What can you say about Seth Rogen? He's the ultimate slacker done good. Sure, he spends all day smoking substances that would send most people's minds into orbit. However, he established himself as a successful actor, comedian, and filmmaker, amassing around $80 million net worth.
He also boasts an impressive filmography. One or two unfortunate duds aside, he has nary a bad movie on it. Some of the films that miss out on this list include Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Shrek the Third, Step Brothers, Paul, The Lion King, and 2023's highest-grossing title, The Super Mario Bros. Movie – which speaks to the strength of his catalog.
We proudly present a list of the 22 Seth Rogan movies in which the actor has a performing Credit, starting with the finest and working down.
1 – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023, Directed by Jeff Rowe)
Seven installments in, we've finally got ourselves an outstanding movie in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. Cowabunga, dude! Mutant Mayhem reboots the ever-popular series. It follows the eponymous anthropomorphic reptiles, who emerge from years of shelter to prove themselves as heroes but face an army of unleashed mutants.
The outstanding voice cast includes Jackie Chan as Splinter, Paul Rudd, Post Malone, Rose Byrne, Maya Rudolph, Ice Cube, and Giancarlo Esposito. Rogen voices Bebop and makes a terrific comedic duo with John Cena's Rocksteady. Mutant Mayhem looks fantastic, has a killer soundtrack, and a great story acted out by a talented cast who give it 100%. If this movie gets no Oscar recognition, we might have to ninja-kick the Academy's butts.
2 – 50/50 (2011, Directed by Jonathan Levine)
Sometimes it's best to laugh in the face of horrible subjects, and that's precisely what the wonderful comedy-drama 50/50 does. Loosely inspired by its writer Will Reiser's cancer battle, it follows mild-mannered 27-year-old Adam Lerner, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who discovers he has a tumor on his spine and his subsequent struggle to survive his 50/50 diagnosis.
Rogen plays Kyle Hirons, Adam's supportive best friend, and he's fantastic in this type of role, bringing a combination of humor and sensitivity to his character. Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Anjelica Huston round off the stellar core cast, making this film delightful viewing. It tackles a complex topic with absolute care and refreshingly counters Hollywood's toxic masculinity. Gordon-Levitt missed out on a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his excellent performance, which is a shame. Still, Rogen explained that's probably because countless individuals have personal experiences of 50/50's subject matter and can't disconnect from that, making it too raw to watch for some people.
3 – The Fabelmans (2022, Directed by Steven Spielberg)
When Steven Spielberg directs, co-writes, and co-produces a movie, it demands some attention – especially when his life loosely inspires that film. That's The Fabelmans in a nutshell. It's a coming-of-age drama chronicling the adolescence and first years as a filmmaker of Sammy Fabelman, based on Spielberg.
It stars an outstanding cast of Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Judd Hirsch, Gabriel LaBelle as Sammy, and Rogen as Bennie Loewy, Sammy's father's best pal, who becomes Sammy's surrogate uncle. Seven Academy Award nominations came The Fabelmans' way, including Best Picture and Best Director, but it won none. Don't let that fool you, though, as it's a superb film, and Rogen holds his own in some esteemed and immensely talented Oscar-nominated company. It's emotional, warm, funny, and highly personal, and one of the best Seth Rogan movies.
4 – The Disaster Artist (2017, Directed by James Franco)
Chronicling the unlikely friendship between aspiring actors Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero that resulted in the production of 2003's The Room, one of the worst films ever made, The Disaster Artist has an intriguing premise. Based on Sestero and Tom Bissell's 2013 non-fiction book, it stars brothers James and Dave Franco as the two friends, and their sibling chemistry pays off emphatically as they perform brilliantly and work perfectly together.
Rogen's turn as Sandy Schklair, The Room's script supervisor and de facto first assistant director, ranks among his best, and he stands out in a formidable supporting cast that includes Ari Graynor, Alison Brie, Jacki Weaver, Zac Efron, Josh Hutcherson, and Sharon Stone. It received a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards – the Disaster Artist jollifies failure in a funny, charming, and poignant way.
5 – Knocked Up (2007, Directed by Judd Apatow)
Do you know when you're a tragically lazy bum and accidentally get a beautiful television star pregnant? No? Well, that's the highly unrelatable plot of the rom-com Knocked Up. Guess what? It's one of the best Seth Rogan movies.
Katherine Heigl plays the ambitious TV reporter Alison Scott, and Rogen plays Ben Stone, the immature slacker who impregnates her. He does a grand job of depicting his character's development into a responsible human being. Knocked Up's supporting cast includes Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel, Martin Starr, and Ken Jeong. It's a funny and poignant movie that'll make you laugh, cry, and wonder what, in the name of baby Jesus, such an attractive and aspirational lady sees in a scruffy stoner.
