Apple Wanted Tim Cook to Appear as Himself in Comedy Show 'The Studio'

Apple wanted CEO Tim Cook to make a surprise cameo appearance on Apple TV+'s original comedy show "The Studio"—a request that was declined by the show's creator, Seth Rogen, in favor of an appearance from Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, Business Insider reports.

The Studio Apple TV Plus
Episode eight of "The Studio" includes a brief scene in which Sarandos plays an exaggerated version of himself. The show's fictional studio executive, Matt Remick, encounters Sarandos in a bathroom at the Golden Globes, where Remick expresses confusion over the frequency with which Sarandos is thanked by winners during their acceptance speeches. Sarandos replies that the gratitude is not spontaneous, but required by contract.

Rogen told Business Insider that Apple executives asked if the role could instead be filled by Apple CEO ‌Tim Cook‌ instead. "They asked if we could use ‌Tim Cook‌ instead, and we said no," he said. Sarandos's appearance on a rival platform is notable given the unusual nature of such cross-company collaboration at the executive level.

‌Apple TV‌+ has already ordered a second season of "The Studio" ahead of the series finale, which will be released on May 21.

Popular Stories

iOS 18

Here Are Apple's Full iOS 18.5 Release Notes

Tuesday May 6, 2025 2:17 pm PDT by
Apple today seeded the release candidate version of iOS 18.5 to developers and public beta testers, giving us a look at the final version of the update that will be provided to the public next week. With the release candidate, Apple provided release notes, so we have a more complete look at the new features that are included in the update, including those that weren't found during the beta...
siri glow

iPhone Users Now Able to Submit Claims in $95 Million Siri Spying Lawsuit

Wednesday May 7, 2025 11:40 am PDT by
If you owned a Siri-compatible device and had an accidental Siri activation between September 17, 2014 and December 31, 2024, you could be eligible for a payment from Apple as part of a class action lawsuit settlement. Apple in January agreed to pay $95 million to settle a class action lawsuit involving Siri spying accusations, and a website to distribute the funds has now been set up and...
Nineth iOS 19 Feature

iOS 19 Beta is a Month Away With These New Features for Your iPhone

Thursday May 8, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is just one month away, and there are already many new features and changes that are expected with it. Apple should seed the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key iOS 19 rumors...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Apple's Foldable iPhone Display Tech May Set New Industry Standard

Thursday May 8, 2025 3:29 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone will feature a new type of display panel developed by Samsung that has never been used in a foldable product, claims a source with links to Apple's supply chain. According to the account yeux1122 on the Korean Naver blog, the foldable iPhone will use a custom display process for which Apple will hold branding trademark rights, and that meets Apple's stringent ...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17: What's New With the Cameras

Friday May 2, 2025 3:52 pm PDT by
We've still got months to go before the new iPhone 17 models come out, but a combination of dummy models and leaks have given us some insight into what we can expect in terms of camera changes. Apple is adding new camera features, and changing the design of the camera bump for some models. You might be skeptical of dummy models, but over the years, they've proven to be a highly accurate...
Mayday Calendar

Apple Acquisition Hints at Upgraded Calendar App on iOS 19 or Beyond

Friday May 9, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Apple acquired Canadian startup Mayday Labs in April 2024, according to a European Commission listing, spotted by French blog MacGeneration. The acquisition had not received widespread attention from tech publications until now. Apple is legally required to report certain acquisitions to the European Commission, under the terms of the EU's Digital Markets Act. Mayday Labs founder Jeremy...
maxresdefault

Video Review: Two Months With the M4 MacBook Air

Wednesday May 7, 2025 12:42 pm PDT by
It's been nearly two months since the M4 MacBook Air launched, so we thought we'd take another look at the machine now that it's been out long enough to do some serious testing with it. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Introduced in March, the MacBook Air is equipped with Apple's latest and greatest M4 chip, so it's more than capable of handling day-to-day tasks...

Top Rated Comments

gleepskip Avatar
2 days ago at 05:49 am
Tim has the looks and voice for newsprint.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mattopotamus Avatar
2 days ago at 05:41 am
I have been loving this show. The episodes are intense, but so entertaining. This really came out of nowhere, but then again I feel like most Apple shows are that way.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iMac The Knife Avatar
2 days ago at 05:43 am
So, Tim Cook wanted Tim Cook to appear as himself in "The Studio". Got it.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TechWhisperer Avatar
2 days ago at 05:52 am
Tim is an exceptional CEO, but his timid demeanor and weak stage presence could make public appearances awkward. I’m relieved they declined, as it might have been painfully cringeworthy.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kb2755 Avatar
2 days ago at 06:10 am
And of course, I'd like to thank Sal Saperstein.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ignatius345 Avatar
2 days ago at 05:52 am
I was actually surprised at how decently Ted Sarandos acted his part in this. Tim Cook seems just incredibly stiff and awkward, even in Apple's product release videos.

Generally loving The Studio. It's definitely taking a Curb Your Enthusiasm approach to extreme social awkardness.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)