Seth Rogen has confirmed that the upcoming second season of The Studio will address the loss of Catherine O’Hara, who died in January.
O’Hara – who played former studio boss Patty Leigh in Season 1 and won a posthumous SAG Actor Award for Best TV Comedy Actress – was unable to shoot any scenes for the new season due to her illness.
“It has been an unbelievable challenge,” series co-creator, executive producer and director Evan Goldberg told The Times.
“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. … She was the anchor and now the anchor is gone.”
Seth Rogen, who not only co-created the Apple TV comedy series but also stars as Continental Studios honcho Matt Remick, acknowledged in the same interview that the series is “not ignoring” O’Hara’s death, although he didn’t elaborate on how exactly Leigh is written out.
“If anything,” Rogen said, “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.”
The Studio won 13 Emmy Awards, including Best Comedy Series and Best Actor in a Comedy Series for Rogen. O’Hara had been nominated as Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series but lost to Hacks’ Hannah Einbinder.
There’s no premiere date yet for The Studio: Season 2, but the cast has added Madonna, Julia Garner, Michael Keaton, and Donald Glover to its ranks.