6 – Superbad (2007, Directed by Greg Mottola)
Ah Superbad, how we love thee. This delightful coming-of-age teen buddy comedy is relatable to everyone who attended high school without being part of the cool crowd. It's about teenage friends who want to lose their virginity before graduation but find their task far more challenging than they hoped.
Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse play Seth, Evan, and the hilariously named McLovin as they do everything possible to impress their female schoolmates and reach that elusive fourth base. They make a truly iconic trio. Rogen plays Officer Michaels alongside Bill Hader as Officer Slater, two police officers who befriend McLovin, bringing hilarity to proceedings. Superbad mixes crudeness and sincerity and is one of the most surprising films everyone should have on their bucket list.
7 – Kung FU Panda (2008, Directed by John Stevenson and Mark Osborne)
Before Mutant Mayhem, Rogen lent his voice to several animated films, and Kung Fu Panda is undoubtedly the best. Set in a version of China populated by anthropomorphic animals, it concerns a clumsy panda identified as the “Dragon Warrior” – a prophesied hero worthy of reading a scroll that will grant him unlimited power.
Now this is what you call a voice cast; Jack Black as the eponymous Po, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Michael Clarke Duncan, Jackie Chan, and Rogen, who voices Master Mantis, a dry-witted Chinese mantis and a member of the group of kung fu experts called the Furious Five. Rogen gives an excellent performance, as does the rest of the cast. Kung Fu Panda features gorgeous colorful computer animation, a great story, and side-splitting slapstick humor. It received a nomination for the Best Animated Feature Academy Award.
8 – Donnie Darko (2001, Directed by Richard Kelly)
Rogan made his big-screen debut in Donnie Darko. This dark psychological sci-fi thriller tells the story of a teenage boy who sleepwalks his way into escaping a bizarre accident in which a jet engine lands in his bedroom, then has visions of a mysterious figure in a rabbit costume who eerily tells him the world will end in precisely 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as the emotionally troubled eponymous character and performs remarkably. Patrick Swayze, Jena Malone, Maggie Gyllenhaal, James Duval, and Drew Barrymore also appear.
Rogen plays Ricky Danforth, one of two bullies at Donnie's school who make their fellow students' lives miserable. It's his most sadistic role, and he's surprisingly great at pulling it off, coming across as genuinely threatening and intimidating. Donnie Darko is ambitious, bold, atmospheric, and highly original, with admirable performances from its younger cast members. However, we don't think we'll ever get over the casting of the legendary late Swayze as a depraved pedophile.
9 – Kung FU Panda 3 (2016, Directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni)
Kung Fu Panda 3 isn't as good as the first movie in the trilogy, but it's better than its predecessor. This entry follows the eponymous Po as he reunites with his birth father, discovers the existence of a secret panda village, and prepares the pandas to fight against a spirit warrior intent on destroying the legacy created by Master Oogway, the creator of kung fu.
Bryan Cranston, J. K. Simmons, and Kate Hudson join the familiar cast, ensuring Kung Fu Panda 3 features excellent voice acting. Rogen, now a franchise veteran, is still great as Master Mantis. Kung Fu Panda 3 is typically gorgeous looking, action-packed, loads of fun, and bursting at the seams with weird and wonderful characters, most of whom are incredibly likable. It's the only film in the franchise not to receive any Academy Award nominations, which is inexplicable.
10 – Steve Jobs (2015, Directed by Danny Boyle)
The biographical drama Steve Jobs covers 14 years in the life of the eponymous Apple Inc. co-founder between 1984 and 1998, specifically focusing on three press conferences he gave during that period. Michael Fassbender portrays Jobs and, despite not resembling him physically, conveys his personality and mannerisms brilliantly, earning himself an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination for his efforts.
The stellar supporting cast includes Kate Winslet, who received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Jobs' confidant Joanna Hoffman, Jeff Daniels, Michael Stuhlbarg, Katherine Waterston, and Rogen, who plays Apple's other co-founder Steve Wozniak. Rogen undoubtedly did his homework on Wozniak, as he gets everything down to his hand movements spot on. Steve Jobs is as creative as its title character, intricate in its details, and an insightful and informative look into the life of an intriguing man.
11 – The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005, Directed by Judd Apatow)
The rom-com The 40-Year-Old Virgin follows Steve Carrell's Andy Stitzer, a shy and introverted electronics store employee who reveals he's never slept with a woman and his subsequent attempts to rectify that situation, culminating in a love worth the four-decade wait.
