Catherine O’Hara has died at the age of 71, leaving behind one of the most immense bodies of work in the history of comedy and one critically adored project that’s yet-unfinished.
The Studio, Seth Rogen’s satirical comedy about the inner workings of show business, had the most triumphant awards season of any TV comedy this year, but its dominant performances at the Emmys and the Golden Globes pale in comparison to the loss that the show and the world of entertainment both suffered late last week.
As the second billing in a stacked cast that includes the likes of Ike Barinholtz, Kathryn Hahn and Bryan Cranston, O’Hara was the stand-out star of the show’s first season, playing former studio head and film producer Patty Leigh, who served as a both a mentor and a grounded foil to Rogen’s ever-flustered lead character Matt Remick.
According to Rogen, filming for The Studio Season Two began just two weeks ago, so Friday’s tragic news could very well put the future of the breakout AppleTV+ hit in serious jeopardy.
“We are at a loss for words at the passing of our friend Catherine O’Hara,” Rogen’s representative said in a statement to ABC News, “She was a hero to all of us, and we pinched ourselves every day that we got to work with her on The Studio. She was somehow classy, warm, and hilarious all at the same time. We’re unbelievably saddened she is gone and send our deepest sympathy to Bo (Welch) and all her family.”
O’Hara’s performance in The Studio Season One earned her nominations at both the Golden Globes and the Emmys, as critics and fans alike relished Patty’s constantly evolving character arc. In the show’s first episode, Patty was distraught at having lost her coveted position at the head of the fictional film studio Continental, and her first scene showed her tearfully berating Matt against the comically juxtaposed backdrop of Patty’s mansion in the Hollywood Hills.
Throughout the season, an embittered but empathetic Patty both guided Matt safely through professional challenges and plotted against him and Continental when her personal interests compelled her to do so. O’Hara’s incredible emotional range carried some of the most memorable scenes of the show, and, as always, her comedic timing and impeccable delivery turned solid punchlines into knockout blows.
What, now, is The Studio to do following the tragic loss of its most dynamic cast member? Undoubtedly, if the show does go on, its next season will be dedicated to O’Hara – as should the series in its entirety, quite frankly.
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