Seth Rogen Says Negative Criticism of His Films Is ‘Devastating’

Seth Rogen finds it “devastating” when he sees negative reviews of his work. The Pineapple Express star, 40, said that he is "much better at dealing with it” over the years of acting.

In a new interview Monday (March 6), Rogen opened up about the self-doubt he faces in his career and the effects criticism has had on him and others. “It hurts everyone, very much,” he said. “I think if most critics knew how much it hurts the people that made the things that they are writing about, they would second guess the way they write these things. It’s devastating.”

Rogen says he even knows people who have never recovered -- a year, or even decades after being critiqued. "It’s very personal," he adds. "It is devastating when you are being institutionally told that your personal expression was bad. That’s something that people carry with them, literally their entire lives.” He said that at this point, “not a lot of people are in a position to yell at me." Major publications, however, still have the power to “tell everyone I suck."

Rogen is best known for his stoner comedies like Superbad, Pineapple Express, This is the End, Neighbors and The Interview. He recently starred alongside Paul Dano and Michelle Williams in Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated movie The Fabelmans. The film stars Gabriel LaBelle as 16-year-old aspiring filmmaker Sammy Fabelman. Williams plays his artistic mother, Mitzi, while Dano is his successful, scientific father, Burt. Rogen stars as a close family friend Bennie Loewy; Judd Hirsch plays Mitzi’s Uncle Boris.