Seth Rogen reveals how The Studio cast and crew returned to set hours after Catherine O'Hara's death
The Studio creator and star Seth Rogen reflects on being back on set just hours after finding out Catherine O'Hara had passed away.
Seth Rogen has revealed The Studio cast and crew returned to set hours after finding out Catherine O'Hara had died.
The 44-year-old actor and series co-creator has admitted everyone involved in the second season of the hit Hollywood comedy decided getting back to work on the first week of shooting was for the best after finding out O'Hara had died aged 71 on January 30.
He told the New York Times newspaper: "We heard she passed away one morning. It was the first week of shooting.
"It was really, really sad. We were all together, the whole crew, and everyone loved her very much. We didn't know what to do, and we just kept shooting...
"I think the idea of making each other laugh and being together felt preferable to anything else we could have done that day."
The comedy, which gives fans a peek behind the curt in the film industry, starred O'Hara as former studio head Patty Leigh, who serves as a mentor for Rogen's Matt Remick.
Rogen admitted he had been in a tough position of hoping O'Hara would be healthy enough to return to The Studio, while also preparing in his mind for the possibility she wouldn't be able to.
He explained: "It was just incredibly sad. We started to hear she was sick. As we were nearing the second season, we would talk to her and she really wanted to come back.
"Honestly, in the back of our heads we were like, 'We hope she can, but we don't know if she'll be able to.'
"So it is this very sad thing where, creatively, in the back of your mind, you're making contingency plans but you don't want to think about it. But your brain is kind of telling you one thing and you're trying not to believe it."
Rogen noted that the Schitt's Creek star "was the one that we wanted" on The Studio "more than anybody".
He added: "She was like a god to us, especially as Canadians. Home Alone is the movie that made me want to make movies.
"And then as we got older, we became obsessed with Christopher Guest’s films, Waiting for Guffman. Beetlejuice was one of my favourite movies ever growing up.
"To us, she was as funny as a person could be. Getting to work with her on the first season, it really pushed us to want to do right by her and to make the show live up to her standards."
