Seth Rogen Didn't Want to Play Both Roles in An American Pickle
Seth Rogen originally didn't want to play the dual roles in his new movie An American Pickle, but the filmmakers insisted it would be best. In the movie, Rogen plays Herschel Greenbaum, an immigrant who travels to New York City in search of the American Dream. When he arrives in New York, he gets a job in a pickle factory, ends up falling into a vat of brine and wakes up 100 years later, without having aged a day. He meets his only living relative, his great grandson Ben Greenbaum (also played by Rogen), who helps him navigate life in modern day Brooklyn.
An American Pickle debuted on HBO Max on Friday, August 6, after the streamer obtained the movie from Sony when they decided to not hold it for theatrical distribution amid the pandemic. The movie was met with mostly favorable reviews, currently sitting at 75-percent on aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, with critics citing familiar themes, but praising Rogen's commitment to two performances. If Rogen had originally had his way, though, he would have only given one performance.
Rogen was on Late Night with Seth Meyers to promote the film and Meyers asked the actor if he was supposed to play both characters from the jump. Rogen described to the late night host he did not take role lightly, knowing it would require a longer shoot so they could film the Herschel scenes first and then shoot the Ben scenes. In the interview, Rogen goes on to admit he tried to get out of playing both roles numerous times. "We actually did a table read where Ike Barinholtz read the Herschel role at one point," Rogen explained. Despite being happy with Barinholtz, Rogen obliged the other filmmakers, who wanted him to play Herschel and Ben.
The actor didn't hold back from telling Meyers playing both roles was complicated. He went on to joke about being happy with his decision to play both parts because he prefers to work with himself and not other actors. "Actors are tough and when you remove as many of them from the equation as possible, it makes things a lot easier," he joked before praising his stand-in for helping shape his performance.
Rogen has mostly been associated with comedies like Neighbors, This is the End, Knocked Up and The Night Before, playing different variations of the same character. He has surprised critics and audiences over the years, showing he can do more than what people perceived. His performance in 50/50 allowed him to find new layers to his stoner screen persona and movies like Take This Waltz and Steve Jobs offered the actor opportunities to demonstrate a softer side to him as an actor. The two roles in An American Pickle is just another step in showing the actor's versatility.
Source: Late Night with Seth Meyers