The Short Answer
Seth Rogen’s best friend and closest creative partner is Evan Goldberg.
The two are Canadian filmmakers who grew up together in Vancouver. Their friendship began in childhood, long before either of them worked in Hollywood.
Goldberg is not just a friend from Rogen’s past. He is the writing and producing partner behind much of Rogen’s career.
How Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg Met
Rogen and Goldberg met as young teenagers in Vancouver, through bar mitzvah classes and the local bar mitzvah circuit.
They bonded over comedy, comic books, and movies. At age 13, they began writing a rough draft of what would become Superbad.
That script drew on their own teenage experiences. They kept working on it through high school. The film finally reached cinemas in 2007, with Rogen in a supporting role as a police officer.
This is the friendship the whole article turns on. It started in Vancouver classrooms, not in Los Angeles, and not at university.
What They Have Made Together
Rogen and Goldberg turned a teenage writing habit into a long professional partnership. Their main joint projects include:
| Year | Project | Their role together |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Superbad | Co-writers |
| 2008 | Pineapple Express | Co-writers |
| 2011 | Point Grey Pictures founded | Co-founders |
| 2013 | This Is the End | Co-writers and co-directors |
| 2014 | The Interview | Co-directors |
| 2016 | Sausage Party | Co-writers |
| 2016-2019 | Preacher | Co-developers and executive producers |
| 2019-present | The Boys | Executive producers |
| 2025-present | The Studio | Co-creators, writers, and directors |
Point Grey Pictures is named after Point Grey Secondary School in Vancouver, the school they attended. It is their production company, founded in 2011.
Goldberg also co-wrote The Green Hornet (2011) and The Watch (2012) with Rogen. He produced Good Boys (2019) with Rogen, but he did not direct either The Watch or Good Boys.
Who Is Evan Goldberg?
Evan Goldberg is a Canadian screenwriter, producer, and director, born in Vancouver in 1982.
He began his television writing career on Da Ali G Show in 2004, alongside Rogen. From there, the pair moved into film writing and then directing.
Their directorial debut together was This Is the End (2013). They followed it by co-directing The Interview (2014).
Goldberg and Rogen also co-founded the cannabis company Houseplant in Canada in 2019. Their recent joint work includes the Apple TV+ series The Studio, which Rogen stars in and both men created, wrote, and directed.
Are Seth Rogen and James Franco Still Friends?
This question needs a clear update, because the old version of this article gave two opposite answers.
Rogen and Franco were once close friends and frequent collaborators. They met on the set of Freaks and Geeks in 1999, when Rogen was 17.
They later worked together on:
- Pineapple Express (2008)
- This Is the End (2013)
- The Interview (2014)
- The Disaster Artist (2017)
That partnership has since ended. Rogen said in a 2021 interview that his relationship with Franco had changed and that he had no plans to work with him again.
He repeated that position in a 2026 New York Times interview, saying he had not spoken to Franco in a long time and had no plans to work with him.
Franco said in a 2024 Variety interview that they had not talked, that they had 20 good years together, and that he believed the friendship was over.
So Franco is a former close friend and collaborator, not Rogen’s current best friend. He also did not co-found Point Grey Pictures. That company belongs to Rogen and Goldberg.
This article does not repeat the details of the reports about Franco as proven fact. What is confirmed here is what both men have said publicly about the state of their friendship.
Are Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel Friends?
Yes. Jay Baruchel is another long-standing Canadian friend of Rogen’s.
The old version of this article wrongly said they were only co-workers. In fact, their friendship is at the centre of This Is the End.
In that film, Rogen and Baruchel play versions of themselves. Baruchel visits Rogen in Los Angeles, and the story follows their friendship as the world around them falls apart.
Baruchel and Goldberg also worked together on Goon (2011), which Goldberg co-wrote with Baruchel.
Are Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd Friends?
Yes, Rogen and Paul Rudd are friends and frequent collaborators, but the old version got their history wrong.
They did not first meet on Knocked Up (2007). They had already worked together on Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) and The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005).
They then appeared together in Knocked Up (2007). Rudd also appeared as himself in This Is the End (2013).
Rudd and Rogen did not write This Is the End together. That film was written and directed by Rogen and Goldberg.
Rudd is a valued friend and collaborator. He is not the childhood writing partner that Goldberg is.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Seth Rogen’s best friend?
Evan Goldberg. They met as teenagers in Vancouver, wrote Superbad together from age 13, and have worked together ever since.
How did Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg meet?
They met in bar mitzvah classes in Vancouver when they were young teenagers. They bonded over writing, comedy, and comic books.
What company did Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg start?
Point Grey Pictures, founded in 2011. It is named after their secondary school in Vancouver.
Are Seth Rogen and James Franco still friends?
No, not on the evidence of their own public statements. Both men have said they have not spoken in a long time, and Rogen has said he has no plans to work with Franco again.
Are Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel still friends?
They are long-standing friends from Canada, and their friendship was the basis for This Is the End. No public falling-out between them has been reported.
The Short Answer, Restated
If one name answers the question, it is Evan Goldberg.
He is the friend Rogen met as a teenager in Vancouver, the co-writer of Superbad and Pineapple Express, and the co-founder of Point Grey Pictures.
Other friendships matter in Rogen’s life, including those with Jay Baruchel and Paul Rudd. None of them matches the length and creative depth of his partnership with Goldberg.
