Imagine spending time in a foreign country, trying to be friendly with strangers, and ending up being called out on it!Jason Segel learned pretty quickly that being an ‘overfriendly’ American can get you in trouble in Finland, and not in the way you’d expect. On a recent visit, he actually got security called on him just for being, well, his usual sociable self.
Jason Segel’s Finland experience: What happened?
Segel shared the whole story on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’, and honestly, it says a lot about how different cultures deal with friendliness. Segel was in Finland shooting his new movie ‘Over Your Dead Body’, and one day, he stopped by a local supermarket. Like any American might, he greeted people, made small talk, and even tried to chat up store employees while wandering through the aisles.But instead of being met with smiles, he caught the eye of a security guard who trailed him around the store. When the guard finally confronted him, he even asked if Segel was high. All those greetings and random conversations? Not normal in Finland, apparently.Segel explained that he just likes to ask how people are and make a little chit-chat, even in places where most folks are just trying to get their groceries and go home. But in Finland, people are much more reserved. Small talk with strangers? Not really their thing. Standing in the cereal aisle, making friendly conversation? That looks odd, maybe even suspicious.He had to tell the guard, “I wasn’t high, I was just being friendly.”
More about Jason Segel
In case you’re not aware of who Jason Segel is, he’s an actor known best for playing Marshall on ‘How I Met Your Mother’. You might’ve also seen him in ‘Freaks and Geeks’, ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ (which he wrote), or ‘The Muppets’. Lately, he’s taken on more serious roles, like in ‘Shrinking’, and his work on the show has earned him praise as well.For his latest project, ‘Over Your Dead Body’, he’s in Finland with Samara Weaving, playing a couple who run off to a remote cabin, only to find out they’re both secretly out to get each other.The film is set to release in theatres on April 24, 2026.
