The star and co-creator of the Emmy-winning series The Studio recently told GQ that he had to “turn down” some of his favorite directors who have asked for cameos in the show’s second season.
“It does feel like I’m running a fake movie studio at times,” Rogen admitted. “I’m having directors’ agents call me to pitch their clients to be the directors of fake movies on our show, which is very weird and very meta. And I’m having to actually turn down directors I’m a big fan of because the movie, the fake movie, maybe isn’t quite right for the fake package we have in our heads. So yeah, it’s gotten very strange.”
The Studio‘s debut season, which ended up being a critically acclaimed success, featured quite a few famous guest stars. The series centered on a fictional Hollywood movie studio, Continental Studios, working to survive in a world where it is increasingly difficult for art and business to live together. Rogen stars as Matt Remick, a movie executive who gets promoted to president of the studio.
Though season one was packed with some iconic cameos, the Platonic actor still had plenty of people decline to make an appearance. However, some have since regretted that decision.
“I had a few people come up to me at the Emmys saying they regret it, which was very meaningful to me,” he said. “That’s all I want — for people to regret not working with me.”
In addition to all the cameos, Rogen has previously admitted that some of the characters and episodes in The Studio have been inspired by real Hollywood people or situations.
“Yes, I’ve been yelled at three times in the last week,” the Good Fortune star told Stephen Colbert earlier this year when asked about how people reacted when they eventually realized it was based on them. “Some of them are pleased, some of them are not pleased, I will say.”