Seth Rogen: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked
4. Ben Stone - Knocked Up
This is the role that turned Seth Rogen into a superstar.
In Knocked Up, Seth Rogen plays Ben Stone, an out-of-work stoner whose only ambition is to create a website dedicated to celebrity nudity. After going out one night, he meets Alison (Katherine Heigl) at a bar and they both get drunk enough to have sloppy, condom-less sex. The next day, they both realize how different they are from each other and part ways. Of course, months later, Alison finds out shes pregnant and hilarity ensues!
The best thing about Seth Rogen in this film is how comfortable he seems in this role (which probably wasnt much of a stretch). Playing a lead character who is unmotivated and kind of a loser is harder than it seems. Audiences tend to like protagonists who are go-getters or, at the very least, highly skilled in some area. Seth makes his character work because we sense a great guy beneath everything else. He doesnt seem like a bad guy at all and is genuinely funny.
Thanks to this, we are on Bens side and want to see him succeed. Once the s**t hits the fan, Seth is still able to handle the more dramatic beats with ease. He is completely engaged and we never think for a second that hes simply playing a character; we believe it. Perhaps it was easier to play since Judd Apatow did kind of model the role after Seth when writing; however, Seth stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park.