The film cemented Carrell as capable of carrying a movie with his undoubted comedic chops. He has expert support from Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd, Romany Malco, Elizabeth Banks, Leslie Mann, Jane Lynch, and Rogen, who plays Cal, Andy's friend and co-worker, written with Rogen in mind – which is evident from the fact that he's essentially playing himself here. The 40-Year-Old Virgin deals humorously but sensitively with its focal topic, giving hope to anyone finding themself in Andy's predicament so late in life. The cast has superb chemistry, and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, most notably when Carrell gets his body hair waxed for real, which will leave you in tears.
12 – 22 Jump Street (2014, Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller)
22 Jump Street is the sequel to 2012's 21 Jump Street, based on the 1987-1991 television series of the same name. It's a satirical buddy cop action comedy starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as police officers Schmidt and Jenko going undercover at a college to thwart a new drug supplier.
Rogen makes a cameo as a replacement for Hill in one of the many pretend sequels previewed during the end credits. It's funny but too brief to critique in a meaningful way. 22 Jump Street itself, however, is a fun, lighthearted, amusing, meta, and intelligent film that improves on its predecessor. The comedic chemistry between Hill and Tatum is lovely and, perhaps unexpectedly, right up there with screen legends like Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, and Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor.
13 – This Is The End (2013, Directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg)
In 2007, Jason Stone directed a short film co-written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg called Jay and Seth Versus the Apocalypse, an apocalyptic sci-fi comedy horror starring Rogen and Jay Baruchel as fictionalized versions of themselves barricaded in their apartment and arguing over their predicament during an unspecified apocalyptic event.
This Is the End expands the short to feature length. Its impressive cast includes Rogen, Baruchel, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Michael Cera, and Emma Watson, playing themselves in a hilariously exaggerated and self-deprecating fashion. Rogen is in top form and deserves endless praise for co-directing, co-writing, co-producing, and co-starring in such an intelligent, audacious, side-splittingly funny film.
14 – Sausage Party (2016, Directed by Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan)
If you're old enough to watch it, don't mind some crude and potentially offensive material, and want to laugh, Sausage Party is one of the first movies you should consider viewing. It's about an anthropomorphic sausage living in a supermarket who learns the reality of what happens people purchase groceries, prompting him to try escaping his fate along with his grocery pals.
Rogen has a dual role voicing the main character Frank and a British pepper named Sergeant Pepper. He's superb and utterly hilarious. The keen supporting cast includes Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, James Franco, Danny McBride, Paul Rudd, Edward Norton, and Salma Hayek, each of whom throws themselves into their crazy roles. Despite sounding absurd, Sausage Party is profound and will make you laugh relentlessly. It feels like a bunch of pesky kids having fun, which is its most charming quality.
15 – The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008, Directed by Mark Waters)
Based on Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi's book series of the same name, The Spiderwick Chronicles follows three kids in the Spiderwick Estate in New England who discover a field guide to fairies and learn about the existence of various magical creatures when the book opens the door to a world of wonder.
Rogen has one of his most peculiar here, as he voices Hogsqueal, an unintelligent bird-eating hobgoblin. His character epitomizes the film, as he's weird, wonderful, and highly imaginative. He does a fabulous job of bringing the quirky creature to life. The Spiderwick Chronicles is a little overly reliant on special effects, but it's a charming, enchanting movie full of heart. It has a great cast, including Freddie Highmore, Nick Nolte, David Strathairn, and Martin Short. Highmore deserves special praise for his dual role as twins Jared and Simon Grace, impressively conveying two distinct personalities.
16 – Long Shot (2019, Directed by Jonathan Levine)
Rogen stars in this one as journalist Fred Flarsky who reunites with his childhood crush and former babysitter, Charlotte Field, played by Charlize Theron, now the U.S. Secretary of State, one of the world's most influential women. Sparks fly between them, and they ultimately marry, making one of the oddest couples since Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl in Knocked Up.
Long Shot is a snappy, intelligent film buoyed by the surprising chemistry of its leads and a talented supporting cast that includes O'Shea Jackson Jr., Andy Serkis, June Diane Raphael, Bob Odenkirk, and Alexander Skarsgård. Despite its implausible outcome, it's an entertaining and funny underdog story that charms the pants off anyone who watches it.
17 – Kung FU Panda 2 (2011, Directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson)
Kung Fu Panda 2 is the weakest installment in the Kung Fu Panda trilogy, but it's far from a poor movie. The regular cast return from the first film, with Rogen on form as Master Mantis, and Gary Oldman, Michelle Yeoh, Danny McBride, Dennis Haysbert, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Victor Garber join them.
