Seth Rogen has opened up about the profound impact of Catherine O'Hara's death on the upcoming second season of Apple TV+'s The Studio, describing the production as feeling "anchorless" without the beloved actress.
In a recent interview with The Times of London, Rogen explained that the show will directly acknowledge O'Hara's absence rather than avoid the painful reality. "If anything, we're acknowledging the idea that we are a little anchorless," he said. "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."
O'Hara, who passed away in January at age 71 following a brief illness, played Hollywood executive Patty Leigh in the show's first season. Her loss has created both emotional and creative challenges for Rogen and his creative partner Evan Goldberg.
"Obviously emotionally, dealing with the loss, but also when it comes to the show itself," Goldberg explained. "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."
Rogen previously honored O'Hara's contributions during a March awards ceremony where he accepted a posthumous Actor Award on her behalf. He revealed that O'Hara would regularly email him and Goldberg with rewritten versions of her scenes before shooting days.
"Literally 100 percent of the time," Rogen recalled, "it made not just her character better, but it made the scene better and the entire show better as a whole."
The creative team now faces the difficult task of moving forward with season two while honoring O'Hara's legacy and addressing the void left by her passing.