Ron Howard earned his first-ever acting Emmy nomination Tuesday when he was recognized for his guest-starring role on “The Studio.”

Being recognized for acting "never even crossed my mind because it was so beyond the realm of feasibility," Howard tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview after learning of his Emmy nomination

Martin Scorsese and Ron Howard received their first ever acting Emmy nominations on Tuesday for their appearances in Apple TV+’s The Studio. The two were nominated in the best guest actor in a comedy series category alongside The Studio c ostars Dave Franco Bryan Cranston and Anthony Mackie, as well as The Bear ‘s Jon Bernthal.