Apple TV+’s The Studio will address late star Catherine O’Hara’s death in the upcoming season.
“If anything, we’re acknowledging the idea that we are a little anchorless,” cocreator Seth Rogen told The Times of London in a Friday, April 3, profile, teasing the new season of the award-winning comedy series. “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 played Patty Leigh on Rogen’s The Studio, which premiered in 2025 nearly one year before her death at age 71. The actress’ cause of death was listed as a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in the lungs, with rectal cancer as the underlying cause.
Rogen’s The Studio creative partner, Evan Goldberg, further acknowledged to The Times that it is an “unbelievable challenge” to continue filming without O’Hara.
Catherine O’Hara Shared What She Wanted to Be Remembered for Before Death
“Obviously emotionally, dealing with the loss, but also when it comes to the show itself. We wrote it for her to be there,” Goldberg said. “We had it all set and the shock waves permeate throughout the entire new season. It’s been difficult. You worded it better than we could — she was the anchor and now the anchor is gone.”
O’Hara died in January and is survived by her husband and children. As for Rogen, he was among the well-wishers to offer his condolences via social media.
“Really don’t know what to say. I told O’Hara when I first met her I thought she was the funniest person I’d ever had the pleasure of watching on screen,” Rogen, 43, wrote via Instagram at the time. “Home Alone was the movie that made me want to make movies. Getting to work with her was a true honor. She was hysterical, kind, intuitive [and] generous.”
He continued, “She made me want to make our show good enough to be worthy of her presence in it. This is just devastating. We’re all lucky we got to live in a world with her in it.”
Rogen also mentioned O’Hara in his acceptance speech at the DGA Awards the following month.
Seth Rogen Honors Costar Catherine O’Hara More Than 1 Week After Her Death
“Honestly, there’s no one we wish we could thank in person at this moment more than we would love to thank Catherine O’Hara,” Rogen, who won Best Comedy Series Director, said in his February speech. “It was an honor to get to direct her every day and we worked very hard to make the show good enough to warrant her time and her presence. So, ultimately, we would like to thank the DGA for this, but we would mostly like to thank Catherine O’Hara for being such a wonderful person and for blessing us with your presence.”
O’Hara later posthumously won the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series award at the 2026 Actor Awards last month. Rogen accepted the trophy on her behalf.
“I was asked to assume the very sad honor of accepting this award on [Catherine] O’Hara’s behalf,” the comedian shared at the March ceremony. “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 a big fan of all of yours.”
The Studio season 2 does not yet have a premiere date.
