The Emmy Darling With 23 Nominations: How Much of It Comes From Real-Life Stories?

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Seth Rogen’s current venture, titled “The Studio“, is generating a lot of buzz among comedy enthusiasts this year. This Apple TV+ series focuses on Matt Remick, a leader of a floundering Hollywood production company, who strives to preserve his passion for filmmaking amidst the challenging demands of the industry. Notably, Rogen not soleley takes up a role in the show but also collaborates as co-creator and director.

The show gained significant acclaim since its debut in March 2025. Critics showered it with praise from the get-go, and it accumulated an impressive 23 Emmy nominations, placing it among the most admired comedies that year.

In addition to Seth Rogen, the star-studded ensemble features Catherine O’Hara, Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders, and Kathryn Hahn.

Lately, Seth Rogen recently chatted with Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show” about the origins of his latest project, titled “The Studio.

He described the series as mirroring an ongoing battle in Hollywood: the tension between artistic expression and financial gain. In essence, he stated, “The show portrays my character as running a modern-day movie studio, where the central dilemma is one you may recognize – that of balancing creativity with profits. My character adores films and has a passion for cinema, but in his role as studio head, he frequently has to make decisions that compromise artistic quality.

Rogen stated that his character frequently leaves others underwhelmed in the production team, and he explained this by saying, ‘He’s trying not to be let go, and I believe that tension is what truly defines the entertainment industry.’

Later, Colbert inquired if the underlying tension stemmed from genuine encounters. It was at this point that Rogen confessed that a Hollywood executive had once told him something similar to what his character claims on the program – that his role is to sabotage films, despite his profound affection for them.

Indeed!” Rogen reminisced, referring to a past incident during his early career. Alongside Evan Goldberg, they were reworking a script, aiming to make it daring and adult-oriented. However, the executive resisted their efforts. Rogen vividly remembered the exchange: “He sighed heavily and lamented, ‘I got into this because I love films, but now my role seems to be destroying them.’

Later on, Rogen disclosed that the executive was Steve Asbell, who currently serves as president of 20th Century Studios. Laughing, Rogen commented, “He’s fantastic, a really nice man, but he’s often grappling with his responsibilities.

Apart from that particular event, another true-life tale influenced the development of the series. Rogen also recounted an anecdote from the Golden Globes. According to him, an entire episode in The Studio was crafted based on an incident that transpired during the awards ceremony.

Following one of his movies’ victories, it was believed he saw an executive weeping at the post-screening gathering. However, upon approaching them, we discovered that they weren’t crying due to joy. Instead, they lamented not being thanked during the acceptance speech. This incident later evolved into a complete episode in the series.

According to Rogen, the character was reminiscent of the real-life person, and they didn’t seem pleased about this resemblance. He confessed that they expressed their displeasure quite strongly in a recent conversation.

Colbert inquired if other Hollywood figures had contacted him following their recognition on the show, to which Rogen replied affirmatively. He chuckled and shared, “I’ve been scolded three times over the past week. Some of them were happy, while others were not, I must admit.

Simultaneously, some viewers mistakenly believed the show was centered around them, despite it not being so. Rogen reminisced about a studio executive who called him, claiming the show resonated so strongly with their narrative that they cried during viewing. Rogen humorously quipped, “I didn’t have the courage to inform him, but in reality, it wasn’t based on him at all.

The blending of satire, unconventional humor, and genuine insights from the industry in The Studio has not just provided entertainment for viewers, but also sparked discussions among the executive figures who are its humorous targets.

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2025-09-13 17:44