Seth Rogen Discusses Writing Dave Franco’s Role in ‘The Studio’

Actor Seth Rogen was incredibly intentional and meticulous when it came to creating the characters in his Apple TV+ series, The Studio.

Rogen, who stars in the show and co-created it, recently shared in an interview with People why he “specifically” wrote the role and multi-episode arc for actor Dave Franco. In the series, Franco takes on a fictionalized version of himself as a Hollywood action star and party animal.

Rogen explained, “Honestly, there were very few people that could have filled the roles that the people had filled because we really specifically were catering the stories to certain traits that celebrities have.” He emphasized the importance of tailoring the stories to fit the traits of the celebrities involved, such as Franco’s character being a Hollywood action star and party animal.

The Studio centers around a historic Hollywood movie studio that is struggling to survive in a world where balancing art and business is increasingly challenging. Rogen portrays the new head of the fictional Continental Studios. The show has featured various celebrity cameos and characters inspired by real-life industry figures.

In discussing Franco’s role, Rogen noted, “With Dave, it’s like, who do you believe would be in a Ron Howard movie? It’s a pretty dramatic movie, who could do that? But also, we knew that he would come back and do this truly ridiculous, stupid thing later in the season.” This statement references a recent episode where Franco’s character attends a wild event in Las Vegas hosted by Rogen’s character as the studio prepares for a significant industry event.