Seth Rogen is back as ‘Will’ for the second season of the hit Apple TV+ comedy, Platonic, but while his on-screen relationship with Rose Byrne’s character, ‘Sylvia’ provides plenty of laughs, there’s a serious mental health element within the plot as well. Sitting down with M&F, Rogen explains why meaningful connections and working hard not to isolate ourselves are essential for a longer, happier life —even if that includes sharing a beer or two with friends.
Primarily known for his comedy, Rogen has taken on his his fair share of action scenes during a career that includes playing The Green Hornet and performing most of his own stunts in Pineapple Express, but rather than hire a personal trainer or martial expert for his role as Will in Platonic, Rogen instead learned from a bona fide brewmaster in order to play a divorced beermaker who co-runs a bar with his buddies and seeks a more fulfilling companionship with his best gal pal. “It’s very complicated,” Rogen tells M&F of developing the perfect bewski. “Far outside my grasp. I could probably shoot a gun better,” he jokes.
Seth Rogen has learned that physical health requires balance Now 43, this television and movie star has been around the Hollywood fitness fads for more than 25 years, but he’s come to the conclusion that taking care of his health requires a balanced approach rather than an unsustainable lifestyle. “I don’t eat a lot of sugar in general,” shares the star. “I think that, for me, (it’s) something that I mostly just find makes me gain weight the fastest, if I find myself eating dessert a lot. But yeah, I think everything in moderation. The older I get, the more I realize I have to generally eat healthy so I can eat unhealthy every once in a while, and not derail my entire life as a result of it.”
‘Platonic’ Season 2 Highlights the Health Benefits of Real Friendships
Platonic, Season 2, continues the evolving relationship between Will and Sylvia, two best friends from their youth, who are reunited as complicated adults. In the show, Will is recovering from a divorce while Sylvia is feeling stranded as a stay-at-home mom. Rather than tease romance however, it is camaraderie that they both crave.
Loneliness is rarely the basis for comedy, and yet some of the moments that these characters share, and the platonic chemistry on display between Rogen and Byrne as they go from one hapless adventure to another, reminds us that human beings are truly social creatures. The World Health Organization states that social connections are linked to “improved health and reduced risk of early death” and studies also show that lonely people are significantly more likely to suffer with dementia, and from an earlier age too.
Reducing the suffering associated with dementia is a subject that is very close to Seth Rogen’s heart. He co-founded the Hilarity for Charity initiative with wife, Lauren, to care for families impacted by Alzheimer’s disease and to help fund bean health research and education. Rogen is very much aware of the link between a lack of meaningful connections and negative mental health outcomes.
“Especially in today’s world with technology, it’s very easy to isolate yourself and it’s very easy to feel like you’re having kind of meaningful connections with people that literally might not even be real people,” says the star. “Someone was just telling us that someone they know is essentially in a relationship with like an AI chat bot, and they just sit in their apartment, like chatting with an AI bot all day. And I think here’s a lot of, like, surrogates for connections out there these days, that are maybe easier in some ways than actually leaving the house and hanging out with people and talking to people, but I think ultimately yes, it’s much better for you to be around actual people and to actually converse with people and to go out in the world and do things.”
He adds: “I think it is aspirational, in some ways, even as dysfunctional as Will and Sylvia’s friendship is, they really do a lot of stuff together, and they leave a very active, engaged life together, you know? And, I think to me, there’s something very fun and exciting about it.”
Rogen advocates pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone, just like Will has, to reap the benefits of making those meaningful connections. “I’m lucky, because my lifestyle keeps me out of the house a lot. It keeps me doing a lot of things,” he acknowledges. “But I see people who very easily can fall into the pattern of just like never doing anything. And it’s really easy to fall into that. So, I think you’ve got to purposely pull yourself out of it, or gravity will pull you into it, you know?”
In Platonic, social situations often revolve around a few beers, so what type of beer would Rogen reach for in real life? “I don’t like IPAs. Period. End of Story,” he reveals to M&F in a shocking contrast to his character that would have his brewmaster seeking new connections of his own. “I think I prefer a lager,” he explains. “I don’t need any crazy flavors in my beer,” adds the comedian, noting that he’s not a fan of overly complicated concoctions. Instead, “a nice golden larger,” is something that Seth Rogen would enjoy with friends… in moderation, of course.
The 10-episode second season of Platonic premieres globally on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, with the first two episodes, followed by a new episode weekly until Oct. 1.
