Seth Rogen Recounts Hysterically Bombed '8 Mile' Audition
“As soon as one of us started the scene, the other would lose it.”
Seth Rogen recently put out a memoir titled Yearbook, and in it, Rogen recounts one moment in his career where he auditioned for the role of Cheddar in Eminem‘s biopic 8 Mile, bombing it together with his friend Jason Segel.
The audition happened in 2002 and was “by far, the weirdest audition I ever did,” writes Rogen in the memoir. At the time, the casting director wasn’t reading lines to actors off camera because of how “rappery” the script was and asked Rogen to bring in a friend to read alongside him at the audition instead, “which is f**king nuts,” notes Rogen. So, of course, Rogen called up Jason Segel. “We asked our agents if our auditions could be scheduled one right after the other, so that one of us could audition for Cheddar, with the other reading the Rabbit part, and then we’d switch,” notes Rogen.
“Auditioning is embarrassing in the best of times. Add the fact that one of my best friends is watching me do it, and we’re both reading for rappers from Detroit, which we could NOT have been less right for.” Once the audition started, both actors couldn’t contain their laughter. “I started laughing hysterically, and so did Jason. We literally couldn’t make it through the auditions. As soon as one of us started the scene, the other would lose it.”
“Yo, yo, Rabbit!” Seth recalls saying as Cheddar. “You gotta record your sh*t at Paisely Park, yo!”
“Where, yo?” responded Segal as Rabbit.
“Paisley Park, muthaf**ka!” said Rogen.
According to Rogen, the two couldn’t even finish the audition and just walked out laughing. “It was so silly, we just couldn’t finish,” Rogen explained. “We just excused ourselves and saw ourselves out, tears streaming down our faces.”
In case you missed it, Seth Rogen will be launching his very own podcast.
