit. and as long as you have enough to. survive then just keep trying to do it. you know but this could be something. that I can do to increase my luck be. really good at it. I think making being nice honestly being. nice being the type of person people. want to be around the people like that. people that comes down to it want to. help instead of not help that is very.

good like I've seen. that just if people don't like being. around you then then then you will fail. because you need other people to help. you succeed you know. um working hard is like something you. can control in a very uncontrollable. world I find and like. um you know it's funny I was meeting. with someone recently who like ascended. very high in Hollywood and she was like.

I always fetishized hard work like to me. that was like it like it it like if you. weren't working hard. I like had no regard for you basically. and like and to me that was like and and. that's a good reminder of like those are. the people you're up against and that. was something that I always knew from a. young age was like I I don't consider. myself a competitive person but I knew. succeeding in Hollywood was inherently a.

competitive Pursuit there's only so many. jobs and there's way more [ __ ]. trying to get their jobs those jobs than. there are jobs available so by the. nature of that I was competing with. people for these jobs and I knew I had. to be able to look at myself and be like. am I at least working harder than. everyone else who is competing for this. job I might not be better than them or. smarter than them or have as many. connections with them or be as good. looking as them or any of these things. but I can at least work harder than them.

you know. um and that to me was something that was. like controllable and I've never seen. someone regret the amount of hard work. they put into their Pursuit and so you. know that that is something that will. help you succeed I think. has you. certainly you don't have any kids I do. not that has helped me succeed as well. [Laughter]. finally. oh yeah. but there's a whole huge thing I'm not.

doing. which is raising children. people obviously someone's listening but. yeah but it would make you happier you. know someone might say that I'm trying. to rebuttal I don't think it would I've. been around obviously a lot of children. I'm not I'm not ignorant to what it's. like to I've I've seen everyone I know. has kids I I see I'm a you know I'm 40. again you know like it's not I I know. you know I've I've some of my friends. have had kids for decades you know um.

some people want kids some people don't. want kids I think a lot of people have. kids before they even think about it. from what I've seen honestly you just. are told. you go through life you get married you. have kids it's what happens. um and and me and my wife we're just. neither of us were like that you know. and. um honestly the older we get the more. happy and reaffirmed we are with our. choice to not have kids like it was. something we kind of.

talked about more and we're like are we. made the right choice are we sure now if. more than anything the conversation is. like honestly thank God we don't have. children we get to do whatever we want. we are in our we are we are in the the. prime of Our Lives we are smarter than. we've ever been we understand ourselves. more than we ever have we have the. capacity to achieve a level of work and. a level of communication and care for. one another and a lifestyle we can live. with one another that we've never been.

able to live before and we can just do. that and we don't have to raise a child. which the the world does not need right. now and so that was and so yeah it's uh. we're very happy with our choice to not. have kids and I just I work I I work. with a lot of people with kids and I see. definitively that I uh have more time to. both do the things I need to do and the. things I enjoy doing than they do and.

not to say their kids don't bring them. Joy but I I say this truthfully I I I I. I me and my wife seem to get a lot more. active enjoyment out of not having kids. than anyone I know seems to get out of. having kids. speaking of your wonderful wife yes in. my very extensive research I found a. series of photos I found this one yes. that's my wife Lauren exceptionally. beautiful she's lovely and I found this. one.

yes that's Lauren and her mother. that's a great photo wow it's like a. real photo it's a real face where'd you. get this. internet that's amazing yes this is. Lauren and her mother Adele Adele a few. years ago yeah you've campaigned. exceptionally hard for Alzheimer's. following. um Adele's diagnosis yeah can you tell. me about that Journey yeah definitely. um you know what's funny it's like a. celebrity I guess like you know I you're. kind of asked to do a lot of Charity.

things and find like a cause I think you. know and there's I think there's. pressure to find a cause and I think a. lot of people adopt causes that are not. organic to them and who they are and and. they kind of find themselves you know uh. in the midst of a cause and and. um and that it happened to me in the. past I would go to some charity events. and I always felt very out of touch with. it and and didn't really understand it. and. um then uh I met my wife and um and this. is in regards to the charity but also in. regards to just our relationship I'd. never been in a serious relationship.

ever in my life really like a few months. here and there I had dated but never and. in uh like 2005 I started dating my wife. Lauren and she was the first serious. relationship I ever had. um and very soon after we started dating. is when she realized her mother seemed. to be showing the first signs of. Alzheimer's and I knew nothing about. that it really. it was not in my family. um and and what I didn't understand is.

