In 2025, it’s largely understood thatSeth Rogenis not only one of the biggest comedic movie stars of his generation, but also awell-rounded creativewith the ability to jump into different genres,both in front of and behind the camera. He’s starred in award-worthy films likeSteven Spielberg’s autobiographical dramaThe Fabelmans, has written and produced a myriad of different features and television shows — which span from comic book adaptations such asThe Boysto animated raunchy adventures such asSausage Party— and has even wracked up a number of co-directing credits under his belt alongside his creative partner,Evan Goldberg. His and Goldberg’s latest project is the new Apple TV+ series,The Studio, in which Rogen plays the bumbling head of a fictional movie studio.
Typecast early in his career, this “jack-of-all-trades” success isn’t what many projected for Rogen when he was younger. Ittook audiences many yearsto be willing to see him as anything other than a weed-smoking slacker. In fact, one of the first roles that helped him step outside that image was his excellent portrayal of famed Apple co-founderSteve WozniakinDanny Boyle’s 2015 biopicSteve Jobs.
Seth Rogen’s Performance in ‘Steve Jobs’ Stands Out From a Tremendous Cast
At the time ofSteve Jobs' production,skeptics saw Rogen as a somewhat peculiar and risky casting choice. He had dipped his toes into slightly more dramatic fare before 2015, with projects that primarily used him as comic relief or still maintained a fairly lighthearted tone, such as50/50andTake This Waltz. When he was tapped to play Wozniak, though, he had never appeared in anything so potentially prestigious and that came with little comedy and very legitimate Oscar aspirations. This would have been a difficult and daunting task for even a seasoned dramatic actor, considering thefilm’s powerhouse cast, which includedMichael Fassbender,Kate Winslet,Jeff Daniels, andKatherine Waterston, and its rapidly paced, dialogue-driven screenplay written byAaron Sorkin.
‘The Studio’ Review: Seth Rogen Takes on Hollywood in Apple TV+’s Smart, Hilarious Satire
They’re here to make movies, not films.
In short, Rogen is outstanding inSteve Jobs. He showed an impressive grasp of Sorkin’s dialogue, effortlessly ping-ponging lines back and forth in contentious scenes he shared with Fassbender. As many of Rogen’s key moments in the film were opposite Fassbender, his brilliant interplay with theX Men: First Classstarwascritical to the effectiveness of his role and the movie’s overall success. Through his sensitive and empathetic portrayal of the lesser-known Steve,Rogen brought great pathos to the film, which was needed to counterbalance Fassbender’s colder and more mechanical portrayal of Jobs.
Seeing as Fassbender went on to receive a Best Actor nomination for his role in the film, Rogen being able to hold his own and even shine in scenes the two men shared together was an incredible feat, one that proved he was capable of much more than just playing stunted, lovable goofballs inJudd Apatowcomedies. Moreover, his ability to collaborate with an acclaimed director like Boyle and master one ofSorkin’s most Sorkin-y screenplaysever proved that the actor known for portraying so many dim characters in the past was nothing like them in real life.
Danny Boyle’s ‘Steve Jobs’ Is an Underrated Biopic
Despite garnering two Oscar nominations (the aforementioned Fassbender nomination and Best Supporting Actress for Winslet), anda respectable 85% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes,Steve Jobshas becomeslightly underratedin the decade since its initial release and hasfailed to maintain any substantial staying power in the culture. It’s discussed less frequently than many of the other works in the filmographies of its key collaborators. Perhaps this is simply because it has remained underseen. After all, it did open to underwhelming box office returns in 2015, only earning $7 million in its opening weekendbefore accounting for roughly $18 million total in its domestic theatrical run.
The film’s lack of stickiness in the culture could also be due to the fact that, just five years prior to its release, one of its chief architects, Sorkin, helped create a superior film that dealt with similar themes and subject matters. Though it’s hard to prove definitively, it certainly wouldn’t be unfair to suggest that Sorkin’s other movie that explored the psychology of a famous, modern tech innovator,The Social Network,overshadowedSteve Jobsa bit. Moreover, the unique screenwriting structure that Sorkin implemented in Boyle’s film — which broke the movie into three distinct segments, each of which explored an important product launch in Jobs' career — might havehampered its ability to endure. AsSteve Jobswas primarily praised for its performances and Sorkin’s script at the time of its release, this framing device potentially did not give viewers enough resonant emotion to hold onto in the years following. In some ways, Sorkin’s sharp and tightly constructed scriptmay have been too slick for its own good.
Steve Jobsbeing a film that has been somewhat lost to time is a shame because, looking back on it 10 years after its debut, it is unquestionably one of the moreinventive and carefully-craftedbiopics of its era. Sorkin and Boyle were able to weave great insights about who Jobs was as a man into their unconventional narrative. Each member of the cast was operating at a high level and playing off of each other wonderfully. It is certainly a movie worth seeking out, if for no other reason than it marks asignificant turning point in the career of Rogen, one of the 21st century’s biggest movie stars, producers, and all-around talents.
Steve Jobs
Based on Walter Isaacson’s biography of the legendary late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, portrayed in the film by Michael Fassbender. This dramatic true story examines Jobs' efforts to revolutionize technology with products such as the Macintosh and iPod while highlighting the sacrifices he made to make his dreams a reality. Danny Boyle and Aaron Sorkin work together to attempt to shine a light on the tougher parts of Jobs' life while chronicling the story leading up to the reveal of the iMac.
