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Apple TV+'s satirical cringe comedy The Studio debuted on March 26, 2025, with a bang. Created by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Alex Gregory, Frida Perez, and Peter Hyuck, the debut season of the Studio secured 23 Emmy nominations.
Among them, Bryan Cranston, who portrays Griffin Mill, the unhinged studio executive of Continental Studios, bagged a nomination for Best Comedy Guest Actor. The Breaking Bad actor dismissed speculation that his role in The Studio was inspired by the Warner Bros. CEO, David Zaslav, or the studio executive named Griffin Mill that Tim Robbins essayed in the 1992 black comedy, The Player.
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Instead, Bryan Cranston revealed during the Televerse Festival that he found the true inspiration for his character, Griffin Mill, from an audiobook called The Kid Stays in the Picture, which is based on the legendary Hollywood producer Robert Evans. Per Variety, Cranston said,
"Oh my God. That’s inappropriate at every level. This is the guy I’d like to play.”
Bryan Cranston on finding inspiration from Robert Evans for his role in The Studio
When The Studio premiered on Apple TV+, many viewers and industry insiders quickly drew comparisons between Bryan Cranston's character Griffin Mill and Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav. Co-creator Seth Rogen admitted in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that they felt Zaslav was the perfect inspiration behind Cranston's character. He said,
"He's much more like Bryan in this. He's kinda like a mover and a shaker, and he's like a fun guy, and he knows his reputation, so he wants to present himself as kind of cool and loose. But the things he's saying are anything but!"
Cranston was quick to shut down the idea. Speaking at the Television Academy's Televerse festival, he explained
"I did a deep dive on (Zaslav) and I thought, ‘Well, he’s so boring. There’s nothing funny about David. I’m sure he’s a great CEO.”
While noting that his performance in The Studio as Griffin Mill was inspired by the legendary Hollywood producer Robert Evans, the actor credited Evan's flamboyant, unapologetic persona. He revealed that he had drawn inspiration from his audiobook The Kid Stays in the Picture:
"In shooting this show, we were free to do every single inappropriate thing we ever thought of. That’s the fun. We get to let you know the dark sides of our character, or their inappropriate sides. It was a blast.”
By channeling Evan's mix of charm, ego, and danger, Cranston found the right tone for Griffin Mill - a studio head who embodies both the glamour and the ruthlessness of Hollywood.
Who is Robert Evans?
Robert Evans was Hollywood's ultimate showman. Born as Robert J. Shapera in 1930, Evans began his career as an actor before finding fame as a producer. He eventually became the head of Paramount Pictures in 1960, and broke records with classics like Rosemary's Baby, Love Story, The Godfather, and Chinatown.
His personal life was as dramatic as his films. From high-profile marriages to a notorious cocaine conviction and financial loss, he tasted the highs and lows of life. He made a comeback with his flamboyant memoir and audiobook, The Kid Stays in the Picture.
Robert Evans wasn't just a producer. He embodied the glam and chaos of Hollywood. He passed away in 2019 at the age of 89.
Also read: These 9 moments from The Studio will make you obsessed with the show’s comic timing
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