like oh it was a disease that had like. no treatment no cure it was only going. to steadily get worse until she died. from it which was uh uh truly. devastating and put me and my wife on. like a pretty intense Journey for the. next. you know uh 15 years or so basically. um and uh it really uh it really took a. lot out of us and my wife especially you. know. um Lauren felt very out of control and.

very devastated and really scrambling. for like uh Outlet or no way to gain. some kind of agency over the situation. um yeah and our friend uh suggested we. do a comedy show and maybe give the. money to like an Alzheimer's charity and. we did and it went very well and my wife. started telling her story as a young. woman whose mother was in her 50s and. diagnosed with Alzheimer's and it was. really not a thing like anyone was. talking about at all and she found there.

was like an enormous need for people to. connect with someone who was going. through this because a lot of people. were going through it and really no one. was talking about it and. um we very. we kind of found like a need for this. organization that we made hfc which. um became like you know an Alzheimer's. charity that really was like focused on. talking to young people. um many of whom were caretakers for. their parents with Alzheimer's you know.

and and again it was just a thing it's. very stigmatized disease and not a. disease very many people. are comfortable talking about at all and. uh yeah and Lauren. as her mother progressed more and more. just talked about it more and more and. uh and it really. um yeah kind of made our charity more. and more prominent in the space and. um yeah has allowed us to do kind of. more and more things to help people you. see people don't talk about it enough. and part of that is results in people. thinking about Alzheimer's is just. losing your keys or forgetting a.

sentence or something yeah. um what is the reality of Alzheimer's as. you've observed it well it's different. for everyone but it's inherently for my. mother-in-law like she forgot how to. speak how to go to the bathroom how to. talk I mean how to eat how to walk. um and was essentially like. you know uh someone you would move from. the bed to the wheelchair. force feed essentially move back to the. bed she was like that for like.

seven years or something like that all. right I think she didn't uh and again. I'm bad with years she didn't speak for. several years. um and. and it was yeah if you saw her you. wouldn't assume it was Dementia or. Alzheimer's you would assume she had. some like horrific stroke or something. like that it was not it was not what I. understood like cognitive decline could. could cause you know. um it was far more devastating and and. yeah and I think uh people don't.

understand how kind of dire it is or. they do understand and they just again. don't like talking about it because it's. really scary and people are weird about. their brains mental health obviously in. America especially people are very weird. about not a thing they like talking. about. um and so yeah it kind of TAPS into a. lot of things people are just scared of. in general we're told does that have on. the people around her like yourself and. your wife. um I mean it was just devastating for my. wife especially like it was truly one of. the the most upsetting thing you could.

imagine is like very slowly seeing your. mother die over the course of years and. years and years and years and years and. years and years and years and years you. know um it's uh yeah I mean it caused uh. uh yeah it was it was very Grim you know. um but through the charity you know. there was a lot of like. kind of hope that came up at times and a. lot of like uh. you know kind of like wonderful things. that it felt like we were able to do as.

a result of it so there was kind of. Bittersweet moments but in general it. was terrible. these times if you're um. last couple of decades for you that that. process oh yeah for sure I mean yeah. especially you know. being married to someone who is going. through something. incredibly traumatic. um is.

yeah is is you know it's hard for them. and it's hard for you to know how to. support them properly and and how to you. know navigate their feelings and they. you know uh productive and loving way. you know. um and it's obviously much harder for. them. um and uh you know it it is uh but yeah. it's a it's a it can be hard for. everybody Adele passed away 2020 yeah. what impact does that have on.

the family. um I mean in some ways it is uh a relief. of Burden you know especially with. someone who. was so sick for so long with no hope in. sight for any for any way to get better. you know. um. and. and also like devastating you know and. and it's something that I'm always. having to not having to remind myself of.

something I'm always reminding myself of. is like you know your wife her mother. died recently like there's there's a lot. going along with that and and although. there's like this constant thing that we. are not dealing with there is there is. another thing you know. um and and again in many ways like the. active Agony of her mother kind of. slowly dying was was probably worse but. this is also bad in its own way you know.

you mentioned Americans don't like. talking about their mental health yeah. or really anything cognitive no this is. their cognitive functions yeah I've. never heard you speak about your mental. health yeah I don't think it's that. interesting. that might be why anxiety. um not really not more than the average. you know I often think I often think. that the creatives over index with. anxiety for kind of some of the reasons. we talked about earlier. yeah I don't I think I have anxiety but. I also am constantly reminding I'm good.

