Seth Rogen won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, claiming the first award of the night for Apple TV+’s comedy The Studio.
Rogen, a co-creator of the series who plays newly promoted studio head Matt Remick, thanked his wife, mother, colleagues, agents, managers and the show's writers in an acceptance speech in which he said he had not prepared remarks. "Thank you! Wow, this is amazing. I so could not wrap my head around this happening that I literally prepared nothing," Rogen told the audience. "I’ve never won anything in my life. When I was a kid, I bought a used bowling trophy at an estate sale, and my parents were like, ‘Yeah, that’s a good idea…’ Thank you to my wife, my mother, everyone who works on the show, my agents, my managers, the writers, everyone who guests start on the show. Thank you so much. This is really just so lovely. I don’t know, I don’t know what to say! This is so nice. Thank you. I appreciate you all. Have a good one."
Viewers and fans of The Studio immediately noted one conspicuous omission from Rogen's remarks: a thank-you to Sal Saperstein, the recurring character played by Ike Barinholtz. In Season 1, Episode 8, titled "The Golden Globes," the show staged a running gag in which a series of celebrities at an awards ceremony thanked Sal Saperstein, a figure from the characters' past. The episode featured cameos from Ted Sarandos, Zoe Kravitz, Quinta Brunson and Adam Scott, among others, and the Sal shout-outs became a prominent comic beat within the series.
Fans reacted on social media after Rogen's speech, with some noting that the moment might have been an opportunity to extend the inside joke to the real-world awards stage. "I was hoping that Seth Rogen would start the bit from the show and thank Sal Saperstein. A missed opportunity for a great inside joke," one user wrote.
The Studio entered the Emmy telecast as one of the night's most-nominated series, with 23 nominations and 10 wins at the ceremony to date. The show has been widely praised by critics and viewers for its ensemble cast, industry satire and high-profile guest appearances. Rogen's win marked a notable accolade for the series early in the night.
The 77th Emmy Awards were broadcast on CBS on Sept. 14 and streamed on Paramount+. The ceremony, hosted by Nate Bargatze, included efforts to keep acceptance speeches brief through a charity-focused challenge, a tactic organizers said was intended to balance airtime while supporting philanthropic causes.