Some Hollywood pairings stand the test of time, like Brad Pitt and George Clooney, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, and Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. However, other duos fall by the wayside, for one reason or another, like Seth Rogen and James Franco. The comedic duo met on the set of the 1999 coming-of-age television series Freaks and Geeks, and quickly formed a bond that led them to work together on several projects after the show ended. However, after Franco was accused of sexual misconduct by several women in 2018, Rogen distanced himself from Franco, not wanting to be associated with his Pineapple Express co-star’s alleged behavior. Recently, while speaking with The New York Times, Rogen said he hasn’t spoken to Franco “in a long time” and has “no plans” to work with him.
“I’m trying to think how much I want to personally share about this,” he prefaced to The New York Times. “I honestly think the nuance of it is too personal for me to get into right now. It is a very personal thing. 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, “But 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.”
Regardless of the circumstances, writing off a cherished friend can be challenging. There is a torrent of emotions that come with cutting someone off, especially if you were practically inseparable at one time or another. I once had a childhood friend I needed to excise from my life after inviting him to live with me during hard times. Our bond quickly soured after I felt taken advantage of, and we’ve not spoken since. What’s my point? Friendships are complicated, and I’m nobody. Rogen and Franco were synonymous for years. I can’t imagine how complicated it was to “break up the band” after so many years of laughs, victories, and shared defeats in the industry. What’s that saying? “People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.” Perhaps that applies here.
“No. I haven’t talked to Seth. I love Seth, we had 20 great years together, but I guess it’s over. And not for lack of trying. I’ve told him how much he’s meant to me,” Franco told Variety in 2024.
According to multiple reports, James Franco has a role in the upcoming film John Rambo, though the extent of his part is unknown. Could this be the start of Franco’s comeback? We’ll need to wait and see.