I think at analyzing my own feelings and. behavior to some degree I do have. anxiety sometimes but I'm also having to. remind myself that I am like. going through things that are. objectively anxiety inducing to almost. anyone and I would probably be weird if. I wasn't feeling some sort of anxiety. with the amount of public facing uh. pressure uh and exposure I have at times. um so you just tell yourself like yeah. you feel you uh this is you are feeling. anxious right now because you are.

dealing with this thing that has a lot. of. public pressure on it you know um so I. think in general no in general I have. pretty good mental health I think. ask the people who work with me. [Laughter]. it seems like an unhuman way to live. right being in the spotlight and being. being. um receptable to so much public feedback. like you talked about how shoes are kind. of unnatural in rooster and natural. there's the way that we all live these.

days seem to be so far from what is what. it is to be a human yeah. what can we like what do we need to do. do you think to get back to being a. little bit more human. um I don't know I don't know if I'm the. best person to ask you but I uh. I personally have tried to spend less. time on social media I think that is a. good thing I don't think that. contributes to one's Humanity. necessarily uh I uh what are the things.

that make you feel most human then and. most connected. um. spending time with my loved ones my wife. my you know my my my dog my my sister my. family my my parents you know my friends. going to dinner with my friends going to. their houses hanging out with my friends. I I even though I don't have kids I. enjoy going to my friend's house and. hanging out with them and their kids you. know. um you know writing with being creative. with my friends doing things with my.

friends making things with people that I. respect and the the feeling that I'm a. part of making something that I am. excited about and that I think is really. good. um that is I I again for me that's like. those are the moments where I feel like. I am. personally like living up to my. potential you know and and feeling like. and and and it is about the other people. even at times when it is work related. you know and I and I do think you know.

uh the connections that you make with. people. even when they are creative are are. relevant and important you know and. um and so yeah I think those are the. things that I like I value is like. personal relationships and and creative. ones which I also view as personal. you've done you've done so much in the. in the space of writing and um and. entertainment you've then embarked in. other Pursuits businesses you know Point. gray which success house plant massive. success that's in a different industry.

that's in you know the more. entrepreneurial side of your your. passions what is it what is it now for. you like what is the the thing what. makes you having achieved all of this. fired up and excited about. a challenge. um I get excited when I and it's it's a. simple metric I think which is any time. we're making a thing that I know I would. be psyched if I saw it or got it or saw. it was out in the world I get excited.

like and and that's kind of it like if. I'm making a movie and I'm like I would. love this movie I would see this movie. and be like this is [ __ ] great. whoever made this movie like [ __ ] they. went for it they did it I'd be jealous I. didn't make this movie that's when I. know I'm doing something good and it's. the same thing with houseplant if we. make a thing and I'm just like this is. awesome if I saw this I would want this. if I saw someone else made this I'd be. like [ __ ] why didn't we think of that. why didn't we make this what were we why. were we not thinking of this you know.

um that to me and and then when we do it. and we're like we did it and we and it. worked as well as you wanted to and it. feels how you wanted it to to me that's. like it's exciting and because it is a. creative uh expression and and and I. think that's what's exciting to any. again I think person with like a. creative person suit which I view house. plan as and I kind of view everything as. to some degree which is like it's all. output that is meant to reflect my taste. and my sensibilities and and those and.

that of those who are working on it with. me you know. um and and that could be a movie it. could be a TV show it could be an. ashtray it could be it could be any. number of things but but to me when I'm. excited about it and and when it works. is when I really think it is the thing. that I wanted it to be which is a thing. that I'm excited about and a thing that. if I saw it and someone else made it I'd. be like yes that's awesome you know. um and that's the same thing since we've. been writing super bad like that's why.

we wrote super bad we were like let's. write our favorite movie let's write the. movie that we want to see and no one. else is making and it was the same thing. with Pineapple Express this is the end. and the boys was a comic book we loved. we were like let's make this no one else. is gonna [ __ ] let's make this into. something you know um it's the same. thing with everything that we've done. for the most part which is like let's. make the thing we want more than. anything why not make the thing that you. think other people want and. because who the [ __ ] knows what other. people want. and I think luckily.

