Seth Rogen has lifted the lid on what happened behind the scenes on Knocked Up, revealing why an A-list actor who had been due to star opposite him quit the project.
The hit 2007 comedy, written and directed by Judd Apatow, saw Katherine Heigl play high-flying TV producer Alison, who found out she was pregnant after a one-night stand with Ben Stone, an unemployed (and appropriately named) stoner played by Rogen.
But when production initially began, Anne Hathaway was in the leading female role.
Rogen was quizzed on the Les Misérables star’s exit as he appeared on The A24 Podcast with Olivia Wilde, who he stars opposite in the new film The Invite.
“It was Anne Hathaway who quit [Knocked Up],” Rogen admitted.
Referring to a graphic birth scene in the film, which cut to the baby’s head emerging as Alison gave birth, Wilde said: “Because of the crowning right? Is that real?”
“Yeah, I mean… it could have been a hundred million things,” Rogen replied. “That was what I remember being told. Crowning is a tough one.
“She didn’t want the crowning of the baby to be visually representative. Even though it wasn’t going to be hers… It’s obviously not real. But she didn’t even want… she felt that it was not her brand.”
Rogen added that he does wonder if Hathaway may have thought, “I don’t know if this is for me” after rehearsals began.
“She had a sense, and she knew it was not for her,” he explained. “And history will tell … she has been right about a lot more things than I have over the years. So I think she was probably right.”
Knocked Up was one of Apatow’s biggest hits, earning more than $200m at the worldwide box office.
As well as Rogen, the film featured a number of other actors Apatow would go on to work with multiple times, including Paul Rudd and Jonah Hill. The filmmakers’ wife, Leslie Mann, also starred as Debbie, Alison’s judgmental older sister.
Heigl later criticised the film, calling it “a little sexist” for “paint[ing] the women as shrews, as humorless and uptight, and it paints the men as lovable, goofy, fun-loving guys”.
“It exaggerated the characters and I had a hard time with it, on some days,” she told Vanity Fair.
Heigl did later backtrack on her comments, saying during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show in 2016 that she regretted “s***ting on" Apatow and Rogen.
Read MoreSeth Rogen says cast ‘got very personal’ on set for new Olivia Wilde movie
Minions director finally addresses if the characters ever worked for Hitler
Jodie Foster claims Oscar-winning film was made using AI
Josh Brolin says he nearly quit new Ridley Scott movie after one day of filming
Kevin Spacey mocked over launch of $250 ‘adversity’ ring to mark US’s 250th birthday
Matt Smith dumps on Keanu Reeves watching panned box office flop on flight
