Seth Rogen Based His 'Green Hornet' Character On Paris Hilton

'We wanted to start out with a guy who was the last guy you would ever expect to be a superhero,' actor tells MTV News of Britt Reid.
By Eric Ditzian

Seth Rogen
Photo: MTV News

The first time we meet the adult Britt Reid — the scion of a Los Angeles media magnate — he's gleefully trashing a hotel, one part Keith Moon-style rock star, one part reality-TV celebutant.

The party boy, of course, will go on to become the superhero who gives "Green Hornet" its name. But in the beginning, Britt is simply a hard-drinking, model-humping, spoiled brat. And, as Seth Rogen explained to MTV News, he and co-writer Evan Goldberg turned to some real-life inspiration to create the character.

"We kind of based him off a male Paris Hilton, as embarrassing as that is to say," he told MTV News. "That is what we looked at — those people who are the sons or daughters of people who have accomplished great things. We probably give them a little more credit than they've gotten in the past and we explore why they're such jerks and why they act out. Maybe it's because they didn't get the attention they wanted."

That's certainly the case for Britt. His dad looks at his son, who's more likely to end up in the newspaper for his antics than his professional accomplishments, as nothing short of an embarrassment. It's just that fatherly disappointment that fuels Britt's transformation into the Green Hornet.

"We wanted to start out with a guy who was the last guy you would ever expect to be a superhero and slowly make that guy a hero instead of starting with a guy who's already pretty morally centered, just doesn't quite have the idea yet," Rogen explained.

And who knows? Perhaps Hilton herself might get a few ideas about a new career path.

"She's going to become a superhero," Rogen laughed. "I hope so."

Check out everything we've got on "The Green Hornet."

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