Correction: Seth Rogen said that he refused to take a photo with House Speaker Paul Ryan, not Mr. Ryan’s sons, as originally reported. The Times regrets the error.
Comedian Seth Rogen bragged on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” about how he refused to take a photo earlier this month with House Speaker Paul Ryan.
Mr. Rogen, star of the movies “Knocked Up” and “Neighbors,” said he was approached at a Utah summit by two “very young, white teenage men — think how white they were if I noticed how white they were, because I’m white. I’m Canadian.”
“They asked to take a picture with me … and then they said, ’Our dad wants to meet you,’ and I turned around and Paul Ryan was walking towards me,” Mr. Rogen said on Friday’s show.
“My whole body puckered as it were. I tensed up,” he said. “And I didn’t know what to do, and he came over and just grabbed my hand and I’m shaking his hand, I don’t know what to do, and he said, ’Can I have a picture with you?’” he said.
What did he do? “I look over and his kids are standing right there, expectantly, clearly fans of mine, and I said ’No way, man,’” Mr. Rogen said, drawing cheers.
Mr. Rogen said he was invited to speak by Mitt Romney at the annual summit in Park City, Utah, which focused this year on brain health, as a result of his support for Alzheimer’s research.
Mr. Rogen said he added, “’Furthermore, I hate what you’re doing to the country at this moment and I’m counting the days til you no longer have one iota of the power that you currently have.’ And I look over and his kids are still standing right there.”
He said he felt “very conflicted” by his refusal, but also said Mr. Ryan’s kids should get used to it.
“It’s not their fault, but at the same time, they should probably learn that if they like a movie or song, the person who made that probably doesn’t like their dad that much,” Mr. Rogen said.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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