that's a thing we've been lucky with is. like either our taste in the public. taste has coincided or or the public has. been willing to take cues from our taste. and and and and and and bite to to what. we're putting out there you know what I. mean um which is which is just uh an. almost intangible skill I think to some. degree which is just making things that. connect with people in a big way and.

that's not even what every creative. person is trying to do you know what I. mean I know plenty of filmmakers I some. of my favorite movies are movies that. are not trying to connect with giant. audiences you know what I mean but those. are the movies we grew up loving and to. us that's a fun challenge is like how do. we. put everything that we think is like. risky and subversive and difficult about. this idea into something and then have. it connect and then have everyone go.

crazy for it and have everyone be like. yes like I can't wait to see that you. know um and that. that's just our taste you know what I. mean is we like to we're thinking of. like a packed theater Friday night and. just wanting people to like go Bonkers. you know and like that's not everyone's. goal you know and so that that that's a. big part of it too is like what kind of. audience are you are you hoping to have. you know when people you know study.

people like you they're always looking. for like the the themes like what's the. three things he does that it would like. they're trying to find like the secrets. and whatever else they do that what's. his morning routine whatever else. um your creative process what is from. your own observation the most unusual. part of it the part that you go no one. else seems to do it this way but [ __ ] it. I I tend to be able to work on. a. not everyone and I work with a lot I'm. lucky also because I get to work with a. lot of like literally like the most.

brilliant people in the world who do. what I do so I have a very front row. seat to like an incredibly high level of. performance you know. um on a writing standpoint acting. standpoint directing standpoint. all these things I'm getting to see like. truly the best versions of it you know. um but I think. you know for me I I am I am good at. Switching gears and compartmentalizing I.

find some writers maybe would think that. is strange and and the idea of like. writing two things it two different. things in one day would be strange to. some writers the idea of like okay I'm. gonna write one TV show in the morning. and then a movie in the afternoon I. think that but again to me it's very. intuitive some writers find Switching. gears creatively especially midday. difficult I I can work on five different. things throughout the day and whenever. I'm working on whatever thing it is I'm.

pretty able to like fully engage on that. thing. um. I I physically write more than I think. most people would depend no with on a. keyboard but like I find a lot of. writers want to talk about like to me. I'm like just write it let's just write. it let's just see how it looks let's. just try it just write it down like and. I think a lot of people are precious. with writing and a lot of people. you know it's like a big they kind of.

like they try to like it's very like. sanctimonious or something like that you. know but I I try to like really just. write different versions of things share. I share a lot of early versions of. things with like a group of people that. I trust I'm sending rough versions of. things to people I'll rewrite it. instantly I'll do a hundred drafts or. something you know um I'm really not. precious with that you know but but I. don't know I mean I I don't know if like. yeah I don't know what other I don't.

know people expect I I'm I'm more. Curious than other people's creative. processes honestly like it's so. ingrained in who I am yeah I've been. doing it since I was so young like it's. it it's truly like a part of like my. brain chemistry is and my development. was is built around you know writing and. and Writing Movies specifically so like. my my personality I think in some ways. is is is is engineered around writing. and and and making movies in some ways.

because I've been doing it since I was. so young so I really think it's like. it's become a very fluid part of who I. am and it doesn't feel like often I'm. like sitting down to work it's like it's. just kind of a fluid part of my day I do. also have like I'm very I get a schedule. sent to me by my assistant at the end of. every night it tells me what I'm doing. the next day. pretty much just do what's on the. schedule she sends you an email right. yeah and it will say 10 p.m do this Seth. yeah it'll be like 10 a.m to 2 A.M but. and they'll be like giant free blocks of.

time in there where I will write usually. or me and my partner will organize our. own we'll we'll organize our own writing. time amidst that but uh yeah I mean I'm. pretty regimented from a schedule. standby which does surprise people. because. people will encounter me and be like. let's get together like sometime this. week and I'm always like like I'm like. scheduled like like a month out pretty. rigorously throughout the days but if I. asked you what your schedule was next. week would you have no [ __ ] clue. I know my schedule is Monday I've also.

yeah like I'm not I'm good at I I like. dealing what's right in front of me. honestly as well like I I I can't begin. to process what's happening next week. like I I truly that's too much for me. like I. I know like the big things like the. benchmarks you know what I mean but if. you're leaving the country yeah if. there's some big thing I have to do but. like in general I have no idea what's. happening the week before. a bit of a left filled one but have you. um observed a a point in your your.

