newsmakers
newsmakers
North Korean leader’s absence helps promote new Seth Rogen film
LOS ANGELES
Seth Rogen let out a loud laugh when asked what he had done with Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader who suddenly and inexplicably dropped out of sight about six weeks ago.
“It’s all a marketing ploy,” joked Rogen, whose upcoming comedy “The Interview” mercilessly mocks the rotund ruler. “We’ve hid him somewhere, and he’ll be released one week before the movie.”
Kim’s absence is at least a bit easier to laugh about now that he has finally resurfaced, appearing in images released by state media last week.
But that time off the grid remains a mystery, and a looming Hollywood conspiracy theory certainly can’t hurt “The Interview,” in which Rogen and co-star James Franco portray celebrity journalists who have been ordered by the CIA to assassinate Kim.
“It is amazing,” commented Rogen, who also co-directed the film, opening Dec. 25. “It’s almost as if we gave [Kim] a list of: ‘Here’s what you can do that would help promote our film.’ And he’s doing pretty much all of it.”
The Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated Rogen is best known for funny business, thanks to comedy blockbusters such as “Knocked Up” and “Pineapple Express.” And at present, the 32-year-old writer- actor-director is coming off his highest-grossing film to date, last spring’s “Neighbors,” with Zac Efron.
Last week, however, Rogen was talking serious business: Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia. The disease has been a significant part of Rogen’s life since 2004, when he began dating his wife, actress Lauren Miller. Her 63-year-old mother, Adele, has battled Alzheimer’s for nearly a decade. In a joint interview with Miller, Rogen said the biggest initial eye-opener was “there was literally nothing to be done about it.”
Friday marked their third Hilarity for Charity variety show, where comics Sarah Silverman and Craig Robinson, Rogen’s “50/50” co-star Joseph Gordon-Levitt and others helped raise funds for Alzheimer’s support and research.
Associated Press