And Just Like That Cast Emotionally Reflects On Willie Garson's Cancer Diagnosis
"And Just Like That," HBO's revival of "Sex and the City," just ended its first season, and boy, what a ride it's been. Before the series even premiered, it got off to a rocky start when it was announced that Kim Cattrall would not be returning as fan-favorite Samantha Jones. Then, scandal rocked the series when Chris Noth was accused of sexual assault by several women, following the Peloton death of his character, Mr. Big, in Episode 1. Also throughout its run, the series has been heavily critiqued by fans and critics alike for its less-than-lackluster plot lines and its "wokeness."
Any fan of the dramedy series, though, is sure to miss the presence of Willie Garson, who tragically died from pancreatic cancer on September 21, 2021. Garson's character Stanford Blatch was known as confidante to Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), and many loved the easygoing chemistry between the two best friends. Garson was supposed to star in all 10 episodes of "And Just Like That," the series' executive producer Michael Patrick King said to Variety, but sadly he was only able to film three, as he died while the show was still in production.
Now with the release of HBO Max's behind-the-scenes documentary on "AJLT," Garson's castmates have spoken out following his death.
Sarah Jessica Parker was the only castmate who knew about Willie Garson's illness
Willie Garson's death was made all the more tragic when "And Just Like That" producer Michael Patrick King revealed his plan's for Garson's character Stanford. "There was a series of really fun, flirty, hilarious confidante scenes with Carrie that I loved," he told Variety. But rather than kill Stanford off in the show, King instead had him run off to Tokyo to go on tour with an artist he was managing. "Life and death is one thing in fiction: When it's real, it's not funny or cute. I didn't want to even flirt narratively with cute business about where he is," King said.
In the recently-released documentary, it was revealed that Sarah Jessica Parker was the only one of the "AJLT" cast and crew that knew his cancer diagnosis. Kristin Davis, who plays Charlotte York Goldenblatt, said, "He didn't want us to know because he didn't want it to be about that."
Parker heartbreakingly detailed Garson's last few days on set and his silent struggle. "If he could've stayed one more day, two more hours, three more weeks, he would've summoned the strength and pushed away the terrible pain that he was in." She clarified, "I mean like pain, like physical pain." Parker seemed to be just as close to Garson in real life as their on-screen counterparts were. "God, I can't believe I can't call Willie," she said. I cannot believe I can't call him. I just can't believe it."