Seth Rogen jokes that he doesn't have Spielberg's number, while other Fabelmans cast text him

When you're Steven Spielberg, you don't just give your phone number out to anyone, even if those people star in your latest movie.

Seth Rogen, who plays family friend Uncle Bennie in the director's autobiographical The Fabelmans, says the acclaimed director was more than happy to share his wealth of career experiences on set. Sitting down at EW's video suite at the Toronto International Film Festival, where the movie had its world premiere last night, Rogen and co-star Gabriel LaBelle let Spielberg know during the production how eager they were to hear his war stories.

"That's why me and Gabe [LaBelle] are the only ones who can't contact him," Rogen says, laughing. "Everyone else was like, 'I'm texting Steve,' and I was like, 'You got the number?'" Rogen says that lucky co-stars Paul Dano and Michelle Williams, who play versions of Spielberg's parents, were texting with Spielberg, but "we're not texting Steven — I texted Gabe and Judd Hirsch!"

For his part, LaBelle says he didn't try to hide his fanboy-ish instincts. "I didn't resist the urge," he said, adding that Saving Private Ryan was a film that was particularly discussed. "You have to [ask], if you're exposed to him for that amount of time."

Phone number aside, Rogen says the project was "really unlike anything I've ever done," adding that it was a delight "watching this brilliant man, who you really look up to, be in the moment, figuring out how to tell his story, what's important to him, what isn't, and get excited about new things that happened in the moment."

Rogen says that Spielberg would remember moments from his past during filming, details that would get integrated into the film on the fly. "[He'd be like] 'My uncle did that all the time, do that, and let's get another one,' and it was like these new memories would form and you'd capture them on film in real time," Rogen recalls. "Yeah, I'll never have another experience like this."

Universal will release The Fabelmans on Nov. 11. Watch the full interview with Rogen and LaBelle in the video above.

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