I don’t know about you, but as I watched the 2025 Emmy Awards, I couldn’t wait to hear someone from The Studio thank Sal Saperstein. However, it never happened during the prime time portion of the ceremony, and Seth Rogen explained why. Don’t worry, though, Ike Barinholtz’s vice president of Continental Studios got his flowers thanks to Apple TV+.
Why Seth Rogen Didn’t Thank Sal Saperstein At The Emmys
Over the course of the Emmys telecast, Seth Rogen got up to give speeches four times, as the show won Outstanding Directing, Writing and Lead Actor for a Comedy Series, as well as the biggest award of its genre, Outstanding Comedy Series. Not once did he, or anyone who took the stage with him, thank Sal Saperstein.
That came as a surprise, because at the Creative Arts Emmys, where the comedy won awards for Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Costumes, Cinematography, Production Design, Casting, Picture Editing, Guest Actor and Music Supervision, the character was thanked numerous times. However, after winning, Rogen was asked at a press conference why he didn’t give a nod to the character who was thanked over and over again at their fictional Golden Globes during the show’s eighth episode, and he said (via Deadline):
It’s our own joke. It feels weird to reference your own joke in my opinion.
Well, I can understand their reasoning there. However, I still would have liked to see the fictional exec get his flowers on the real-life telecast.
Barinholtz did too, as he hilariously cut in during the press conference to make it known that he was “very disappointed” by the lack of a callout as well. However, have no fear. While Rogen understandably didn’t want to thank Sal Saperstein, Apple did, and it did it in a very fun way.
How Apple Thanked Ike Barinholtz’s Character After The Emmys
Apple TV+ and its best shows have had a lovely run on the 2025 TV schedule, as their many Emmy wins this year showed. It took home multiple awards for many projects, including Severance and Slow Horses; however, its biggest winner was The Studio, as it became the most awarded comedy ever. So, after the awards, the platform put up a billboard that thanked Sal Saperstein, take a look:
Well, that’s just perfect!
I’ll always wish Rogen thanked Sal (and maybe he will if The Studio wins for Season 2). And, even though Noah Wyle most certainly deserved his win, I’ll always wonder if Adam Scott would have thanked Sal if he won for Severance, considering it was him who started the bit on The Studio. Oh, and I can't help but hope that Ike Barinholtz had thought about thanking himself if he took home gold. However, in the end, I’m happy we got something thanks to the winners at the Creative Arts Emmys and this billboard.
Plus, if you really want to go back and see Scott, Quinta Brunson, Aaron Sorkin, Zoë Kravitz, Jean Smart and Ramy Youssef playing themselves and thanking Sal Saperstein, you can always go back and rewatch The Studio with an Apple TV+ subscription.
