Even the biggest, most successful actors in Hollywood have auditions they’re ashamed of — and for Seth Rogen, that audition happened for the movie “Gigli.” “The Studio” creator and star reflected on his regrettable tape while stopping by “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
“Thank god it was physical VHS tapes and stuff like that that was being used when I was auditioning for things because the things I auditioned for, in retrospect, if they were out there in the world, would end my career very, very fast,” Rogen said on Thursday night. When pressed for an example of a regrettable audition, the comedy star brought up the movie “Gigli.”
Directed by Martin Brest, “Gigli” follows two mobsters played by Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez who are tasked with kidnapping the younger brother of a powerful federal prosecutor. Only there was a catch.
“In ‘Gigli,’ they’re assassins who are sent to watch over a boy who — and these are not the words they used at the time — but who had a cognitive disability, let’s say,” Rogen explained. “I auditioned for this boy with a cognitive disability. And I don’t think the script was written in what, by today’s standards, would be the most sensitive portrayal of a boy with a cognitive disability.”
But Rogen agreeing to an audition in the early 2000s isn’t what makes him visibly cringe over 20 years later.
“As a young actor, I didn’t get a lot of auditions. The movie was directed by Martin Brest, who did ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ and ‘Midnight Run’ — a great director. So I wanted to leave an impression,” Rogen said, his voice trailing. Instantly, both Kimmel and his studio audience erupted into laughter.
“I don’t think I wore a helmet into the audition itself. It was at play,” the comedian said. “I’m tempted to do an impression of what I did, but I can’t even do it. That’s how bad it was.”
The role of Brian went to Justin Bartha, who later became best known for playing Doug in “The Hangover” trilogy. It also seems like not landing a role in “Gigli” was a blessing in disguise for Rogen. Though this was the movie where Affleck and Lopez started their romance, the movie was a critical flop and a box office bomb, earning $7.2 million at the box office against its budget of $75.6 million. Watch Rogen’s interview with Kimmel above.
