The Freaks and Geeks cast is full of then-unknown, now-famous actors, including Linda Cardellini, James Franco, and Jason Segel. But the biggest name to come out of the high school-set cult series is Seth Rogen, who was all of 16 years old when he was offered the role of sarcastic “freak” Ken. Freaks and Geeks was tragically canceled after one season, but he quickly joined the nearly-as-good Undeclared… which was also axed after a single season. Since then, Rogen has done sporadic TV work, including playing Dirty Randy on The League and producing Preacher, Black Monday, and The Boys, but he’s mostly known for his movies. The same is true for Rose Byrne, even though she was nominated for two Emmys for her role on Damages (she should have been nominated for an Oscar for Get Him to the Greek, but that’s a wound I’m trying to heal).
Together, Rogen and Byrne played a married couple in Neighbors and Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, both of which are funnier than a college frat movie made in the 2010s should be, and now they’re reuniting for a new comedy series on Apple TV+.
Platonic is described as a “10-episode half-hour comedy which explores the inner workings of platonic friendship. A pair of former best friends who met in their youth (played by Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen) reconnect as adults and try to mend the rift that led to their falling out. As their friendship becomes more consuming, it destabilizes their lives and causes them to reevaluate their choices.” Platonic was written by Francesca Delbanco and Nicholas Stoller, who directed Get Him to the Greek and both Neighbors.
Good things happen when Rose Byrne gets weird.