*“The Studio” premiered on March 26 on Apple TV+, and it’s already an Emmy nominee for Outstanding Comedy Series. The workplace satire dives into the chaos of a legacy Hollywood movie studio, where Seth Rogen’s character scrambles to stay relevant amid corporate and creative clashes. Dewayne Perkins shines as Tyler, the head of publicity and a loyal follower of Maya Mason, played by Kathryn Hahn.
Reflecting on the show’s success, Perkins shared, “It feels like I was a part of a group project that really exceeded expectations. So I’m happy to be part of the group. It’s really cool.” He believes audiences connect to the show’s sharp satire because “even the glistening glam of Hollywood is still, at the end of the day, humans doing things and feeling things. So I think that really created a universality that allowed people who weren’t even a part of the industry to attach themselves emotionally.”
One of Perkins’ standout moments comes in a viral episode where his character is pulled into a controversy involving casting Ice Cube and Sandra Oh as the Kool-Aid Man and his wife. For Perkins, portraying Tyler was personal. “I was able to bring a lot of what I’ve experienced in my own as I continue to work,” he explained. “The biggest job was to just make it feel real. Because I think that is what is most funny, is the audience believing that these people are real people.”
Working alongside comedy legends like Rogen, Catherine O’Hara, and Ike Barinholtz brought its own energy. Perkins described the set as feeling like “adult summer camp,” adding, “It creates a sense of camaraderie because no matter your skill level or your level of fame, if you mess up the take, you mess it up for everybody. So it was like an equalizing creative environment.”
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As for season two, which was recently confirmed, Perkins teased that fans might see a deeper side of Tyler. “Tyler has a work persona,” he said. “It would be cool to kind of see behind that, to see is this really who he is, or is this who he thinks he has to be to succeed in this environment? I’m looking for an episode where it’s revealed that Tyler is a real ass n*gga.”
Before starring in “The Studio,” Perkins built a career as a writer for shows like “The Break with Michelle Wolf” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” That experience shaped his approach to acting. “People know that I’m an improviser. They know that if there is a joke that doesn’t work, I could come up with one very quickly,” he said. “It quickly lets people know that I am an asset to a set in many different ways.”
Perkins also found breakout success with “The Blackening,” the Lionsgate horror-comedy he co-wrote and starred in, now streaming on Netflix. A sequel is in development with Perkins returning as writer and producer. “Everybody should go watch it because that is artistically my baby,” he said, calling the project a monument to his friends and collaborators who inspired the original sketch.
Despite the challenges of navigating Hollywood as a multi-hyphenate creator, Perkins remains focused on telling stories that matter. “I think I have had to expand the ways in which I navigate systems, but it has given me validation to keep pushing the stories that I want to tell despite the journey sometimes being more difficult than if I were just to make things that I know would sell,” he shared.
With “The Studio” gaining momentum and his own slate of projects growing, Perkins is carving a unique path in the industry—one filled with humor, heart, and bold creativity. Watch our full conversation with the young star via the clip below.
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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