Apple TV+’s new satire The Studio is already being hailed as the funniest new comedy – and one of the best new shows overall – of 2025.
Co-created by and starring Seth Rogen, the new series centres around the new head of a fictional film studio, who is tasked with turning it around after a few years of flops.
As well as sending up Hollywood, The Studio is notable in that it features cameos from a host of movie icons, with everyone from Paul Dano, Zoë Kravitz, Zac Efron and Anthony Mackie to Martin actual Scorsese making cameos as themselves over the course of its eight episodes.
But what about those stars who aren’t playing themselves? Here’s a quick guide to where you’ve seen the cast before…
Seth Rogen
One of the most recognisable (and, indeed, bankable) faces in 21st century comedy acting, Seth first rose to fame in the mid-2000s thanks to films like Superbad, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Pineapple Express, Knocked Up, Zach And Miri Make A Porno and This Is The End.
In 2014, he starred in and co-wrote the scandalous The Interview, and has gone on to appear in The Fabelmans, The Disaster Artist and the TV series Arrested Development, The Boys, Platonic and Pam & Tommy, for which he was nominated for an Emmy.
He’s also lent his voice to projects like the Kung Fu Panda saga, Sausage Party and Disney’s Lion King remakes.
Catherine O’Hara
Catherine O’Hara has won herself a legion of new fans in the last decade thanks to her Emmy-winning performance as Moira Rose in the sitcom Schitt’s Creek.
Prior to that, she was known for playing Kevin’s mum Kate McAllister in Home Alone, Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice and Cookie Fleck in Best In Show.
Like Seth, she’s also enjoyed success as a voice actor, perhaps most notably playing Sally in the iconic seasonal movie The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Kathryn Hahn
Marvel fans will recognise Kathryn Hahn for originating the role of Agatha Harkness in WandaVision, before landing her own spooky spin-off Agatha All Along last Halloween.
Kathryn has had a jam-packed schedule for the past few years, appearing in everything from the Knives Out sequel Glass Onion and the prestige drama Tiny Beautiful Things to the action comedy Die Hart and the animated Spider-Verse movies.
She also played Raquel Fein in Transparent, Jennifer Barkley in Parks And Recreation and Carla Dunkler in Bad Moms and its sequel.
What you might not know, though, is that Kathryn briefly starred as Eddy in an ill-fated US remake of Absolutely Fabulous, with Kristen Johnston and Girls’ Zosia Mamet as Patsy and Saffy, respectively.
Ike Barinholz
An actor, comedian and writer, Ike Barinholz both starred in and wrote for Mindy Kaling’s hit sitcom The Mindy Project, appearing as nurse and ex-con Morgan Tookers.
Ike’s other films have included Suicide Squad, Disaster Movie, Bad Neighbours (in which he shared the screen with Seth Rogen) and
He is also the executive producer of Running Point, Netflix’s answer to Ted Lasso, which recently premiered .
As well as all of that, Ike is evidently a bit of a super brain, winning the inaugural series of Celebrity Jeopardy! and making it to the final section of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?.
Chase Sui Wonders
Chase Sui Wonders’ recent credits have included the teen horror movie Bodies Bodies Bodies, the psychological thriller Daniel Isn’t Real and the comedy-drama Genera+ion, which also featured Justice Smith, Baby Reindeer’s Nava Mau and British actor Nathan Stewart-Jarrett.
Later this year, she’ll appear in the reboot of I Know What You Did Last Summer and Gregg Araki’s I Want Your Sex, co-starring Olivia Wilde and Charli XCX.
Bryan Cranston
Of course, Bryan Cranston’s stand-out role was as Walter White in Breaking Bad, for which he received four Emmys in the Best Actor In A Drama category.
Prior to that, he played patriatch Hal in the family sitcom Malcolm In The Middle (and is joining most of his former co-stars in the upcoming reboot) and has appeared in the likes of Saving Private Ryan, Seinfeld, Asteroid City and Argylle.
In 2016, he was nominated for an Oscar and Bafta thanks to his leading performance in the historical drama Trumbo.
David Krumholtz
David’s most recent hit was as Isidor Isaac Rabi in the Christopher Nolan epic Oppenheimer.
He began his career as a child actor in films like Addams Family Values and The Santa Clause, before starring opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Julia Stiles in 10 Things I Hate About You.
You might also have seen him in The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs, Hail, Caesar! and the US drama The Deuce.
Rebecca Hall
Rebecca Hall first rose to prominence in the mid-2000s, when she was cast in one of the title roles of Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona, earning a Golden Globe nomination.
Since then, the British star has played Maya Hansen in the MCU, took the lead in the hard-hitting drama Christine, appeared in Godzilla vs. Kong and made her directorial debut with 2021’s Passing, co-starring Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson.
Thomas Barbusca
As a child actor, Thomas played a young Gob Bluth in the Arrested Development reboot, Link McNeil in Grey’s Anatomy, Jimmy in the fifth season of American Horror Story and Drew in Wet Hot American Summer’s TV revival.
More recently, he’s appeared in the TV series Black Monday and the films Luckiest Girl Alive, Incoming and Missing.
Keyla Monterroso Mejia
Fans of American comedies Curb Your Enthusiasm and Abbott Elementary might remember Keyla for playing Maria Sofia Estrada and Ashley Garcia in those shows’ recent seasons.
She also recently shared the screen with SZA and Keke Palmer in One Of Them Days, as well as acting in the 2025 rom-com You’re Cordially Invited.
The first two instalments of The Studio are available to stream now on Apple TV+, with new episodes coming every Wednesday.