trajectory where. you become somewhat so successful or. somewhat you know so famous that. happiness begins to decline no. it was never like. being famous was never like a goal for. me you know what I mean and so I don't. have like this. this complicated thing where I was like. I was trying to become famous and then I. got famous and I realized being famous. sucks I always stop being famous kind of.

would suck a little bit and so the idea. that it is you know it's great in a lot. of ways and it and it does suck in some. ways but that's not honestly a thing. that I have a very conflicted. relationship with I've also been pretty. famous since I was like 23 years old and. again like like it's been a you know. it's been a very long time since I got. pretty famous so I've had a lot of. different relationships with it. throughout that time uh you know almost. 20 years I guess and where I've been at. for quite some time has been a pretty.

good place and I have a lot of famous. friends I see them have much. rockier roads dealing with it than I do. you know. um yeah and as far as success goes like. no like if anything it's like great like. we I get to work with. the best you know the filmmakers that. inspired me to make movies in the first. place I get to you know make you know I. they they bring us Ninja I get to make a. movie out of a thing I've loved since I.

was a kid we just sold a show to Apple. that I'm writing and directing and. starring in with um with my partner so. we can come up with original ideas and. do whatever the [ __ ] we want you know. and so uh what's the cost. there's no cost I don't have kids. I think that I was not being a good. father that would suck I do not have. that feeling at all. we have a we have a closing tradition on. this podcast where the last guest leaves.

a question for the next guest okay great. not knowing who they're leaving it for. we have a new tradition on this podcast. which I'll talk to you about great the. the question left for you yeah okay the. handwriting is not the best. um who left it I can't tell you okay. looking back on your love life okay can. you see patterns in it good or bad and. what was the greatest love of your life. what did it feel like and how has it. affected you up until this present. moment I guess this is a good time to. slide that to you there you go Lauren.

yeah I mean I. I made a whole movie about how I was not. well liked in high school by women and. yeah I was never. uh no Lauren my wife was the first. serious relationship I ever had uh I. felt deeply in love with her very fast. we essentially moved in together after. like a week and almost have not spent. any like significant time apart since. then you know. um we've never broken up we've never had. any serious issue throughout the entire. uh time we've been together which has.

been like 17 years or something like. that. um and if anything she is like really. helped me do better work she's been a. real supporter and also she herself is a. brilliant writer and director and. filmmaker and she's been you know a very. at times kind of. direct voice in in improving our work I. think the most tangible thing is the. movie Neighbors which we've talked about.

in the past which is our most successful. movie we've made and and one of the. things people really liked about it. specifically was the relationship. between me and and Rose Byrne's. character and how we are a couple you. know traditionally in comedy for years. and my entire childhood pretty much it's. like the comedic Dynamic of a married. couple was they hated each other that. was the joke they [ __ ] hated each. other they they got on each other's. nerves they didn't like spending time. together the woman was usually annoying.

the guy was usually cool and laid back. that was it that was the comedic Dynamic. that essentially was like frozen into. movie you know forever and and Lauren. was the one who was like What if it's. like us and they [ __ ] like each other. and they both like to smoke weed and. they both do stupid things and they both. go out and party and I'm not telling you. ever to not do something [ __ ] stupid. if anything I'm doing stupid things too. and we put that in the movie and it.

completely changed the dynamic and I. honestly think it's like one of the. reasons the movie became so like liked. and and successful and and so that's. like a specific example and there's. there's many like what's life like. without her though. um thank God there's not a whole lot of. life without her we hang out a lot uh. and I I don't really leave LA to make. movies anymore honestly part of the. reason is I just like spending time with. her and and I don't like leaving Los. Angeles as a result of it I used to. travel much more to make movies and.

shoot movies in other cities and it. sucked and I would go weeks we'd go. weeks without seeing each other and and. ultimately you're just like this isn't. worth it like this is my life like this. is like like I'm not like saving up to. cash in on something later like I'm I'm. living my life not being surrounded by. the people I want to be surrounded by so. I can. go make a movie and like that that that. at times might be worth it but I've done. everything I can to not have that happen.

