The Studio creators Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have opened up about how the shock death of Catherine O’Hara will impact the hit comedy’s upcoming second season.
O’Hara, best known for her work in Home Alone and Schitt’s Creek, died after suffering a pulmonary embolism in January, at the age of 71.
She had a key role as Patty Leigh, a mentor figure in Rogen and Goldberg’s Hollywood satire, which swept last year’s Emmys.
In a new interview with The Times, Goldberg revealed that the show’s second season had to be rewritten in light of her death.
“It has been an unbelievable challenge,” said Goldberg. “Obviously emotionally, dealing with the loss, but also when it comes to the show itself. We wrote it for her to be there. We had it all set and the shock waves permeate throughout the entire new season. It’s been difficult.”
Rogen added: “If anything, we’re acknowledging the idea that we are a little anchorless. But, honestly, that is a part of life and what we all experience. And so while we try to not dwell too much on heavy themes in this show, they will be there in this second season. We are not ignoring it.”
Last month, O’Hara won a posthumous Actor Award for her performance in The Studio, which Rogen accepted on her behalf with a heartfelt speech that brought many of those in the audience to tears.
“I've been given the sad honor of accepting this award on O'Hara's behalf,” said Rogen. “I know she would have been honored to receive this award from her fellow performers, who I know she respected so much. She was such big fans of all of yours.
“I, obviously, have been reflecting on the time I was fortunate enough to spend with her, working with her, and something that I've just been marveling at over the last few weeks was really her ability to be generous and kind, while never ever minimizing her own ability to contribute to the work that we were doing.
“She knew she could destroy, and she wanted to destroy every day on set.”
The first season of The Studio earned rave reviews from critics, with The Independent’s Nick Hilton awarding the Apple TV+ show four stars.
“Rogen and Goldberg (and their team of writers) deliver a comedy that is frequently laugh-out-loud funny, and even if it’s short on tenderness or social critique, it has that big, bustling kinetic energy associated with the high points of knockabout cinema,” wrote Hilton. “Television’s occupation of film’s traditional territory might not be over, but perhaps this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
