Seth Rogen Recalls His Hilarious 8 Mile Audition With Jason Segel

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Seth Rogen is opening up about his memorable and often hilarious highlights as an actor, including one bizarre audition he did for the movie 8 Mile. Like most aspiring comedians, the 39-year-old started his acting career doing stand-up comedy. In 1999, he appeared in Judd Apatow's classic teen series, Freaks & Geeks. Before his remarkable performance in 2007's Knocked Up, Rogen had a string of minor roles and auditioned for bit parts in movies including 8 Mile.

Released in 2002, 8 Mile stars as Eminem as B-Rabbit, a white rapper who is trying to launch a career in the black-dominated genre of hip hop music. 8 Mile was a huge success in the box office and was praised by critics for its powerful storytelling. Its talented cast ensemble included Britanny Murphy, Kim Basinger, and Anthony Mackie.

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According to The Wrap, Rogen had the chance to be in the movie as Cheddar Bob, Eminem's rapper sidekick. The comedian detailed what he called was his "weirdest audition" in his new autobiography, Yearbook. According to Rogen, the film's casting director told him to bring a scene partner so he asked his friend and Freaks & Geeks costar, Jason Segel. As fate would have it, Segel was also auditioning for the same role. The two up-and-coming comedians rehearsed together and even slept at Rogen's apartment the night before. However, both of them found the difficult rap lines to be hilariously painful when it was their turn. "I started laughing hysterically, and so did Jason," Rogen wrote in his book.

"We literally couldn’t make it through the auditions. As soon as one of us started the scene, the other would lose it… It was so silly, we couldn’t finish. We just excused ourselves and saw ourselves out, tears streaming down our faces.”

In the end, Rogen and Segal's awkward audition did not land them a part in the movie. The role eventually went to Evan Jones and 8 Mile turned out to be a massive success. The movie earned multiple nominations and awards, including an Oscar for Best Original Song. Meanwhile, it would be years before Rogen would get his big break in Hollywood. However, he stated in his book that he had no regrets and admitted in retrospect that he was totally unsuited for the role.

Now, Rogen is an established presence in the industry and not just as an actor, but also as a writer, director, and producer. His long list of successful films includes Neighbors, This is the End, and Disney's 2019 remake of The Lion King. While it's difficult to imagine how Rogen's career would have turned out had he gotten the 8 Mile gig, it's very amusing to look back on at his early experiences in Hollywood.