Seth Rogen is keeping James Franco at arm's length. In a new interview, the "Studio" co-creator confirmed he hasn't spoken with Franco "in a long time," declining to elaborate on the current state of their decades-long friendship. "The nuance of it is too personal," Rogen said when pressed on details.
The two comedians built their relationship through films like "Pineapple Express" and "This Is the End," but their dynamic fractured following Franco's 2018 sexual misconduct allegations. Multiple women accused the actor of abusive behavior on film sets and in acting classes. Franco settled a lawsuit in 2021 for $2.2 million without admitting wrongdoing.
Rogen has navigated Franco's fall carefully over the years, neither fully condemning nor endorsing his former collaborator. This latest comment signals continued distance but also suggests Rogen views the matter as too complex for public parsing. The reluctance reflects how Hollywood friendships often end not with dramatic rupture but slow fade.
Beyond Franco, Rogen discussed Apple TV Plus's "The Studio," which just wrapped production. He opened up about Catherine O'Hara's final episodes before her death in January 2024, which the show will air. O'Hara joined the comedy series as a studio executive, bringing her considerable comedic prowess to the workplace satire.
Rogen also clarified that "The Studio" will steer clear of romance plotlines. In an industry obsessed with will-they-won't-they dynamics and shipping culture, Rogen's choice to sidestep romantic entanglement for his ensemble cast feels deliberate. The focus stays on the messy, hilarious politics of running a film studio rather than personal relationships between characters.
The series arrives at a moment when workplace comedies have struggled to find traction on