The critically acclaimed Apple TV show, The Studio, is returning for a second season, and filming is currently underway. While fans are excited for the Hollywood-centric series to return, the whole event is undeniably bittersweet. The creatives are mourning the death of Catherine O’Hara , who died in January at 71. Aside from being a comedy legend, O'Hara was also an integral part of the Emmy-winning show. Now, series cast member Bryan Cranston is revealing what the production process has been like in the wake of O’Hara’s passing.
During a recent interview with Vulture, Cranston opened up about his friendship with O’Hara, which he developed while working on The Studio with her. He unsurprisingly had nothing but wonderful things to say about the late actress. Cranston specifically talked about how O'Hara's energy contributed to the show being a special experience, and how her experience and craft as an actress was apparent throughout the entire process:
The real beauty about Catherine was that when your scene is over – it’s like ‘Cut,’ and we’ll go sit down, then we’ll do another scene or we’ll do another take. You just wanted to stay there and hang out with her, because she was such a beautiful human. I mean, she was – unlike some comedic people that still try to, you know, ‘Hey, hey!’ she just went ‘OK, let’s reset,’ and was just a person and lovely. And I just miss her.
The pair didn’t share too many scenes together, as Cranston plays the Studio CEO Griffin Mill, and O’Hara played former movie studio head Patty Leigh. However, the two actors did have one unforgettable scene together where Cranston’s character is high on drugs and the rest of the main characters have to puppeteer him at a Cinema convention. Trust me when I say it's absolutely hilarious. Cranston gave one of the funniest performances, but O’Hara is also pitch perfect in the scene. Both of them are fearless performers, and it's easy to gather exactly what Cranston is saying about O'Hara based on this scene alone.
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Of course, the show must go on, as The Studio is currently shooting in Venice. However, the Breaking Bad star made it clear that Catherine O’Hara’s presence was still heavily felt on set, and her sneaky and sweet gestures were missed. As for how the cast has been keeping the late comedian's memory alive, Cranston shared some truly sweet comments (and a funny anecdote involving series lead and co-creator Seth Rogen):
We were just in Venice shooting The Studio, and we talked about her almost every day, and said how much we all missed her and missed her character. But Seth Rogen said it. He said, ‘You know, I just feel that she would have said, ‘All right, enough. Get back to work. Enough, enough. Thank you, I appreciate it. Now get back to work. Go, go, go.’ And we all laughed because that’s really true.
O’Hara might not physically be a part of The Studio Season 2, but her spirit clearly lives on through her incredible co-stars, who've sought to honor her throughout the production process. All in all, O'Hara was truly a force of nature on and off screen and, although the show simply will not be the same without her, it’s comforting to know her comedic sensibilities are being kept alive by people who loved and admired her.
Fans can revisit Catherine O’Hara’s performance on Season 1 of The Studio, which is currently streaming with an Apple TV subscription. Fans can also look forward to the second season, which is expected to be released later this year. For more information about other exciting titles heading to the small screen this year, make sure to consult the 2026 TV schedule.
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