For nearly two decades, Seth Rogen and James Franco were considered the gold standard of comedic partnerships in Hollywood. From their teenage start in cult television to their dominance of the R-rated “stoner comedy” genre, the duo seemed inseparable. However, that era has officially come to a definitive end.
In a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times, Seth Rogen provided a blunt update on the status of his relationship with Franco following the sexual misconduct allegations that derailed the latter’s career in 2018. Speaking with interviewer Lulu Garcia-Navarro, Rogen confirmed that the two have not spoken in a “long time” and that there is no professional future for the pair.
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“The Proof is in the Pudding”
When Garcia-Navarro pressed Rogen on where his relationship stands with Franco today, Rogen leaned into the personal complexity of the situation while maintaining a firm professional boundary.
“I honestly think the nuance of it is too personal for me to get into right now. It is a very personal thing,” Rogen told The New York Times. “There’s the public-facing side of it, which I’ve spoken about, and I have the same stance publicly that I’ve had, and I think the proof is in the pudding — I have not worked with him in years.”
Rogen continued to explain why he avoids delving into the finer details of their fallout, stating, “The personal side of it is just so nuanced, and it involves people that I don’t know if I should be dragging into this. I don’t know what I would benefit from getting deeply into it. Nothing has changed since the last time I talked about all this, and I haven’t worked with him in a really long time and I have no plans to.”
When asked directly if he still maintains communication with his former friend, Rogen replied simply: “I haven’t talked to him in a long time, no.”
A History of Collaboration
The finality of Rogen’s stance marks a stark contrast to their prolific history. The pair first met on the set of Paul Feig’s 1999 series Freaks and Geeks, where a 16-year-old Rogen and a 21-year-old Franco played high school burnouts. That chemistry launched a multi-decade run of box-office hits.
Notable Seth Rogen and James Franco Collaborations
| Year | Title | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Freaks and Geeks | Ken Miller & Daniel Desario |
| 2007 | Knocked Up | Ben Stone & Himself (Cameo) |
| 2008 | Pineapple Express | Dale Denton & Saul Silver |
| 2013 | This Is the End | Themselves |
| 2014 | The Interview | Aaron Rapaport & Dave Skylark |
| 2016 | Sausage Party | Frank & The Druggie (Voices) |
| 2017 | The Disaster Artist | Sandy Schklair & Tommy Wiseau |
The Catalyst of the Split
The professional divorce was triggered by allegations that emerged in 2018. Five women—four of whom were students at Franco’s acting school, Studio 4—accused the actor of sexually exploitative behavior. By 2019, a class-action lawsuit was filed, alleging Franco used his power as a teacher to dangle acting roles in exchange for sexually charged behavior. Franco settled that case in 2021 for $2.23 million.
Rogen’s public stance has evolved since the news first broke. In 2018, Rogen stated he would continue to work with Franco. However, by 2021, he told The Sunday Times that he deeply regretted those comments. “The truth is that I have not and I do not plan to right now,” he said at the time, a sentiment he has now reaffirmed in 2026.
Timeline of the Relationship Fallout
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Final collaboration released (The Disaster Artist). |
| 2018 | Misconduct allegations against Franco surface. |
| 2019 | Class-action lawsuit filed against Franco. |
| 2021 | Franco settles lawsuit; Rogen publicly distances himself in The Sunday Times. |
| 2024 | Franco tells Variety he hasn’t talked to Rogen and says “it’s over.” |
| 2026 | Rogen tells The New York Times he has “no plans” to work with Franco again. |
Moving Away from the “Friendship” Trope
In the same New York Times interview, Rogen reflected on how his perspective on male friendship has shifted, both in his personal life and his work. He noted that his character in the upcoming project The Invite has no friends, reflecting a modern “loneliness epidemic.”
Rogen recalled a joke made by comedian Nick Kroll during a roast that forced him to rethink his storytelling tropes. Kroll had joked: “What, are you guys gonna make another movie where they’re friends, then they stop being friends, and then they end up friends again?”
Rogen admitted the joke hit home. “I remember being like, ‘Oh, yeah, that is every movie we’ve ever made.’ Not to say that’s a bad thing, but the fact that he could boil it down that simply into a joke, I think we were like, ‘Maybe we should move away from that a little bit.’”
Risk Aversion in Modern Hollywood
Rogen also touched upon the difficulty of making the kind of movies that made him and Franco famous in the current industry climate. He argued that Hollywood has become “100 percent” more risk-averse, comparing the ease of making Superbad in the mid-2000s to the bureaucratic hurdles of today.
“No studio would just buy a script, give it a release date, cast it and then make it,” Rogen lamented. “Now everything has to be in place before they’ll decide whether or not they’re making it. Who’s the director? Who are the actors? Are they famous enough? … That is all due to risk aversion.”
Franco’s Perspective
For his part, James Franco seems to have accepted the reality of the situation. In a 2024 interview with Variety, Franco admitted the bond was likely severed for good.
“No. I haven’t talked to Seth. I love Seth, we had 20 great years together, but I guess it’s over,” Franco said. “And not for lack of trying. I’ve told him how much he’s meant to me.”
Despite Franco’s attempts at reconciliation, Rogen’s latest comments to The New York Times suggest the door is not just closed, but locked. By prioritizing “the proof in the pudding” over nostalgia, Rogen has signaled that one of comedy’s most successful partnerships is officially a part of Hollywood history.
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FAQs
What did Seth Rogen tell The New York Times about James Franco?
Rogen stated that he has “no plans” to work with Franco again and confirmed that the two haven’t spoken in a “long time,” calling the personal side of the fallout “nuanced” and “personal.”
Why did Seth Rogen and James Franco stop working together?
The partnership ended after Franco faced multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and sexually exploitative behavior beginning in 2018, leading to a 2021 legal settlement.
Did Seth Rogen regret his initial support of James Franco?
Yes. In 2021, Rogen told The Sunday Times that he regretted saying in 2018 that he would keep working with Franco and decided to distance himself professionally.
What was James Franco’s response to the fallout?
In 2024, Franco told Variety that while he still “loves Seth” and had told him how much he meant to him, he conceded that their relationship was “over.”
What were the most famous movies Rogen and Franco made together?
Their most iconic collaborations include Freaks and Geeks, Pineapple Express, This Is the End, and The Interview.
