It turns out Ike Barinholtz‘s tales from the Hollywood trenches are a little less NSFW than Continental Studio VP Sal Saperstein’s might be.
Which doesn’t mean The Studio star, a 2025 Emmys nominee for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, didn’t have a dicy story to share with Zuri Hall on Live From E!: 2025 Emmys.
And best for everyone involved, it wasn’t about him.
“I know a studio exec who got so drunk at a wrap party,” Barinholtz exclusively told Hall on the red carpet, “and thought he would be, in good humor, kind of making fun of one of the actors. And he is not in the business anymore.”
So, not a storybook ending for that guy, but, Barinholtz noted, “He was a long time coming, I think.”
Looking meaningfully into the camera, he added, “Hopefully that doesn’t happen tonight.”
What might happen at the Sept. 14 ceremony at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater is a record-setting night for The Studio, which led all comedies this year with 23 nominations, including Barinholtz’s first-ever Emmy nod. (See all of the stars on the 2025 Emmys red carpet.)
He’s up against some stiff competition in his packed category with The Four Seasons‘ Colman Domingo, Shrinking‘s Harrison Ford and Michael Urie, Somebody Somewhere‘s Jeff Hiller, The Bear‘s Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Saturday Night Live‘s Bowen Yang.
Seth Rogen could also become the first person to win Emmys for producing (should The Studio be named Outstanding Comedy Series), lead actor in a comedy series, directing and writing in one year.
But, as Barinholtz pointed out, The Studio has already been renewed for a second season.
“So, even if we don’t win tonight,” he said, “the real winning is getting to do more episodes.”
Not to mention the kind note he got from season one (and Emmy-nominated) guest star Martin Scorsese, who will be making his Kool-Aid movie elsewhere, thank you.
“That’s surreal, I still don’t believe that happened,” Barinholtz admitted. “I think that was a dream I had. I’ve known Seth forever and he’s such a great guy, and I get to do this show with my friends, and every once in awhile people like Martin Scorsese show up. It’s wild.”
Meanwhile, whoever does win tonight, whether it’s for The Studio or not, had better remember to thank Sal Saperstein.
See all the award-worthy fashion at the 2025 Emmys:
Outstanding Drama Series
Andor
The Diplomat
The Last of Us
Paradise
WINNER: The Pitt
Severance
Slow Horses
The White Lotus
Outstanding Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Hacks
Nobody Wants This
Only Murders in the Building
Shrinking
WINNER: The Studio
What We Do In The Shadows
Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Sterling K. Brown, Paradise
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Pedro Pascal, The Last Of Us
Adam Scott, Severance
WINNER: Noah Wyle, The Pitt
Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Kathy Bates, Matlock
Sharon Horgan, Bad Sisters
WINNER: Britt Lower, Severance
Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us
Keri Russell, The Diplomat
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Zach Cherry, Severance
Walton Goggins, The White Lotus
Jason Isaacs, The White Lotus
James Marsden, Paradise
Sam Rockwell, The White Lotus
WINNER: Tramell Tillman, Severance
John Turturro, Severance
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Patricia Arquette, Severance
Carrie Coon, The White Lotus
WINNER: Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt
Julianne Nicholson, Paradise
Parker Posey, The White Lotus
Natasha Rothwell, The White Lotus
Aimee Lou Wood, The White Lotus
Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Adam Brody, Nobody Wants This
WINNER: Seth Rogen, The Studio
Jason Segel, Shrinking
Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
Jeremy Allen White, The Bear
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Uzo Aduba, The Residence
Kirsten Bell, Nobody Wants This
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
WINNER: Jean Smart, Hacks
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Ike Barinholtz, The Studio
Colman Domingo, The Four Seasons
Harrison Ford, Shrinking
WINNER: Jeff Hiller, Somebody Somewhere
Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear
Michael Urie, Shrinking
Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Liza Colón-Zayas, The Bear
WINNER: Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Kathryn Hahn, The Studio
Janelle James, Abbott Elementary
Catherine O’Hara, The Studio
Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary
Jessica Williams, Shrinking
Limited or Anthology Series
WINNER: Adolescence
Black Mirror
Dying for Sex
Monsters: The Lyle & Erik Menendez Story
The Penguin
Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Colin Farrell, The Penguin
WINNER: Stephen Graham, Adolescence
Jake Gyllenhaal, Presumed Innocent
Bryan Tyree Henry, Dope Thief
Cooper Koch, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Cate Blanchett, Disclaimer
Meghann Fahy, Sirens
Rashida Jones, Black Mirror
WINNER: Cristin Milioti, The Penguin
Michelle Williams, Dying for Sex
Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Javier Bardem, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
Bill Camp, Presumed Innocent
WINNER: Owen Cooper, Adolescence
Rob Delaney, Dying for Sex
Peter Sarsgaard, Presumed Innocent
Ashley Walters, Adolescence
Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
WINNER: Erin Doherty, Adolescence
Ruth Negga, Presumed Innocent
Deirdre O’Connell, The Penguin
Chloë Sevigny, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
Jenny Slate, Dying for Sex
Christine Tremarco, Adolescence
Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Giancarlo Esposito, The Boys
Scott Glenn, The White Lotus
WINNER: Shawn Hatosy, The Pitt
Joe Pantoliano, The Last of Us
Forest Whitaker, Andor
Jeffrey Wright, The Last of Us
Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Jane Alexander, Severance
Gwendoline Christie, Severance
Kaitlyn Dever, The Last of Us
Cherry Jones, The Handmaid’s Tale
Catherine O’Hara, The Last of Us
WINNER: Merritt Wever, Severance
Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Jon Bernthal, The Bear
WINNER: Bryan Cranston, The Studio
Dave Franco, The Studio
Ron Howard, The Studio
Anthony Mackie, The Studio
Martin Scorsese, The Studio
Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Olivia Colman, The Bear
Jamie Lee Curtis, The Bear
Cynthia Erivo, Poker Face
Robby Hoffman, Hacks
Zoë Kravitz, The Studio
WINNER: Julianne Nicholson, Hacks
Talk Series
The Daily Show
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
WINNER: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Reality Competition Series
The Amazing Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Survivor
Top Chef
WINNER: The Traitors
Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program
RuPaul Charles, RuPaul’s Drag Race
Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Kevin O’Leary, Barbara Corcoran, Robert Herjavec Daymond John, Daniel Lubetsky, Shark Tank
WINNER: Alan Cumming, The Traitors
Kristen Kish, Top Chef
Jeff Probst, Survivor
Scripted Variety Series
WINNER: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
Saturday Night Live
Host for a Game Show
Elizabeth Banks, Press Your Luck
Steve Harvey, Celebrity Family Feud
Ken Jennings, Jeopardy!
Colin Jost, Pop Culture Jeopardy!
WINNER: Jimmy Kimmel, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Structured Reality Program
Antiques Roadshow
Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives
Love Is Blind
WINNER: Queer Eye
Shark Tank
Unstructured Reality Program
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
WINNER: Love On The Spectrum
RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives
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