Liberal actor Seth Rogen shared his take on America’s political divisions during an interview with Esquire.
“I personally try not to go too dark on all of it and think like, ‘Oh, are we on the precipice of global societal collapse?’” he began.
“Since the end of the Civil War, America’s remained a very divided country in a lot of ways,” the “Knocked Up” star added.
Rogen attributed some of this division to cyclical societal trends, referencing promises from Republicans to crack down on crime, which, he suggested, resonate even in traditionally liberal areas.
The only thing Seth Rogen famous for is being high as fuck and that stupid laugh so obnoxious that it makes you wanna drown yourself or commit hate crimes on a massive scale https://t.co/QNcjsuRN4K pic.twitter.com/mjJBmPdMQ9
— Ritan Man (@ManRitan) February 12, 2025
“People get sick of seeing f***ing hippies doing acid and f***ng on their lawns, and they’re like, ‘Let’s f***ing clean up these streets a little bit,’” he noted. “And then people get sick of seeing f***ng dorks cleaning up the streets and they go back the other way.”
Despite his humorous tone, Rogen recognized the seriousness of the nation’s turmoil. “That’s not to say it doesn’t have very real and troubling ramifications on many people’s lives, but I try to maintain hope that the ball will roll onwards, even though it might be wobbling back and forth.”
The actor also drew parallels between cultural shifts and cinema, suggesting that movies reflect societal moods.
“I think movies are a good indicator of the culture,” Rogen explained. “Like, there was the westerns era, and then it got more thoughtful, movies like Apocalypse Now and Platoon that critiqued the Vietnam War.”
“And then the irony was stripped away and it was just Arnold Schwarzenegger back in the jungle just shooting the living f*** out of everything,” he continued. “It just ebbs and flows.”
His thoughts in the interview contrast with his comments from 2021 when he responded to an X user upset about their car being broken into.
At the time, Rogen seemed to downplay the incident as part of California living. “Dude I’ve lived here for over 20 years. You’re nuts haha. It’s lovely here. Don’t leave anything valuable in [your car]. It’s called living in a big city,” he replied.
Dude I’ve lived here for over 20 years. You’re nuts haha. It’s lovely here. Don’t leave anything valuable in it. It’s called living in a big city.
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) November 24, 2021
When the individual expressed feeling violated, Rogen added, “You can be mad but I guess I don’t personally view my car as an extension of myself and I’ve never really felt violated any of the 15 or so times my car was broken into.”
“Once a guy accidentally left a cool knife in my car so if it keeps happening you might get a little treat,” he added.
The “Pineapple Express” star doubled down on his stance in a follow-up comment, writing, “I lived in West Hollywood for 20 years and parked on the street. … Also it sucks your sh** was stolen but LA is not some sh**hole city. As far as big cities go it has a lot going for it.”
Earlier that same year, Rogen clashed with Republican Sen. Ted Cruz on social media. The exchange occurred shortly after the January 6 Capitol riots, with the two sparring over President Joe Biden’s commitment to rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement.
Cruz had tweeted criticism, claiming, “By rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, President Biden indicates he’s more interested in the views of the citizens of Paris than in the jobs of the citizens of Pittsburgh.”
Charming, civil, educated response. @Sethrogen
If you’re a rich, angry Hollywood celebrity, today’s Dems are the party for you.
If you’re blue-collar, if you’re a union member, if you work in energy or manufacturing…not so much. #JobsMatter pic.twitter.com/mwtMaBKiS2
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 21, 2021
“This agreement will do little to affect the climate and will harm the livelihoods of Americans,” he added.
Rogen fired back, “F*** off you fascist,” prompting Cruz to reply, “Charming, civil, educated response.”
The senator further noted, “@Sethrogen If you’re a rich, angry Hollywood celebrity, today’s Dems are the party for you. If you’re blue collar, if you’re a union member, if you work in energy or manufacturing… not so much.”
Rogen retorted with, “Haha get fucked fascist. Go encourage a white supremacist insurrection again you fucking clown.”
“If you’re a white supremacist fascist who doesn’t find it offensive when someone calls your wife ugly, Ted Cruz is the exact motherf***** for you,” he reportedly added.
The feud extended to an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in May 2021, where Rogen labeled Cruz a “fascist” for allegedly encouraging efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
“Ted Cruz is a fascist—he denies the reality of the election—his words caused people to die, and I’m making jokes about it,” Rogen said during the interview.
Watch Rogen’s appearance on The Late Show here: