For years, Alex Gregory has been at the center of some of TV’s sharpest comedies, from “Veep” to the legendary “The Larry Sanders Show.” Now, Gregory returns as co-creator and co-showrunner of “The Studio,” a show that’s quickly become one of the funniest and most biting satires about Hollywood chaos ever put on television. On the Bingeworthy podcast, Gregory sat down with host Mike DeAngelo to talk about the real stories behind the series, the chaos of the writers’ room, and why Martin Scorsese was maybe the best surprise comedic cameo of the year.
If you’re new to “The Studio,” the show is basically a wild ride through the modern movie business – a satirical look at power, egos, and total dysfunction, starring a crew of execs, creatives, and all sorts of oddballs who just try to keep the whole machine running. Created by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Alex Gregory, Peter Huyck, and Frida Perez, the series is loaded with star power: Martin Scorsese, Charlize Theron, Zoe Kravitz, Dave Franco, Zac Efron, Olivia Wilde, Anthony Mackie, and plenty more pop up throughout.
READ MORE: ‘The Studio’ Review: An Incredible Love Letter & Takedown Of The Hollywood Movie Machine
Asked about the show’s origin, Gregory gave full credit to Rogen and Goldberg: “It started with Seth and Evan. It was inspired by a meeting they had with an executive years ago who was giving them notes and said, ‘I got into this business because I love movies. And now my job is to ruin them.’ And that just became a line in the pilot. Seth is at a point in his life where he runs two companies. He’s not the guy he was playing anymore. He’s a boss, and that’s his authentic reality. He’s dealt with marketing people, studio heads, he’s been to CinemaCon, he can call any studio head and they’ll take his call. So it’s not guesswork. For him, it’s actual lived experience.”
Gregory revealed that the writers’ room was a treasure trove of industry war stories. “We’d sit around and tell stories for hours. I mean, the executive who said, ‘When I wasn’t thanked in a speech, I would cry in a limo ride the whole way home,’ that just became a whole episode. That one little confession was like,’ well, what led up to that crying in the limo on the way home?’ And that became the Globes episode.” He added, “A lot of characters are amalgams, but the details – wardrobe choices, weird ticks, all the pratfalls – are real. Seth gets all the angry phone calls, though. That’s the price for being #1 on the call sheet.”
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If the show feels especially sharp and specific, even down to the long one-shot takes, that’s no accident. “We write whip-pans and stitch points right into the scripts,” Gregory said. “Very much so, the directing style of it being one camera really impacts the writing. You have to write thinking not just about how it’s going to be filmed, but also how it will be stitched. It’s all very, very, very meticulously planned and very intentional.”
On how guest stars and cameos came about, Gregory said, “In the case of Zoe, what was so awesome was we hadn’t cast the actor getting high when we were filming the finale. Zoe just said that it should be me. I would do that. And it was like, ‘Are you serious?’ She’s like, ‘Yeah.’ So we just wrote it, and then it just became Zoe.” On working with Scorsese, who stole the show in his episode, “He was just bursting with energy, really wanting to play and improv and just so funny. I’ve seen him act enough to know he’s a brilliant actor. When he came to set, he was full of energy and ideas and just absolutely crushed it.”
As for running gags, like Seth’s constant pratfalls, Gregory said, “I don’t think there’s a lot of forcing. I think he knows how funny it is, and I think he enjoys it. It’s very much a part of their ethos that that shit happens – and it’s hilarious.”
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When asked if real industry players were texting or calling about whether certain characters were based on them, Gregory laughed, “No, not at all. It’s all on Seth. You’re number one on the call sheet; you get the angry calls. He knows all these people—the studio heads don’t know who I am, but they know who he is.”
With the series already renewed for a second season, Gregory sounded excited: “There are so many stories left to tell. Now that people have seen it and understand we’re not out to hurt anyone or make anyone look stupid, I think we’ll get many more people wanting to come and play.”
“The Studio” season finale airs May 21st on Apple TV+. Stream the full podcast conversation below:

The Playlist Presents: Alex Gregory’s Film/TV Recommendation Playlist:

“Severance” (Apple TV+)
“Formula 1: Drive to Survive” (Netflix)
“Norsemen” (Netflix)
“The Larry Sanders Show” (HBO Max)

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