Seth Rogen described feeling nervous and overwhelmed while filming an intimate scene with Penélope Cruz for their new dark comedy, "The Invite." During the scene, which was intended to be romantically charged, Rogen admitted he repeatedly said "thank you" to Cruz, much to the surprise of the actress and director Olivia Wilde.

Rogen shared the anecdote during a recent appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," guest-hosted by Ike Barinholtz. "What’s actually funny in the scene is we were encouraged to improvise," Rogen explained. "There’s a scene where me and her are having a romantically charged moment, and it seems like we might hook up with one another, and I just kept saying, 'Thank you.'"

He recalled Wilde questioning his repeated expression of gratitude. "Olivia Wilde, the director, was just like, 'Why? What are you doing? Why do you keep saying 'Thank you?'" Rogen responded, "I don’t know. It’s just what’s coming out of my mouth." He characterized his sentiment as feeling "apologetic and thankful."

Rogen also expressed a degree of apprehension regarding Cruz's husband, actor Javier Bardem. "So, you’re very worried about that," Rogen admitted with a chuckle, adding that he doesn't believe Bardem sees him as a "legitimate threat."

During the same scene, Cruz spontaneously decided to sing a Sade song, an idea Rogen found both sexy and humorous. "It was Penélope Cruz’s idea," he revealed. "There’s a scene where we’re being romantic, and she was like, 'What if I start singing Sade to you?' which is sort of sexy, but also kind of hilarious at the same time."

Adding a physical element to the scene, Rogen attempted some physical comedy that resulted in an injury. "It’s funny if I’m trying to get my pants off and maybe I struggle, and I fall down in the scene. And I did it. Everyone’s like, 'That was great.' And then I hurt my shoulder for seven months," he quipped.

"The Invite" premiered in limited release on June 26 and expanded nationwide on July 10. The film stars Rogen and Wilde as a married couple, Joe and Angela, whose relationship is strained. They invite their enigmatic neighbors, Pina (Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton), over for a dinner party, which leads to unexpected events.

Rogen has previously spoken about feeling intimidated by co-stars. In 2022, he recalled being "incredibly intimidated to work with" Charlize Theron on the 2019 romantic comedy "Long Shot," joking that he was physically intimidated by her due to her roles in action films. He has also collaborated multiple times with Rose Byrne, most recently on the Apple+ series "Platonic," and expressed appreciation for their on-screen chemistry and shared comedic timing.