Seth Rogen says this is the key to the A-list cameos in 'The Studio: 'It's very enticing'
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AUSTIN, Texas – When Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg debuted their new Apple TV+ comedy inspired by their own experiences in Hollywood during South by Southwest, they couldn't help but rib the studio executives involved.
The longtime friends, who met in bar mitzvah class and founded their production company Point Grey Pictures in 2011, are co-creators of 'The Studio' (first two episodes stream Wednesday, then weekly). Rogen stars as the recently appointed studio head Matt Remick, who replaces Patty Leigh (Catherine O'Hara) after several of her Continental Studios films bomb. Now in his dream job, cinephile Matt wrestles with wanting to make good, artful movies that are financially successful to please his boss (Bryan Cranston) and the desperate-to-be-relevant marketing executive (Kathryn Hahn).
Before showing an enthusiastic audience at the Paramount Theatre two of the season's 10 episodes, Rogen and Goldberg expressed their gratitude to executives in a way only comedians can.
'We are so appreciative that we got to make this show,' Goldberg said, 'and without you, our beloved studio executives, it never would have happened, or it totally would have happened with other execs at another company, but we wouldn't like them as much.'
'No! Not at all,' Rogen added.
Recognizing the powers that be is essential, Rogen told USA TODAY at the March 7 premiere.
'There's an episode (at) the Golden Globes where I just want to be thanked,' Rogen teases. 'That's something every studio head we talked to told us their greatest fear was, (that) they wouldn't be thanked in the speech.'
Rogen and Goldberg, who began writing an early version of 2007 hit 'Super Bad' when they were just 13, integrated several of their own head-scratching or wince-inducing experiences into the show.
'We were in a meeting once with an executive who said the thing I say (in the premiere), which is, 'I got into this because I love movies, and now it's my job to ruin them,'' Rogen said. 'Which became one of the cornerstones of the whole character, in a lot of ways.'
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Ike Barinholtz, who plays party boy executive Sal Saperstein, says there's a lot that 'The Studio' gets right about the entertainment industry.
'Most people who survive in the industry on those levels, they understand that you sometimes are going to have to compromise a couple things that you might want to do to survive,' he said on the red carpet. 'And that's kind of what's been going on for a long time. There's a lot of pressure, and when studio executives come to set it can be disruptive sometimes.'
The series adds another layer of realism with cameos: Olivia Wilde 'really surprised' Rogen, he said in an interview. Her portrayal of a director of a Continental movie is the first time they'd worked together. 'She's so funny in the episode she's in and she's someone I was a fan of for a long time. But I'd only met her a couple of times, and she just destroys in the show.'
Rogen was also stunned when a Hollywood heavyweight director agreed to appear.
'The set of this show was the first time I met Martin Scorsese, and we couldn't believe he did it!' Rogen candidly shared with the audience gathered for the premiere. 'But we worked hard to write roles we hoped were funny and that we hoped people would respond to, and all anyone wants is a good joke. That's what we really learned. It's very enticing to people to feel like they get to be funny. Even Charlize (Theron): We're like, 'You have one line, but it'll kill. We promise.''
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Seth Rogen on 'The Studio': Show's honesty, key to the A-list cameos
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