Passengers aboard Toronto’s and Vancouver’s public transit will soon be greeted with a familiar voice — that of Seth Rogen. The Vancouver-born actor has been announced as the official voice behind both transit systems’ public service announcements.
“Hello TTC [Toronto Transit Commission] users, Seth Rogen here. Backpacks are super efficient, I get it. They carry all your stuff. They hang on your back. They’re fantastic,” Rogen says in one of his PSAs. “But when you wear your backpack instead of taking it off, it very much annoys everyone around you on the subway. Don’t be a backpack hunchback. That’s not a thing, but it is now. Anyway, don’t do it.”
Rogen initially offered to lend his voice to Canada’s TransLink after its previous voice, actor Morgan Freeman, was accused of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior toward women. “I was shocked when they went along with it, honestly,” Rogen told CBC News of his partnership with TransLink. “But they did go along with it and then I recorded it. And now, you can hear my voice giving you, kind of, etiquette tips.”
Rogen, whose voice can be heard in the Kung Fu Panda films and in the upcoming Lion King remake, offers various other etiquette tips, such as holding doors open and personal grooming. Maybe if New York’s MTA brought on Rogen — or, really any audible voice — more folks would actually feel just a tad bit guilty about clipping their nails on the subway. One can dream.
Below, watch a news segment about Rogen’s work with TransLink.
