The Five Absolutely Essential Seth Rogen Movies

Welcome to "Five Absolutely Essentials," an overview of the greatest comedians’ most memorable moments. Mind you, these aren't necessarily their "best" movies — rather, these are the five films that best represent different aspects of their talent, their ambition, their persona and the artistic risks they’ve taken along the way. If you’re looking for a sense of a comic in all their complexity, here's where to start.

Seth Rogen hasn't just worshiped his comedy heroes from afar — he's been lucky enough to call them friends and collaborators. "I was in high school when Will Ferrell was first on Saturday Night Live, and I remember thinking, ‘Man, that guy is the funniest guy ever,’" he recalled in 2005. "And, you know, eight years later I am able to be on a set with him and kind of work with him in some capacity, and the same with Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey and Owen Wilson."

Click right here to get the best of Cracked sent to your inbox.

This is not the only reason to envy the man. So many dudes love video games, weed and movies, but Rogen has managed to turn that lifestyle into a career, often playing guys who aren't that far removed from the slackers out there in the audience cackling along with his irreverent antics. Starting out on the smart sitcoms Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared, cult favorites that failed to attract a large following, he became friends with writer-producer Judd Apatow, who encouraged his enthusiasm for writing and performing. Soon, he made his way to movies, jumping from brash supporting roles to being a star in his own right. It seems odd to call him an auteur, but it's not that much of a stretch: Rogen writes, directs, produces and acts, sticking to passion projects he digs rather than worrying about becoming the biggest name in Hollywood. He's very happy in his little corner of the world, thank you. Every time he shows up in something, it's a treat.