[The following story contains spoilers from season one of Apple TV+’s The Studio.]
It wouldn’t be a show about Hollywood without a lot of famous guest stars.
Case in point: Each episode of Apple TV+’s comedy series The Studio features appearances by multiple Hollywood stars, filmmakers, creatives, execs and more — many of whom are playing alternate, over-the-top versions of themselves (we’re guessing Olivia Wilde isn’t actually a thief!).
The show, which was recently renewed for a second season, stars Seth Rogen as Matt Remick, a movie executive who gets promoted to president of the fictional Continental Studios. He realizes he might be in over his head and being in charge isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
In addition to Rogen, the show also stars Ike Barinholtz as Matt’s friend and Continental’s vp production, Catherine O’Hara as a fired movie exec turned producer, Chase Sui Wonders as Matt’s creative executive and Kathryn Hahn as his marketing executive. Rogen also co-created the show with Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory and Frida Perez.
As Matt and his team get into various predicaments, they usually involve an A-list actor, director, writer, executive or other Hollywood type.
Ahead of the May 21 season finale, take a look at the famous faces who have appeared as versions of themselves on the first season.
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Nicholas Stoller
Image Credit: Getty Images Episode 1, “The Promotion”; Episode 7, “Casting”; Episode 9, “CinemaCon”
After Matt is promoted to studio chief, he given his first order of business: to get the ball rolling on a Kool-Aid movie, much to his chagrin. Wanting a smarter take on the IP — à la the Barbie movie — he meets with Nick Stoller, who delivers a concept that Matt can work with. Stoller appears later in the season too, when Matt and his team become concerned over the racial makeup of the film’s cast, and again in the CinemaCon episode, where he’s scheduled to present his new movie.
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Martin Scorsese
Image Credit: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images Episode 1, “The Promotion”
When the legendary director pitches an idea for a Jonestown movie, a light bulb goes off in Matt’s head: Didn’t the followers of Jim Jones’ cult die by … drinking the Kool-Aid? Matt believes he’s found a smart take on the Kool-Aid movie.
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Charlize Theron
Image Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images; Adobe Stock Episode 1, “The Promotion”
The actress hosts a party to which Matt is very excited to receive an invitation. However, it’s there that Matt is forced to tell Scorsese that he’s passing on his Jonestown movie due to studio demands and that he can’t take his film anywhere else — leading to Theron kicking Matt out of her bash. The episode also features Bryan Cranston as movie mogul Griffin Mill, who is Matt’s boss.
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Sarah Polley
Image Credit: Karwai Tang/WireImage Episode 2, “The Oner”
The actress-writer-director is filming a movie that includes a scene shot all in one take — though Matt complicates the process by showing up to set, ruining the shot multiple times, tripping and getting a bloody nose and distracting the cast by whispering during filming, among other things. In a clever twist, the entire episode is also shot in one take.
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Greta Lee
Image Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images Episode 2, “The Oner”
The actress is the star of Polley’s movie. She’s also trying to get Matt to pony up for a private jet during the press tour.
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Ron Howard
Image Credit: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for AFI Episode 3, “The Note”
Howard appears as the director of a film titled Alphabet City, which Matt and his team deem brilliant —apart from the last 45 minutes, a confounding tribute to Howard’s dead cousin. Matt struggles with giving Howard his note on that portion of the film.
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Anthony Mackie
Image Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images Episode 3, “The Note”
Mackie plays the star and a producer of Howard’s film, who surprises Matt and his team with his own thoughts on the final 45 minutes.
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Dave Franco
Image Credit: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Vanity Fair Episode 3, “The Note”; Episode 9, “CinemaCon”
Franco first pops up as Mackie’s co-star in Howard’s Alphabet City. He later gets high on Matt’s “old-school Hollywood buffet” — his code phrase for mushroom-laced treats — the night before the studio’s CinemaCon presentation.
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Olivia Wilde
Image Credit: VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images Episode 4, “The Missing Reel”
The episode finds Wilde directing a movie titled Rolling Blackout, which is being shot on film — something Matt considers himself a champion of. However, complications arise when one of the reels goes missing, and Matt launches into detective mode to solve the mystery.
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Zac Efron
Image Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images Episode 4, “The Missing Reel”
Efron plays the star of Wilde’s Rolling Blackout film, and Matt suspects he might know something about the missing reel.
