Seth Rogen Admits Nervousness Pitching Idea to Black Actors

The most recent episode of “The Studio” really got Seth Rogen sweating! He had to pitch a race-focused storyline to Ice Cube and Ziwe, which he found pretty nerve-wracking. In this Apple TV+ show, called “Casting,” Rogen and his fictional studio colleagues scramble to avoid social media backlash by making some cringe-worthy changes to their Kool-Aid Man film. It was a real challenge for Rogen to explain the concept to Ice Cube and Ziwe, who both play roles in the episode. Rogen described the whole experience as a reflection of the show’s humor, where he struggled not to offend while explaining his creative vision.

The drama unfolds when Maya suggests it could be problematic to cast Ice Cube because he’s Black, sparking concern among the predominantly white team. This satirical take on the studio trying to be politically correct to the point of dismantling its project was what Rogen had to sell to Ice Cube and Ziwe.

Chatting with Ice Cube and Ziwe was no walk in the park for Rogen. The prospect of making Ziwe uncomfortable, a running gag in her comedy, made the call even more stressful. In the episode, the characters fret over the racial perceptions of their casting choices, raising questions like why the Black Kool-Aid Man is married to a character voiced by Asian actress Sandra Oh. Comedian Lil Rel Howery adds a layer of anxiety by suggesting that the original casting implied a Black woman wasn’t good enough for a successful Black man like Kool. The result? A complete cast change to all Black actors, leading to the white writers quitting out of fear of cultural appropriation.

This episode shows how social media perception can make or break a project, something Rogen was worried about as well. Happily, it seems like viewers are getting the joke too.