Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.
Actor Seth Rogen has given American audiences plenty to laugh about in the last few years.
Not bad for an artist who began his career at the age of 13 doing stand-up in Vancouver. Now, the 26-year-old Rogen has become a leading player in the vanguard of contemporary American comedy.
Since his fateful casting by writer-director Judd Apatow on the cult TV series “Freaks and Geeks,” Rogen’s subsequent collaborations with Apatow resulted in two of the most influential films in recent years. Once feared by studios as a marketing challenge, the R-rated laughs of “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up” proved not only to be great star-making box office. The films gave way to an eclectic style of humor from a team of artists that honor the bold and profane legacy of Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor.
As a writer-slash-actor, Rogen has earned great praise for burnishing his comedy with a warm glow to balance out the edge. With the release of the new comedy “Observe and Report,” he has opted to take his biggest risk to date.
Written and directed with shameless glee by Jody Hill of “The Foot Fist Way,” Rogen takes a walk on the wild side as a bipolar mall cop with scary delusions of heroism. It is a role, and a film, that defiantly straddles the line of good taste with memorable results. In breaking away from the Apatow connection, “Observe and Report” provided Rogen a welcome challenge to expanding his on-screen image as that gruff, cuddly stoner with a kind face.
“I was excited to get to work with another guy with a strong creative voice,” Rogen said.
Life after starring in the popular “Scary Movie” franchise has given Anna Faris plenty of chances to prove she’s got the fearless chops to rival her male counterparts in the genre. Faris co-stars with Rogen as the quintessential mall tramp who knows her way around a shot of tequila or four. Finding harrowing new depth in playing vague and hot, the 33-year-old Faris more than builds upon a peak achieved with last summer’s hit “The House Bunny,” which she also conceived and produced.
“I used to think I was smart,” Faris laughed. “I am starting to think I am exactly as dumb as I play!”
Recently, both Rogen and Faris sat down to talk about working on “Observe and Report,” which was released as a daring example of counter-programming for filmgoers Easter weekend. Both actors spoke candidly and quite raucously about the challenges about being part of a film that has very few limits involved.
EXAMINER: Much has been written about your leaner physique, Seth.
SETH ROGEN: It’s a tapeworm.
ANNA FARIS: He said bulimia.
ROGEN: I have a new answer for everyone. (Laughs) It’s leprosy. It’s a new case, yeah.
EXAMINER: Today’s comedy standards have pushed the envelope way beyond its limits. How would you define such a brazen film like “Observe and Report?”
FARIS: We’ve been talking a lot and thinking a lot about this idea of sort of what I call the “unapologetic comedy.” When I was up for this role, I was really excited and thrilled. It’s a character that makes no apologies. In comedy, you’re always trying to walk the line between being funny and also pleasing your audience and trying to get your audience to think you’re charming. In this movie, we don’t have that burden.
(Faris and Rogen laugh.)
FARIS: It’s very liberating.
EXAMINER: Is there anything you won’t do for a laugh?
FARIS: There’s nothing I won’t do for a paycheck.
(Faris and Rogen laugh)
EXAMINER: The film plays like “Taxi Driver” with a punchline. Is it fair to define your role as “Ronnie Barnhardt” as a hero? Is there a statement to be found in such complex material?
SETH ROGEN: Technically, it is mall property and that man was a trespasser, so you can do that in America. I can shoot any of you right for being in my hotel room. (Laughs) But, you know, it is all in the eye of the beholder. To me, these movies have no moral message. They have nothing really on a large scale I feel that people should take from them as to who they should live their own lives or inspire other to live their lives. To me, these are very personal stories and this guy went from everyone thinking he was a complete loser to everyone thinking he wasn’t a complete loser. And, to me, that is more than enough movement for a character to make in a movie. To me, that’s a huge amount of movement. I know people who’ve been dicks their whole lives, so if they just made that movement, I would be infinitely thankful, you know? To me, that is all you need. I don’t care if people watch it and think like, “That’s the worst thing anyone’s ever done,” as long as they think also, “But, that guy took one minute step in the right direction. “ That’s all I need.
