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Seth Rogen recently shared the surprising backstory of Channing Tatum’s memorable cameo in “This Is The End” during an informal gathering at his Houseplant brand event in SoHo.
I had the chance to speak with Rogen at the showcase for his pottery-ashtray-smoking furniture company. As a millennial who grew up watching his films, I couldn’t resist asking about “This Is The End” – a comedy that’s developed something of a cult following among men of my generation.
While not always ranked among the greatest comedies of its era, the film served as a comedic equivalent of “The Avengers” for many viewers. It brought together Hollywood’s funniest actors playing exaggerated versions of themselves in an apocalyptic setting.
The casual nature of the Houseplant event didn’t allow for formal recording.
Rogen revealed that casting Channing Tatum as Danny McBride’s “slave” in the film came about through a surprisingly direct approach. The team always envisioned an A-list celebrity for the role, with Tatum as their top choice.
The connection? Jonah Hill had developed a relationship with Tatum while filming “21 Jump Street,” giving Rogen and his creative partner Evan Goldberg a potential inroad.
After Hill suggested Tatum might be interested, Rogen’s recruitment strategy was refreshingly straightforward. He sent Tatum an email – which he attempted to locate on his phone during our conversation – that essentially asked: “Yo dude — would you be down to play Danny McBride’s gimp?”
Tatum – memorably referred to as “Channing Taint-Yum” by McBride’s character – accepted the offer without hesitation.
His willingness to take on such an unusual role resulted in one of the most talked-about scenes in what many consider the last great studio comedy of that generation.
