Seth Rogen Shares Judd Apatow Advice as TIFF Gives Career Award

Seth Rogen is receiving the Norman Jewison Career Achievement Award at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, and he says he got there on four words from mentor Judd Apatow: “Less semen, more emotion!” He shared the story during a career-spanning talk ahead of the ceremony, Variety reported Sept. 13.

The conversation took place at TIFF’s John Bassett Theatre. Rogen sat down with Geoff Macnaughton, TIFF’s vice president of market programming at theatrical, to trace his path from stand-up to writing, acting, directing and producing.

He arrived this year with two films in the programme. Babies is an ensemble comedy directed by his wife, Lauren Miller Rogen, and stars Rogen and Anna Kendrick, according to CBC. Tangles is an animated film produced by Rogen and Miller Rogen. Its supporting voice cast includes Rogen, Bowen Yang, Sarah Silverman, Wanda Sykes and Pamela Adlon, TIFF lists.

He was 13. That is when Rogen started performing stand-up in clubs around Vancouver. He said his very first gig was at a lesbian bar called The Lotus.

The Apatow note came years later. Rogen said Apatow shouted it during improvisation while shooting Knocked Up, the 2007 comedy they made together. The lesson stuck. Rogen said it taught him how to balance humour and emotion and how to navigate tone, keeping jokes loose without losing the feeling underneath.

The career award is one of TIFF’s Tribute Awards. This year’s final recipients are Fan Bingbing, Helen Mirren, Adam Pietkiewicz, Seth Rogen and Bassam Tariq, according to TIFF. Rogen is also part of a busy festival footprint. He is among the stars expected on the red carpet alongside Penelope Cruz, Naomi Watts, Courteney Cox and Mirren, Reuters reported, and he joins Danny Boyle, Colman Domingo and Mo Abudu on the TIFF: The Market Summit lineup.

For fans, this means a rare double view: new work on screen, plus the backstory in his own words.