Dave Franco has opened up about his unexpected Emmy nomination for his guest appearance on The Studio, admitting he never imagined it would happen.
The actor and director, who is married to actress Allison Brie, recently spoke with PEOPLE about the moment he found out he had been nominated for Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series and the surprising emotions that came with it.
Franco’s Surprising Emmy Nomination
Franco, 40, shared that his initial reaction to the Emmy nomination was one of disbelief. “I truly did not think this nomination was even a possibility,” he confessed. “When I first watched the episodes [after filming], I thought, ‘Oh no. This is my favorite show, and I’m about to come in and ruin it.’”
He went on to recall the morning of the nomination announcement. “Allison and I didn’t know when the nominations were being announced, so we were in our kitchen when I got a text from my publicist that just said ‘EMMY NOMINATION.’ I go, ‘Oh my God. I think I just got nominated for an Emmy.’ I had to Google it. I didn’t believe it.”
Franco admitted that even after hearing the news, he couldn’t wrap his head around the idea of being recognized for his cameo. “It’s insane,” he added, joking about how he had initially doubted it.
The Psychedelic Cameo That Earned the Nomination
Franco’s Emmy-nominated performance is in The Studio, where he plays a highly exaggerated version of himself while on a psychedelic trip. His character is also tasked with presenting at a high-profile awards show, which adds to the absurdity of the situation. Franco noted that the fun of playing this version of himself was stepping far outside his own reality.
“I’m someone who doesn’t generally get very f—– up, or go to Vegas very much or do literally anything that I’m doing in this episode,” he shared in a previous interview with Entertainment Weekly. “So that’s the fun of it all: Trying things that I don’t generally do.”
Franco added that the challenge of playing such a wildly different version of himself was one of the most enjoyable aspects of the role, giving him the freedom to embrace the chaos and have fun with it.
Working with Allison Brie: Their Fifth Collaboration
In addition to discussing his Emmy nomination, Franco also spoke about his working relationship with his wife, Allison Brie. The couple recently teamed up for their fifth creative collaboration, the film Together. When asked about the challenges of working together, the couple laughed off concerns about their partnership.
“Ultimately, it says more about their relationships than ours,” Brie explained, referring to those who question how they manage to work and live together.
“They’re projecting something onto us because they’re thinking about how difficult it would be to work with their own partner, and we’re like, ‘Don’t put that on us! We love this!’” Franco agreed, emphasizing that they genuinely enjoy working together.
“It’s important for our independence,” Brie continued, noting that they still take on solo projects to maintain their individual identities. Franco added, “We don’t want to burn people out on us, where they’re just like, ‘Go away.’”
Looking Ahead: Together and Future Projects
As for their latest project, Together, Franco described the experience as one of constantly pushing boundaries. “It’s just felt like we keep upping the ante, and I don’t know how we will top this one in terms of the insanity of it all,” he said with excitement.
While the couple is thrilled with their collaborative work, they also acknowledged that they need to take on solo jobs to maintain their sense of individuality. Brie is set to star as Evil-Lyn in the live-action Masters of the Universe movie, due out next year, while Franco will appear in the upcoming Now You See Me: Now You Don’t.
Together is currently playing in theaters, and fans can expect to see more of the Franco-Brie creative partnership in the future.
