Q&A: ‘The Studio's' Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg hope their 23 Emmy nominations help stack Season 2

Miami Herald

6 days ago

LOS ANGELES - His impact on the film world is debatable, but fictional Hollywood studio head Matt Remick has earned the respect of his TV peers.
The first season of "The Studio," which stars Seth Rogen as the bumbling Hollywood studio head, received 23 Emmy nominations, making the Apple TV+ series the most nominated freshman comedy in Emmy history - a distinction previously set by "Ted Lasso." The series also tied the record set by "The Bear" last year as the most nominated comedy series ever.
"The Studio" made an impressive showing in the major categories, including for writing, directing and acting.
Created by Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory and Frida Perez, the satire explores a movie lover's executive ascension and the resulting struggle to balance his desire to make quality films and uphold artistic integrity while up against the corporate demands of the job. In addition to Rogen, who co-directed the season with Goldberg, the ensemble cast includes Catherine O'Hara, Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders and Kathryn Hahn. But the insider's look at Hollywood stands out with its impressive roster of A-list cameos, including directors Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese, Dave Franco, Anthony Mackie, Bryan Cranston and Zoë Kravitz - all of whom received guest actor nominations.
The Times spoke with Rogen and Goldberg about the "The Studio's" big Emmys debut.
Q: Congratulations on the big morning. I have to know: how soon did you hear from Matt Belloni? [The entertainment biz journalist and founding partner of the Puck newsletter had frequent mentions and a cameo in the show's first season.]
Rogen: He hasn't texted me yet.
Goldberg: Me either.
Rogen: That motherf-. No messages. Zero. I'm checking right now. Nothing! [laughs]
Goldberg: Ron Howard stopped his busy day. Belloni can't find the time.
Q: "The Studio" is the most nominated freshman comedy in Emmy history, surpassing "Ted Lasso." What's your reaction to that?
Goldberg: It's a real honor and an incredible thrill.
Rogen: It's totally unexpected. We've had a long and lovely career that awards have not been a part of in any way shape or form. [laughs] The fact that [we're] people who started in their early 20s and are now in their mid-40s, and there's a whole new thing being introduced into our lives and our jobs, is very lovely. There's a real novelty to it and it's incredibly flattering in a way that we are not used to being flattered.
Goldberg: And it will either trigger or prevent our midlife crisis.
Rogen: Too late for that.
Q: Seth, how do you think Matt views award nomination mornings? How does his routine compare to yours?
Rogen: Oh, my God. Me and Matt, unfortunately, are more similar than I would like to admit - both as people who greatly crave external validation but also instantly translate any good news into potential pressure and anxiety to maintain that level of work. I think Matt would respond very similarly to how I'm responding to that. I'm both thrilled and feel immense pressure simultaneously to continue doing a show that people like.
Q: So much of the show is about the push and pull of the Hollywood ecosystem - the decisions that even the most ardent lovers of movie or TV have to bend on to stay in the game or to keep making the thing they love. How has expressing this conundrum through the show illuminated or changed either your outlook or approach to the current realities of being a creative?
Goldberg: It makes me appreciate it so much more. I've always appreciated it a great deal, but the the idea that we get to make art - now I'm just repeating Zoe's speech from the Globes [episode] - is just thrilling and you feel how difficult it is in the show. That's something that we keep running into it. My friends back home, they're like, "I love that show. It's so fun." And my friends in Hollywood are like, "Jesus Christ, that's stressful. I can only watch two at a time." And it's because they know that how real it is, how stressful it is, how difficult it can be, and how rewarding it can be. I feel like it's something that making the show and living it is a constant reminder of how difficult it all is.
Rogen: The show is very reflective of our own attitude towards it, in that you see that Hollywood is much less willing to take risks in some ways than they than they used to be and in order to navigate that, you sort of have to accept that. We, as filmmakers, have. We make things based on big properties, and we also try to make smaller things based on original ideas. A lot of the show is based on our own frustrations and sort of trials and tribulations of being people who primarily want to create original material, but have found, at times, that if you want to do anything close to that in a way that actually is well-funded and seen by people, you have to make original things based on things that exist already.
But, honestly, the more we get into it, it's like, "Jaws" is IP, technically; "The Godfather" is IP; "Gone With the Wind" is IP - it's nothing new. Hollywood has always looked for ways to mitigate their risk. I think individuals have always looked for ways to like be held less accountable for something going wrong. If you're making a thing that exists already in some way, then then no one will blame you for doing it. The fact that we got to make this show is like a vote for the other side. It is a big original idea. It's about Hollywood; people say, "No one wants to make a show about that, or watch a show about that." They let us take huge, creative swings with the show. The show, at once, is criticizing a system that is also allowing the show itself to kind of flourish, which we are very aware of.
Q: Have you thought about who you will thank on the big night? And where does Netflix boss Ted Sarandos rank in that list?
Goldberg: We just get up there, shout Ted's name and just walk off.
Rogen: Yeah, we only thank Ted and no one from Apple.
Q: "The Studio" is riddled with iconic cameos. Ron Howard and Martin Scorsese got their first acting nominations. How does it feel to have given them the platform for that? And Seth, how long before you find a way to get some of "The Valley" cast to make a cameo?
Goldberg: To answer the first part of the question - my brain can't even accept it. It doesn't seem real. To even meet those two men was crazy. The fact that we did anything that makes them look good is one of the craziest things that's ever happened in my life.
Rogen: Yeah, much like in the show, my greatest fear as a person is letting down the filmmakers who I love and who inspired me in the first place. The fact that they're getting recognition and doesn't seem like they wasted their time working with us is an enormous relief. It makes me just feel much better about the whole thing. My fear is that that I'm convincing people I love to work with me and that they'll walk away being unhappy with the experience or feeling like we didn't make them look good.
[As for "The Valley"], I'll think about it. I haven't brought it up with the team yet, but now that you've cracked the door, I might have a way in.
Q: Are you looking at this appearance at the Emmys as a way to get in your requests with some nominees in the room?
Goldberg: If we play our cards right, we'll come out of there with the whole Season 2 stacked and ready to go.
Rogen: Every Hollywood event I go to now is literally just so I can ask people to be on our show.
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