Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos makes acting debut with Apple TV+ series that premieres globally on March 26

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos makes a surprising acting debut, playing himself in an episode of Apple TV+'s new series, "The Studio," which premieres globally today, March 26. The satirical comedy, created by Seth Rogen, offers a "Curb Your Enthusiasm"-style take on Hollywood, and features Sarandos in a cameo at the Golden Globes. In the scene, Sarandos reportedly interacts with Rogen's character, a struggling movie studio head, humorously acknowledging Netflix's competitive presence.
In a recent interview to Variety, Sarandos spoke about his acting debut with Apple. Said to be known for his driven nature, Netflix CEO said that he readily agreed to the role, stating, "I said yes right away. Seth sent it to me, and I thought it was really funny." He also emphasized his focus on professionalism during filming. "I was really super conscious about not forgetting my lines. I just didn’t want to slow anything down and cost them money."
"The Studio," a ten-part series, marks another collaboration between Apple TV+ and Rogen, following the success of "Platonic." Rogen, who also stars as the studio head Matt Remick, revealed to 9to5Mac that his relationship with Sarandos predates Netflix's streaming dominance, dating back to its DVD-by-mail era. Notably, Rogen admitted to bypassing Apple's approval for the cameo. "I just emailed him. I did not ask our Apple partners if I could do this," Rogen said. "I went ahead and sent him the script and was like, ‘We have this joke. You actually deliver this wisdom that helps permeate throughout my arc in some ways.’ He instantly was like, ‘Yes, if I can make this work in my schedule, I’d love to do it.’”

In the Variety interview, Netflix CEO Sarandos also spoke about Apple's content strategy for its streaming service. When asked about Apple TV+, Sarandos said, "I don’t understand it beyond a marketing play, but they’re really smart people. Maybe they see something we don’t."