Martin Scorsese's Hilarious Cameo Helped 'The Studio' Snag More Stars

Sometimes, you need someone to go out on a limb to get others to follow. Jerry McGuire knew that. As did Michael Scott when he was pretending to be Jerry McGuire. But that’s also knowledge non-fictional people possess (and likely have better luck with it than the two examples I gave). It is easier to get people to go along with things if you have, like, one other person involved. It shows that someone believes in what you’re doing, and could go a long way to sway folks who aren’t so sure. It works even better if the person you convince directed Goodfellas.

Martin Scorsese is one of the prestigious talents in Hollywood. The storied director is synonymous with cinema. Not only has he crafted some of the United States’ greatest films, but he has a love for all movies and has made it a point to support foreign directors. At a time when many directors his age are stuck in their ways, Scorsese is growing and changing. He’s also having a blast on TikTok with his daughter. He rules, so of course he pretended to cry for Seth Rogen.

I’m enjoying the hell out of AppleTV+’s new show, The Studio, created by and starring Seth Rogen as the new head of a movie studio. It’s funny and cringe-inducing in all the best ways. It is also grounded in a reality that is achievable thanks in no small part to the numerous actors, directors, and executives the show has convinced to play themselves. Producer James Weaver says the deluge of talent playing themselves doesn’t happen without Scorsese appearing in the pilot episode. “It really came down to Martin Scorsese saying yes, and it all started from there,” Weaver explained to Deadline’s Contenders TV event.

Casting director Melissa Kostenbauder noted that Hollywood is an unsurprisingly busy town, so wrangling celebrities was challenging. “We tackled it like a normal casting process, checked availabilities, who would be open to playing themselves because a lot of people weren’t, actually,” Kostenbauder told the room. “If someone couldn’t do it or wasn’t available, we came up with more lists and talked about more people who would fit in those places.” Casting can be hard when you aren’t looking for people that audience members will instantly recognize. Still, Kostenbauder’s hard work paid off.

As Producer and star Ike Barinholtz recalled, one episode, set at the Golden Globes, featured an insane amount of guest stars. “You don’t read everything on the call sheet, so you would be there acting and go, ‘Oh, that’s Jean Smart,” he said. “They got Jean Smart. There’s Aaron Sorkin.’ It was crazy how many people showed up.” Getting that many people with busy schedules in one place for a shoot is no joke (just look at most Marvel movies). But, Martin Scorsese isn’t the only one who helped make things easier.

Weaver told the crowd that Quinta Brunson appeared in their Golden Globes episode in between attending other events. “She was dressed like she’s going to the Golden Globes,” Weaver noted. “She was like, ‘I have another award event thing to go to after this. I’m just stopping here, doing my line, and going to an event.’ That’s because you’re Quinta Brunson.” That’s some Grade-A support! And it all leads to a pretty fantastic show. I’m excited to see who else pops up, because seeing Ron Howard call Seth Rogen a “motherf***er” was something I didn’t know I wanted and now I want more.