Rogen and Goldberg Address O’Hara’s Death in Upcoming Installment

Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have confirmed that the second season of the Apple TV+ series The Studio will acknowledge the death of actress Catherine O’Hara. O’Hara, who played the character Patty Leigh, died on January 30, 2026, at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness at the age of 71.

In an interview with The Times of London, the show’s creators and directors discussed the significant impact O’Hara’s passing has had on the production of the upcoming installment. Goldberg described the experience of navigating the series without O’Hara as an unbelievable challenge, noting that the loss has created emotional and practical disruptions for the production.

Narrative and Structural Changes

The loss of O’Hara has necessitated a structural rethink of the second season. According to Goldberg, the scripts for the new season had been fully developed with O’Hara’s character as a central presence. Because the narrative was built around her, the creators have had to recalibrate the story to account for her absence.

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. You worded it better than we could — she was the anchor and now the anchor is gone.

Evan Goldberg via The Hollywood Reporter

Rogen explained that the series will not ignore the loss but will instead weave the real-life tragedy into the narrative. He stated that the production is acknowledging the feeling of being a little anchorless, framing this as a reflection of the universal human experience of loss.

While The Studio typically avoids dwelling on heavy themes, Rogen confirmed that such themes will be present in the second season as the show moves forward without one of its defining performers.