and if you're willing to make a little. less money you can more often than not. shoot a movie in Los Angeles. it's funny when I asked you what makes. life great and what makes life more. human everything every answer you gave. came with the second part of the. sentence which was with friends with the. person I love with everyone every answer. was with people and so it's it's quite I. think inspiring and important to hear. that um you're orientating your life now. that you can so that it's surrounded by.

people yeah I think it's always how I. came up thank God and like I. you know my parents had a lot of friends. they always had people living with us in. our house that were divorced or talented. like it was I was was in like I felt. like I was in like a community and then. I moved to LA and I like fell in with. the community and I had my friend Evan. and he moved in and we kind of made a. little community and like comedy. especially. feat is like a is more of a team sport. than other. I think creative Pursuits.

um and it's it's funny like I remember. years ago being at like that Vanity Fair. Oscar party and it's like. you know big crazy party everyone in. Hollywood's there and there's like one. corner of the party where every comedian. is and they're like all together in one. little lump and like and and it was like. and it was so funny and I was just like. no other genres like that like they're. not it's like all the serious actors are. together they're they're all spread out. they're all talking to people but if you. were a comedian you were in this one.

little like Circle where you kind of. felt safe you kind of felt insulated you. kind of felt like you were with your. people and that that Community as far as. work goes and I'm friends with like. everyone I work with which is like great. like the guys I do sausage party with I. grew up with them the guy you know like. the the the. it like goes on and on and on and on. like I I I I tend to work with people. that I've known a really long time and. so when I'm working I'm getting to be.

with people that I that I genuinely care. about and I'm friends with you what a. privilege yeah you're the first person. to open this box great the first person. to ever open this box this is a new. tradition we're starting from here on. now it's exciting all the guests that. have been on this podcast all the. questions they've written in this book. they're on cards now they're on cards. now fantastic yeah. you got swag. called The Diary of SEO conversation. cards you're going to be you're going to. be I've put 20 of them there's 60 of. them in total 60 or 100 of them in total.

I've put 20 of them in here all I'm. going to ask you to do is to pick one at. random yeah and then answer the question. okay I'm gonna do it. okay. it's got a QR code. [Laughter]. hey it's got their handwriting. what is the greatest gift another human. has given you. [Laughter].

also I got paid a lot of money to make. green hornets so that was. no it was love though it's for sure love. [Laughter]. thank you Seth the hardback version of. your the paperback version of your book. is is now out it's out and it's. phenomenal thank you hilarious. I mostly didn't want to humiliate myself. that was Michael I was talking to. another friend of mine who's writing a. book the other day uh and I was just. like my whole goal was to for the book. to come out and they're into the general.

consensus to be that I'm not a [ __ ]. idiot. which I did I feel I feel very secure. with that thank you thank you. [Music]. it's now been a healed Drinker for about. four years roughly so much so that I. ended up investing in the company. um and I play a role on the board of the. company but they also very kindly. sponsored this podcast and to be honest. I've never said this before but he all. believed in this podcast before anybody. else the CEO Julian. um told me before we even launched the. podcast how successful it would be and.

that heal would back it and I absolutely. have a huge amount of gratitude for them. for that support but an even greater. sense of gratitude for the fact that. they've helped me stay nutritionally. complete throughout the chaos and. hecticness of my tremendously busy. business schedule so if you haven't. tried out here which I hope most of you. have at least given it a go by now try. it out it's an unbelievable way to try. and stay nutritionally on course if you. have a hectic busy schedule and let me. know what you think send me a tweet and. a DM tag me let me know what you think. quick word from one of our sponsors I. have to say I've been on a bit of a.

journey with this brand because when I. started my business in new territories. when we first moved social chain to the. to New York City the first place we went. to was we rework we moved four of our. team members out to New York City and we. built the business from there. um I have to say there's something. magical about weworks I've spent the. last two or three weeks in LA in a wee. work and as you walk in the front door. every day it's almost like that sense of. community that sense of magic excitement. camaraderie is tangible and you don't.

get that when you're working at home you. don't get that often when you're sat in. your bed on your laptop there's. something about getting out and getting. into a wee work that makes me feel a. sense of Entrepreneurship and and. creativity and building and the way that. we work to design both both in the way. that they offer subscriptions so that. you can work you know on demand but also. that the flexibility of the contracts. means that it's just the perfect place. for businesses to scale their companies. and if you haven't checked out where you. work and you want to you can go to. we.co CEO and there you can get 50 off.

at trial Day At wework Close to You. oh. [Music].