Craig Robinson Says He Was 'Very Serious' About His Part in the Backstreet Boys' “This Is the End ”Cameo (Exclusive)
Craig Robinson Says He Was 'Very Serious' About His Part in the Backstreet Boys' “This Is the End ”Cameo (Exclusive)
Sara Belcher, Abby SternThu, June 11, 2026 at 4:24 PM UTC
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Craig Robinson; The Backstreet BoysCredit: Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty; Ayisha Collins/FilmMagic -
Craig Robinson says he took learning choreography for the Backstreet Boys scene in This Is the End very seriously
The 2013 comedy film featured a star-studded cast and grossed $127 million at the box office
The Backstreet Boys made a surprise appearance during the film's finale
Craig Robinson took his performance with the Backstreet Boys "very" seriously.
While at the red carpet for the premiere of Toy Story 5 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Calif., Robinson chatted with PEOPLE about his role in the 2013 comedy film. The project, which saw him star alongside James Franco, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Michael Cera and Emma Watson, followed the group of friends trapped within a home after they deal with the aftermath of a biblical-level apocalypse.
At the very end of the film, the group finds themselves in Heaven, where they are granted anything they wish for. Baruchel's wish leads to the entirety of the Backstreet Boys appearing for an impromptu musical performance. Robinson, Baruchel, Franco and other cast members join in on their performance.
'This Is the End'Credit: Sony Pics at Home/YouTube
"We learned the choreography," Robinson tells PEOPLE. "It was pretty huge, and I took it very serious, as you could see."
The star-studded film ultimately netted $127 million at the box office after it was released. It was adapted from Rogen's short, "Jay and Seth Versus the Apocalypse," which he co-directed with Evan Goldberg.
"They were cool," Robinson added of the Backstreet Boys. "They just came in and did their thing. They were all very, very chill. Very cool."
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Since their initial rise to fame more than 30 years ago, the Backstreet Boys have continued to perform as a collective group. The band — composed of AJ McLean, Kevin Richardson, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, and Brian Littrell — recently opened up to PEOPLE about their pre-show rituals, and how they differ from their early days as a band.
"For a long stretch there, I would look at all of us in the dressing room, and maybe one of us might be stretching, but for the most part, we weren't," McLean shared. "Now I'm pretty sure we're all stretching before a show, before vocal warmups. About 90% of the show is full-out dancing. So we gotta be as limber as we can be."
"We pray that we don't fall, we pray we don't break an ankle, we get the lyrics, pray we don't pop [an] Achilles heel," Carter added.
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Toy Story 5 is rated PG and releases exclusively in theaters on June 19, 2026.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
