The most recent episode of Apple TV+’s The Studio culminates with what just might be the funniest scene on TV this year. And it turns out a real-life flying “quesarito” led directly to the on-screen incident. Throughout Episode 5, aptly titled “The War,” studio executive Sal Saperstein (played by Ike Bairnholtz) and junior exec Quinn (Chase Sui Wonders) engage in an escalating tit-for-tat rooted in their attempts to produce competing low-budget horror movies.
The feud climaxes with Sal chucking a burrito (more specifically a “quesarito”) at Quinn, missing her entirely and hitting a golf cart-driving AD directly in the face. The cart crashes into a movie set, causing widespread destruction and chaos. It turns out the scene was rooted in a real-life incident involving the wife of one of the show’s creators.
The IRL Inspiration Behind the Quesarito Incident
Speaking exclusively with IGN, The Studio's Creator, Co-Showrunner, Executive Producer, and Writer Alex Gregory explains: “My wife was a PA on a sitcom that I shall not name where a PA got the wrong burrito order. An Executive Producer of the show hurled the burrito at the PA. Fortunately (it) hit the wall.”
While the laugh-out-loud moment was inspired by a true story, the team behind The Studio mostly used CGI to create the on-screen mayhem. “That was mostly CG,” Gregory says, “It had gone through various iterations of ‘the golf cart destroys something.' We went through (a series of) models and I think it ended up being purely CGI.”
How Veep Influenced The Studio
To date, The Studio has featured many farcical scenes similar to the burrito mayhem in “The War.” Pratfalls and physical comedy abound, while the dialogue and storylines are biting and incisive. Gregory, who served as a writer on the political comedy Veep, says the shows share similar sensibilities.
“When we would go to Washington (for Veep),” Gregory says, “we would hear from people that Veep (was) the most accurate portrayal of DC. Veep is a bunch of people trying to do the right thing and failing because of conflicting agendas. The Studio has that same sense of panic. Hollywood and Washington are fueled by perception. If you're perceived the wrong way, it can be catastrophic.”
The Celebrities Who Made Cameos Were in on the Joke
Key to The Studio’s comedy is a parade of A-list cameos. Everyone from Martin Scorsese to Zac Efron, Charlize Theron, Olivia Wilde, and horror directors Parker Finn and Owen Klein have made appearances so far. Gregory says all of the celebrities who’ve appeared on The Studio fully bought into the bit, even if it meant portraying themselves in an unflattering light.
“Everyone who did a cameo knew what the joke was,” Gregory says. “They were brought in at a very early stage to say, ‘Hey, are you comfortable with this?’ They were all a key part of the creative process. Everyone brought something to the table. I think it was probably cathartic for a lot of them. And so I think because the show is not mean-spirited and not targeted at anyone that everyone felt pretty comfortable.”
The One-Shot Format Made Filming Easier
The filming style of The Studio is unique in that each episode plays out as a series of single-shot scenes, a technique that was extensively referenced in Episode 2 - “The Oner.” It turns out that the format actually made the production easier.
“On an average show,” Gregory says, “(you have to film) the master, then you’ve got to change lenses, (then) do mids, and then you're going to do close-ups. (With The Studio) the actors have to be completely dialed in. There is an energy to the scenes that is palpable and you cannot fake it because it's like theatre. Everyone was present. (We didn’t have) crazy long days. There were times when we finished early. It was awesome.”
Check out our review of The Studio, where we said, "Hollywood glamour mingles amusingly with dumb fun” in Seth Rogen's comedy.