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Parker Finn and Owen Kline
Image Credit: Gett Images Episode 5, “The War”
The Smile director and the Funny Pages director, respectively, are unwittingly at the center of a battle between Continental vp Sal Saperstein (Ike Barinholtz) and creative exec Quinn Hackett (Chase Sui Wonders), who each want their own horror movie greenlighted and go to great lengths to sabotage the other.
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Johnny Knoxville
Image Credit: Getty Images Episode 6, “The Pediatric Oncologist”
Knoxville is starring in Continental’s film Duhpocalypse, about a zombie apocalypse in which the virus is spread through explosive diarrhea, and meets with Matt and his team to try to craft a suitable trailer. Josh Hutcherson also appears in this episode as Knoxville’s co-star, while Rebecca Hall portrays a doctor who is dating Matt.
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Ziwe and Lil Rel Howery
Image Credit: Getty Images Episode 7, “Casting”
Ziwe and Howery are starring in a Continental film titled Ain’t Yo Mama. During a photo shoot for the movie, they are enlisted to weigh in on the casting of Kool-Aid after Matt and his team become concerned about the racial makeup of the film’s cast.
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Ice Cube
Image Credit: River Callaway/WWD/Getty Images Episode 7, “Casting”
Cube is cast as the voice of the Kool-Aid Man. Matt visits him in his studio to ask for his take on his own casting and whether that could be perceived as racist. Later in the episode, they appear at a Comic-Con event in Anaheim to announce Cube as the star, but the announcement doesn’t go as planned.
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Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky
Image Credit: Rich Fury/Getty Images Episode 8, “The Golden Globes”
The Hacks masterminds accept an award for a limited series called Deafening Silence and thank Netflix’s Ted Sarandos in their speech — sparking some jealousy in Matt.
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Zoë Kravitz
Image Credit: David Livingston/Getty Episode 8, “The Golden Globes”; Episode 9, “CinemaCon”
The actress-director helmed a Continental film titled Open that’s up for a Golden Globe. Matt does his best to try to get her to thank him if she wins — something he really wants badly, especially given that he’s already told his mom he’ll be mentioned. Meanwhile, Kravitz also signs on for another Continental film, Blackwing, that she’s scheduled to present at CinemaCon. But things go awry when she unknowingly gets high on sweets laced with mushrooms that Matt has purchased for a party the night before the CinemaCon presentation.
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Adam Scott
Image Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Episode 8, “The Golden Globes”
The actor shows up as a Golden Globe nominee — and also reveals he once crashed on Sal’s couch for several months after moving to Los Angeles. In his speech, he also thanks Sarandos as well as Sal — sparking off a trend where several other winners (see below) jokingly thank Sal as well.
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Ramy Youssef
Image Credit: Sarah Morris/WireImage Episode 8, “The Golden Globes”
He’s the host of the awards ceremony in this star-studded episode and also has an interaction with Kravitz and Matt.
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Charli D’Amelio
Image Credit: Leon Bennett/Getty Images Episode 8, “The Golden Globes”
The influencer is seen recording a video from the red carpet — which Matt inadvertently video-bombs.
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Antony Starr and Erin Moriarty
Image Credit: Getty Images Episode 8, “The Golden Globes”
The stars of The Boys serve as presenters at the Globes.
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Quinta Brunson
Image Credit: Michael Buckner/Variety/Getty Images Episode 8, “The Golden Globes”
The Abbott Elementary creator and star accepts an award for a fictional film called Intended Consequences and includes Sal in her speech
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Jean Smart
Image Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images Episode 8, “The Golden Globes”
The Hacks star also thanks both Sarandos and Sal in her speech.
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Ted Sarandos
Image Credit: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images Episode 8, “The Golden Globes”
In addition to all the speech shout-outs, the Netflix CEO has an exchange with Matt at the urinals, where Sarandos reveals his secret to getting so many public thank-you’s.
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Aaron Sorkin
Image Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images Episode 8, “The Golden Globes”
The prolific writer-director accepts a lifetime achievement award during the ceremony. In his speech, he thanks one person: Sal Saperstein.
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Zack Snyder
Image Credit: John Nacion/Getty Images Episode 8, “The Golden Globes”
The Justice League helmer presented the award — best motion picture, musical or comedy — that Kravitz’s film is nominated for. This episode also features David Krumholtz as Kravitz’s agent and Rhea Perlman as Matt’s mother (her voice is heard during two phone calls with Matt, but she shows up in person in episode nine).
