The year 2020 has been a lot of things, one of which is a year in which the American sociopolitical climate has found a huge shift, especially in regards to race. This means that there is an emphasis in trying to promote diversity and minorities in film, and now actor Seth Rogen has expressed his similar intentions. In fact, according to Seth Rogen, he said he’s “actively trying to make less things starring white people.”
He explained this new goal to Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly during a new interview. At one point, Greenblatt asked Seth Rogen for his thoughts on the recently changed sociopolitical climate. Here’s what he said:
“For a long time I think I was alleviating myself from some of the responsibility that one who is making a living off the American system should be feeling, you know? Like ‘I’m Canadian! I just come here to work and make comedies!’”
He further explained how being a part of America is now impacting the way he feels:
“Now it’s been too long, I’m an adult, I’m fully a part of American culture and a contributor to it. I can’t pretend that this is not my culture as well, and that this is not my problem as well. I am an American citizen and this is America and I make money in America. So I no longer feel that way.”
This is where Seth Rogen explained how he feels he can help with promoting diversity in the Hollywood entertainment industry by working on less projects starring white people.
“I mean personally, I think I am just actively trying to make less things starring white people.”
He even added that he’d like to try and work with more diverse people behind the camera as well.
“And if I’m succeeding or I’m not, I’m very much looking to have a far more diverse group of writers and directors and actors that we generally work with, because that group is not incredibly diverse, you know?”
Finally, he stated:
“So that’s how I’ve been trying to deal with it, is just to actively take as they would say, anti-racist measures to assure that some work is doing done to acknowledge that Black people are very marginalized in American society.”
Seth Rogen’s latest film titled An American Pickle is currently available on HBO Max.
What do you think of what Rogen had to say? Be sure to let us know in the comments!