Being two of comedy’s most famous talents, Seth Rogen and James Franco had an enduring friendship, which included a long history of riffing off one another and collaborating. Beginning their collaboration with the 1999 show Freaks and Geeks, Rogen and Franco had a friendship spanning over two decades until the duo fell apart in 2018.
Despite working together in hit comedies and sharing an unbreakable bond, Seth Rogen and James Franco sparked a rift, after the latter was accused of s*xually inappropriate behavior in an L.A. Times article. After Franco’s s*xual misconduct lawsuit was settled, the allegations seemingly caused him and Rogen to drift apart. Since then, their friendship has never been repaired.
The Beginning of James Franco and Seth Rogen’s Friendship
James Franco and Seth Rogen were both young and newcomers in the industry when they met on the set of the 1999 show Freaks and Geeks. Back then Rogen was 17 and Franco was 22, when the duo bonded over their common grounds, like their penchant for comedy. Thereafter, the two didn’t work together for quite some time, until their reunion on 2008’s Pineapple Express.
Rogen admitted on CBS’ The Early Show:
We didn’t have a falling out or anything; he just became very successful after Freaks and Geeks, and I just sat on my couch and researched this movie for two years.
After collaborating on two films, there was no turning back for Franco and Rogen. The duo became best buddies and started sharing screens for 2013’s This Is the End, 2014’s The Interview, and more. Soon, during a Q&A with Moviefone, the two friends noted how far they would go to commit to their comedy.
Franco stated:
I think the lesson you taught me is that if it’s funny, you can kind of do anything.
Admitting that they were comfortable enough with each other to be open to anything that caused laughs, Franco and Rogen ventured into several comedy films and boasted a successful filmography.
Movies Starring James Franco and Seth Rogen
Over the years Seth Rogen and James Franco have teamed up on multiple projects that not only featured them in major roles but also brought them together through minor cameos. Beginning with Pineapple Express (2008) where a process server (Rogen) witnessed his marijuana dealer’s (Franco) boss murder a competitor, the film then follows the duo as they try to run from hitmen and a corrupt police officer.
Thereafter, the classic Rogen-Franco duo appeared in The Green Hornet (2011) where Rogen was the titular character who teamed up with his late father’s assistant (Jay Chou) to become a crime-fighting duo, whereas Franco simply shared a minimal role in the awkward, laughable, action-crime film.
Followed by This Is the End (2013), where major comedy geniuses were wrapped up into one dark comedy treat, the film followed six Los Angeles celebrities (who played themselves!) during an apocalypse that was destroying the city. The film featured Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, and Craig Robinson—all of whom were trapped inside Franco’s house.
The Rogen-Franco duo once again shared the screen in The Sound and the Fury (2014), wherein Franco was the director and star who brought William Faulkner’s infamous novel, by the same name, to the big screen. In this movie, Rogen unfortunately had a minor role. But worry not, for the duo collaborated in a risky, political satire comedy The Interview, that very year.
Among a few other collaborations, Franco and Rogen shared The Night Before (2015), Sausage Party (2016), and The Disaster Artist (2017) in their filmography, wherein the duo had major roles in delivering hilarious comedy treats and entertaining audiences like never before.
Accusations of S*xual Misconduct Against James Franco
Unfortunately, The Disaster Artist became Seth Rogen and James Franco’s last collaboration, which even earned them Golden Globe nominations in 2018, for their work directing and producing the film. In days following the event, Franco was accused of inappropriate s*xual behavior by five women, including four of whom used to be his students.
In a Los Angeles Times article, the women alleged that the actor abused his powers as their teacher at the film school he founded. Instead of teaching them, the women accused Franco of often manipulating them into performing inappropriate acts, including allegedly removing safety guards while filming an oral s*x scene.
Although James Franco’s attorney denied each of the allegations at the time, the actor’s career stalled after two of those former acting students, Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal filed a s*xual misconduct lawsuit in October 2019. The two women alleged in the lawsuit that Franco “engaged in widespread inappropriate and s*xually charged behavior towards female students”.
Franco once again denied the allegations. However, this time, realizing how the lawsuit and long-drawn accusations were impacting his career, the actor reached a settlement with the women in February 2021, where he agreed to pay $2.235M, via People.
Seth Rogen’s Take on His Buddy’s S*xual Misconduct Lawsuit
While James Franco settled the lawsuit and even managed to get his career back, his friendship with Seth Rogen suffered a significant blow. Initially, when the actor was accused of s*xual misconduct, Rogen had extended a hand of support to the star, stating that he would continue to work with Franco, during an April 2018 interview with Vulture.
The truth is that my perspective on this is the least relevant perspective. I’m friends with these people and I’m a dude. All that combined makes me the last person who should be talking about this.
However, later on, as the accusations took over James Franco’s career and led him to face lawsuits, Seth Rogen took back his words and admitted regretting what he said. Looking back at a 2014 SNL joke as well as his 2018 interview, Rogen told The Sunday Times that he had decided to quit collaborating with Franco in the future.
I do look back at a joke I made on Saturday Night Live in 2014 and I very much regret making that joke. It was a terrible joke, honestly. And I also look back to that interview in 2018 where I comment that I would keep working with James, and the truth is that I have not and I do not plan to right now.
I don’t know if I can define that right now during this interview. I can say it, um, you know, it has changed many things in our relationship and our dynamic.
Discussing how it was “not a coincidence” that his professional relationship with Franco came to an end, Seth Rogen noted that the allegations also affected his personal bond with the star. Confirming the death of their friendship, Rogen clarified publicly that he would neither work with Franco nor would he ever associate with the disgraced actor.
James Franco and Seth Rogen Are Not on Talking Terms
Following Seth Rogen’s verdict, James Franco appeared on SiriusXM radio in 2023 and addressed the status of his long-standing friendship. Admitting that he still “loves” Rogen and that the two did not have a single fight in the 20 years they worked together, Franco noted that they “aren’t working together” nor do they “have any plans to work together”.
Stating that it was “hurtful” for him to hear Rogen say their professional relationship was over, Franco claimed to understand how the allegations affected his friendship with the star, much like it impacted his career. Thereafter, during a recent interview with Variety at the Rome Film Festival about his new movie Hey Joe, in October 2024, Franco updated that the status of his friendship with Rogen hasn’t changed.
I haven’t talked to Seth. I love Seth, we had 20 great years together, but I guess it’s over. And not for lack of trying. I’ve told him how much he’s meant to me.
Plagued by accusations of s*xual misconduct dating as far back as 2014, James Franco confirmed that Seth Rogen had cut ties with him and that their friendship was possibly over.
