Hollywood’s latest satire, The Studio, is already sparking fiery debates, and Catherine O’Hara’s razor-sharp portrayal of a chaotic film executive is at the center of it all. Fans and insiders are buzzing with one burning question: Is her character, media mogul Gloria Cromwell, a thinly veiled riff on former Sony Pictures chairperson Amy Pascal?
The show, a dark comedy about the absurdity of Hollywood power players, features O’Hara as Cromwell—a quick-tempered, larger-than-life CEO known for her outrageous demands, viral meltdowns, and a knack for surviving scandals. Sound familiar? Viewers were quick to spot parallels to Amy Pascal, the industry titan who famously navigated the 2014 Sony hack, clashed with Marvel over Spider-Man rights, and became a pop culture meme thanks to her leaked emails.
“Gloria’s obsession with rebooting 90s franchises and her love for chaotic press tours? That’s 100% Amy energy,” tweeted a film critic after the premiere. Others pointed to Cromwell’s habit of berating underlings with backhanded compliments—a trait Pascal was criticized and celebrated for during her Sony reign. Even the character’s wardrobe (power blazers, statement necklaces) feels like a wink to Pascal’s signature style.
But does the comparison hold up? Showrunner Dave Holstein has played coy, telling Variety, “Gloria is an amalgamation of everyone in Hollywood who’s ever yelled, ‘Do you know who I am?’ in a parking lot.” O’Hara, meanwhile, leaned into the mystery: “I stole quirks from a dozen people… and maybe one or two from headlines.”
Pascal hasn’t commented, but insiders note she’s been laughing at the memes. After all, she’s no stranger to Hollywood’s self-parody—she executive-produced The Post and Little Women, films about strong women thriving in male-dominated worlds. Ironic? Maybe. Genius? Absolutely.
Whether Gloria Cromwell is a direct clone or just a hilarious coincidence, the timing is uncanny. Pascal recently made waves producing Spider-Man: No Way Home and the upcoming Barbie spinoff—proving, like O’Hara’s character, she’s always one step ahead.
The Studio drops its next episode Friday—and you’ll definitely want to watch before Pascal’s actual biopic drops.