Seth Rogen has revealed that Anne Hathaway quit the hit 2007 comedy Knocked Up because she was uncomfortable filming a crowning birth scene. The role was subsequently taken by Katherine Heigl, who played Allison Scott opposite Rogen's character.
Seth Rogen's Account of Hathaway's Departure
Speaking on the A24 podcast with Olivia Wilde, Rogen, now 44, said: "It was Anne Hathaway who quit the movie." Wilde, who had also auditioned for the part, asked if the crowning scene was the reason. Rogen confirmed: "Yeah, I mean... it could have been a hundred million things. That was what I remember being told."
He elaborated: "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."
Hathaway's Decision and Rogen's Reflection
Rogen noted that the cast had begun rehearsing the movie before Hathaway's exit. He said: "Part of me also... we had started rehearsing the movie... maybe she was just like, 'I don't know if this is for me.' I don't know. I will take what she said at face value, which was the crowning."
Despite the circumstances, Rogen believes Hathaway likely made the right choice: "She had a sense, and she knew it was not for her. 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." He added that Heigl "was great. Katie Heigl was great."
Katherine Heigl's Later Criticism of the Film
Despite Rogen's praise, Heigl later voiced concerns about the film's portrayal of women. In a 2008 interview with Vanity Fair, she said: "It paints the women as shrews, as humourless 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. I'm playing such a b***h; why is she being such a killjoy? Why is this how you're portraying women? 98 per cent of the time it was an amazing experience, but it was hard for me to love the movie."
