US actor Seth Rogen has paid tribute to the late Catherine O'Hara during his acceptance speech for the BAFTA international award.
Award-winning actress O’Hara was known for roles in Home Alone and Schitt’s Creek, and played mentor figure Patty Leigh in acclaimed Apple TV series The Studio before her death in January aged 71, after a cancer diagnosis.
Rogen, 44, was among the stars to pick up the award for the hit comedy series, and remembered the Hollywood star as "one of the key parts of the show" during his speech.
Standing on stage at the Royal Festival Hall on Sunday, Rogen said: "I really didn’t expect this to happen at all.
"When you make a comedy and you’re up against dramas especially, it feels really good to beat them, I have to say. It doesn’t happen that often. It’s a rarefied thing. This award show, so cool. Thank you for having us here."
Rogen joked about actress Celia Imrie, after a video of her time on hit BBC reality show Celebrity Traitors was aired during the ceremony.
He said: "I assume this woman in the green dress is a very skilled and talented woman. All I know is that she farted on a reality show. I’m interested in your other work now, obviously – what else have you done?"
Rogen thanked the cast, crew and production behind the hit TV series, his wife of almost 15 years, Lauren Miller Rogen, and Apple, adding: "It’s ironic, we made a show about how much studios suck but our studio is fantastic."
As the award-winning actor paid tribute to O’Hara, he said: "I’d be remiss not to mention one of the key parts of this show, Catherine O’Hara. She meant so much to all of us.
"I assume her work was as important to you all over here as it was to us. So this is for Catherine. Thank you all very, very much."
Canadian-American actress O’Hara, also known for the Beetlejuice films, died of pulmonary embolism at her Los Angeles home on 30 January.
Source: Press Association
