Seth Rogen is currently being celebrated at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, where he is receiving the Norman Jewison Career Achievement Award. Prior to the ceremony, the actor and filmmaker engaged in a conversation with Geoff Macnaughton, TIFF’s vice president of market programming at theatrical, at the John Bassett Theatre. The event highlighted a career defined by immense productivity and creative partnership.
During the discussion, Rogen revealed that the most impactful advice he has ever received came from director Judd Apatow. He recounted a moment from the set of “Knocked Up,” where extensive improvisation led Apatow to shout, “Less semen, more emotion!” Rogen explained that the line transcends its crude surface, serving as a guiding principle for balancing comedy with genuine feeling and reality. He noted that he and his frequent collaborator Evan Goldberg often return to this mantra when refining scripts to ensure they avoid relying solely on humor.
Rogen also addressed the origins of his career, recalling that he began stand-up at age 13 in Vancouver clubs, with his first performance taking place at a lesbian venue called The Lotus. He credited his early start and supportive parents for allowing him to pursue filmmaking with confidence, noting that decades of practice have eliminated his fear of the blank page.
The prolific creator currently has two projects screening at the festival: “Babies,” an ensemble comedy directed by his wife Lauren Miller Rogen, and the animated film “Tangles,” which the couple produced. When asked about his Emmy-winning Apple TV series “The Studio,” Rogen suggested that the show’s sharp satire of Hollywood figures might have subtly altered how industry power players perceive him, though he maintained that the core dynamics remain largely unchanged.
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