EXAMINER: Did the script for “Observe and Report” raise any red flags for you in terms of its content?
ROGEN: Honestly, morally judging scripts is not something that occurs to me as I’m reading them. It’s like asking if the script made me hungry. It’s nowhere on my radar if this is good for society as a whole or is it bad? To me, if it’s funny, it’s good for society. If it’s not funny, it’s bad for society. And, it was funny. It’s a movie. It’s supposed to entertain people.
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FARIS: I remember on that note a little bit. I played this role a while back where I smoked a lot of weed and my mom was appalled. She’s like, “You’re a role model.” And I’m like, “Mom! I am not a role model.” And I sure hope that nobody thinks of me that way. I want to play characters that are really interesting, that sort of stimulate me. There’s people that serve that purpose and that’s awesome. I just don’t necessarily want to be held to that standard.
ROGEN: Let Will Smith be a role model. (Laughs)
EXAMINER: Seth, audiences have taken quite a shine to you for being that warm, stoner “Everyguy.” “Observe and Report” reveals a darker side to the comedy they’ve come to expect.
ROGEN: I’m totally comfortable doing it. I had no fears or trepidations going in. It was a funny movie. It was a funny role. One of the reasons I liked it is it’s not the type of role that we think of for me or our characters. (Director) Jody (Hill) does something different than like what me and Evan and Judd do. That’s one of the things that drew me to it. So, I had no fears.
EXAMINER: The F-bombs in “Observe and Report” are epic, a real symphony of profanity. You can see your exchange with Aziz Ansari becoming a viral clip.
ROGEN: That scene was fun to shoot. It went on a long time. It’s one of those I remember thinking, “This isn’t going to be funny. But, it’s fun, so let’s just keep doing it.” Then, it actually turned out being funny. Sometimes, that’s a little bonus.
EXAMINER: The film hits its high note with one of the longest, most extreme showing of male anatomy ever filmed in a contemporary comedy.
ROGEN: Those days were weird. The nature of the staging is me and Randy (Gambill) would often be around the corner together. He’d run around and I’d run around. There was a lot of time where me and him are just standing there and we’d be, “What the fuck are we doing, man? This is insane and so weird!” Every time before a take, I’ll never forget it. They’d be, “Rolling! Sound speed.” They’d about to say “Action” when he would start running, but he would keep himself covered up between takes. When they were about to say “Action” every time, he’d like in a “Batman”-esque and he’d throw his trench open like a cape, like “Whoosh!” He would expose himself and then run to the end of the mall. It was surreal, but I’ll never forget it. It was like Batman. The trenchcoat would just unfurl behind him.
EXAMINER: Seth, talk about having some really intense face time with Ray Liotta.
ROGEN: I wouldn’t say he like a method actor, but if it’s an intense scene, he’ll kind of stay somewhat in the headspace of what we’re doing and me and him were kind of at odds for a lot of the movie. That was a little scary to get screamed at by Ray a few times, but he’s a very nice guy. He and my mom really got along well, so that was nice. He’s from New Jersey, my dad’s from New Jersey. It was fun. I really like Ray, once the initial horror and fear subsided it was a very pleasurable experience.
EXAMINER: Anna, it must have been gratifying to know that men can also be objectified for a laugh.
FARIS: That was awesome. When a woman’s nude, if she’s very attractive, it complicates the comedy.
ROGEN: It’s not funny. We don’t show breasts in any of our movies for that specific reason. It’s impossible to laugh while there are tits around. In the 80s they can do it, but they can’t do it anymore. I don’t know what happened. I can’t pull it off.
FARIS: Cleavage? I don’t know. That’s not even funny. I don’t know.
ROGEN: “American Pie” did it, I guess. That was the last movie to have tits and laughter in the same scene. But now, dicks are in! Dicks are the new tit.
“Observe and Report” is currently in theaters nationwide from Warner Bros.
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