In this one, the eponymous Po and his allies head to the peacock-inhabited Gongmen City to stop the evil Lord Shen from conquering China, rediscovering Po's forgotten past as they do so. It received a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards. Kung Fu Panda 2 is visually stunning, funny, action-packed, and a little darker than the original (thanks to the influence of executive producer Guillermo del Toro), but its arc is too similar to its predecessor, so it lacks a touch of originality.
18 – Horton Hears a Who! (2008, Directed by Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino)
There have been several feature-length movie adaptations of Dr. Seuss' stories, and Horton Hears a Who! ranks among the better entries and one of the most faithful to its source material. It's about an elephant called Horton who struggles to keep a microscopic community safe from his neighbors who don't even believe it exists.
Jim Carrey voices Horton in a typically boisterous, eccentric, and hilarious style. The outstanding supporting voice cast includes Steve Carell, Carol Burnett, Will Arnett, Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, Amy Poehler, and Rogen, who plays Morton, a mouse and Horton's best friend, with charm and humor. Horton Hears a Who! is a lively musical comedy film teeming with adventure, laughs, color, and lovely characters. The catchy songs will also have you singing along like an overenthusiastic local choir member.
19 – Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022, Directed by Akiva Schaffer)
The Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers cartoon of the late 1980s and early 1990s remains one of Disney's most popular cartoons. This live-action/animated adventure comedy movie continues the story of that show. It occurs in an alternate world where fictional characters live alongside humans and depicts a reconciliation between Chip and Dale after thirty years so they can team up to investigate the kidnapping of their friend and co-star, Monterey Jack.
John Mulaney and Andy Samberg voice Chip and Dale and brilliantly capture the adventure-seeking characters' essence. Some fabulous voice talent provides support, including KiKi Layne, Will Arnett, Eric Bana, Keegan-Michael Key, J.K. Simmons, and Rogen, who plays Bob, a Viking dwarf designed using intentionally bad CGI. Rogen also reprises his roles as several animated characters from other movies. He expertly exhibits his versatility in this film. Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers is the best blend of live-action and animation since Who Framed Roger Rabbit. It's fast-paced, energetic, action-packed, and funny.
20 – Take This Waltz (2011, Directed by Sarah Polley)
Romantic comedy-drama Take This Waltz follows a freelance writer in Toronto's Little Portugal neighborhood as she contemplates her feelings for her husband of five years while exploring a new relationship with a rickshaw driver and artist who lives across the street. It stars Michelle Williams as the writer, Margot, Rogen as her husband, Lou, and Luke Kirby as Daniel, the new man in the writer's life. Sarah Silverman has a supporting role as Geraldine, Lou's sister, who's Margot's best friend.
That's a solid cast, and they all perform unsurprisingly well, with Williams in particular brilliant. Rogen is as vulnerable as he's ever been and performs admirably. Take This Waltz is a tactful exploration of broken relationships that millions will relate to. It's charming, funny, full of surprises, and sometimes tense.
21 – Monsters vs. Aliens (2009, Directed by Conrad Vernon and Rob Letterman)
Monsters vs. Aliens sees the United States Armed Forces recruiting a group of misfit monsters to help save the world from the threat of an alien villain hellbent on invading it. This 3D computer-animated adventure has a fabulous voice cast, including Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Kiefer Sutherland, Rainn Wilson, Paul Rudd, Stephen Colbert, and Rogen, who voices B.O.B., an indestructible gelatinous mass in a part many would argue is his perfect role.
It's such a fun film, and while it lacks some of the emotional depth and heart of the finest animated offerings, Monsters vs. Aliens makes up for it with excellent special effects, brilliant creature-feature action, and bags of humor. Who hasn't always wanted to see the monsters from our nightmares facing off against an extraterrestrial army?
22 – Neighbors (2014, Directed by Nicholas Stoller)
Rogen does an impressive job of regularly punching above his weight in films; this time, in Neighbors, he couples up with the beautiful Rose Byrne. It follows the unlikely couple they play, Mac and Kelly Radner, as they enter an all-out war with a fraternity that has recently moved in next door.
Rogen and Byrne have decent chemistry and have great support from stars like Zac Efron as Teddy Sanders, the head of the fraternity, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Dave Franco, and Lisa Kudrow. Rogen, Byrne, and Efron get an equal amount of time in the comedic spotlight in Neighbors, and they all provide laughter. It's a raucous, funny, and energetically performed film. Efron deserves special praise for successfully using the film to shed his Disney image, which could have stuck with him for life.
