Long Shot's Charlize Theron & Seth Rogen On Funny Sex & Being The Underdog

Seth Rogen, master of the unlikely couple comedy, has this time joined forces with Charlize Theron for their new film Long Shot. It does what you’d expect it to do – you’ll laugh, cringe and swoon over their characters’ romantic journey. However, when we met the actors to discuss the film, we wanted to know what it was really like working on a rom-com with all the traditional aesthetics but where we’re not meant to expect a happily ever after.

"A few of the funniest scenes in the movie are sex scenes, which is not something that happens a lot," Seth told Refinery29. "Or that people admit to," Charlize added. "No, just in my personal life," Seth joked; and in that swift exchange you’re given insight into the general vibe of the film. Long Shot sees underdog journalist Fred (Seth) reconnect with his childhood babysitter and first crush Charlotte (Charlize) as she prepares to run for the American presidency. He is hired as her speechwriter, sparks fly (for the most part) and we watch as these two very different people try to navigate a stereotypically mismatched partnership, both at work and romantically.

Between the impact of purposefully funny sex scenes – of which there are a few – and the enduring appeal of stories about childhood love and unexpected relationships, we covered a lot of ground. Seth revealed which scene he found most awkward to film, while Charlize filled us in on why nostalgia plays such a factor in these sorts of films. An important conversation you might not have expected, though, was around the hidden significance of what Seth explained as the male character "not having great career ambitions in support of great personal ambition and having a relationship with someone that he believes can achieve great things, and supporting them in that endeavour". Charlize laughed and reminded us all that she's done a lot of that, of course.