If anyone was going to play a fictionalized version of themselves that doubled as a Hollywood action star and also a wild party animal in The Studio, it was going to be Dave Franco.
Franco stars as himself in several episodes of the Seth Rogen-helmed Apple TV+ series, and in the latest episode, which premiered May 14, the actor is living it up at a party thrown by Rogen’s character in Las Vegas ahead of the studio’s big Cinema Con presentation.
“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,” Rogen, 43, tells PEOPLE of crafting Franco’s hilarious, multi-episode storyline.
“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.”
Franco, 39, “always had a big, happy smile on his face” on set, says Catherine O’Hara, who plays Rogen’s former boss on the show, and the rest of the cast agrees. “Always. [He had] so much energy.”
“Dave is the best, really the best,” Ike Barinholtz says.
Kathryn Hahn adds that the Now You See Me star has the “best vibe,” and Rogen, 43, can’t help but agree with the praise of his longtime friend as he recalls the role he played in the start of Franco’s career.
“Oh yeah, Dave is the best,” Rogen says. “Dave’s first, I think, on-camera thing was Superbad.”
Barinholtz excitedly recalls that Franco’s character was known for having “pissed his pants” in the 2007 comedy, and Rogen says, “I know. He was like 15 or 16 or something like that. People don’t forget.”
Rogen’s longtime friendship with Franco stemmed from his pre-existing relationship with his older brother James Franco.
The duo was a force in the comedy world for two decades following their roles on Freaks and Geeks in 1999. However, after allegations of sexual misconduct against James were raised by some of his former acting students in 2019, Rogen’s friendship with the Oscar nominee seemed to end.
James, 47, told Variety in October that he hadn’t “talked” to Rogen recently, cementing the rift between the actors.
“I love Seth, we had a great 20 years together, but I guess it’s over,” James told the outlet.
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The season 1 finale of The Studio premieres Wednesday, May 21 on Apple TV+.
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