#HannahMontana 20th, now streaming on @disneyplus 🥲
Getting to produce this special felt surreal, like stepping into something that shaped me long before I ever imagined I’d be a part of it. It’s one of those rare full circle moments you can’t really plan for. We are really proud of what was made, and we hope the fans feel just a fraction of the joy our crew poured into it.
So much love to MC, her amazing team and the whole crew, led by our two fearless leaders, @ashleyedens and @wrenchsam .
There has been a lot of grief lately.
A few years ago, I was producing a TV show where a group of men, including James, would eventually take their clothes off on camera and dance to ‘Hot stuff’ by Donna Summer, all in the name of cancer awareness. It sounds absurd, and was absurd.
Before filming, James and I met quietly on Zoom. Months before the world knew what he was carrying, he shared his diagnosis, no preamble, no performance.
On our first day together, we sat drinking lukewarm craft services green tea, talking about cold plunges, silence, and the Scandinavian way of doing things. He tried to convince me to do ayahuasca in Costa Rica. I said no. He smiled and told me not to knock it. That was James.
Over the week, I spent hours interviewing him. On camera and off. Talking about grief, fear, and the strange moments of peace that show up when you least expect them. About how expensive cancer treatment is… We joked, saying that the most controversial thing you can say out loud is “healthcare should be a right.”
Between takes, he was constantly FaceTiming his kids. Sending videos. Narrating what was happening like he was bringing them along with him. Every time he would hang up the phone he would say, “I’m the luckiest man in the world.”
His story mattered because he refused to look away. I hope it reminds us to check in. To take care of ourselves and our community. Maybe it’s time for a trip to Costa Rica.
These are some of my favorite moments from the show.
He was truly one of the good ones. ❤️🩹
When I was just starting out, I was an assistant in a rented tuxedo, standing at an emmys after party in a parking lot, unsure of my place in any of it. And then I saw her.
Catherine O’Hara, sitting with her husband, alone and unguarded, not surrounded by attention and not basking in the reverence she so easily deserved. Schitt’s Creek was a Canadian hit (but hadn’t surfaced in America quite yet).
I found the courage to walk over and introduce myself. I told her how much her work meant to me, how deeply her comedy had shaped the way I saw the world. And I asked if Winky from ‘Best in Show’ was still alive.
What stayed with me was not the legend, but the ease of her presence and the kindness. The way she listened as if this brief conversation truly mattered. There was no rush… no distance.
We sat together for what felt like a long time. We talked about Canada, about home, about the things that anchor you when work becomes overwhelming. We talked about what brought her back to play Moira Rose, about saying yes only when it feels true (or when the paycheck feels… true enough). The whole time she was convinced there was no way I even knew who she was, quizzing me about her catalogue.
Then she offered advice I have carried with me ever since.
“The business may feel like everything when you are just beginning, but please know, none of this is real life. None of this is what truly matters. It’s a farce. Keep good people close and make time for the world beyond the work. Oh, and leave LA once in a while.”
Before I left, she asked her husband to take a photo of us. “Your mom will know who I am” she laughed. She hugged me. wished me well, and sent me on my way.
As I walked away, she called out one last thing… “Winky is dead, sweetheart.”
Rest in peace to the one and only Catherine O’Hara ❤️🩹
