Why Is Stanford Not in And Just Like That Season 2? A Special Tribute In Ep 1

What happened to Stanford in …And Just Like That?

What happened to Stanford in And Just Like That? Stanford Blatch makes appearances in the first three episodes of And Just Like That. In episode four of the Sex and the City reboot, Stanford is written out as he’s heading to Tokyo, Japan to help a TikTok influencer named Ashley who’s “huge in Asia.” Carrie learns this when she’s sent a letter from Stanford that reads, “By the time you read this, I’ll be in Tokyo. I couldn’t tell you—not without crying. And you have had enough crying.” Carrie subsequently receives a knock at her door from Anthony Marantino, Stanford’s husband. Anthony reveals to Carrie that Stanford also sent him a letter asking for a divorce. “I don’t get it. We were so happy,” he says.

In episode 1 of the second season, Stanford has a special shoutout. Carrie wears a kimono in which Smoke compliment. “Oh, thank you. My friend Stanford sent it to me from Japan,” she replied.

Showrunner and executive producer Michael Patrick King told Variety that Stanford was supposed to appear in all ten episodes of the first season. “Before I knew that Willie was sick and couldn’t complete it, Stanford was going to have a midlife crisis,” he said. “Stanford’s character always had a borderline career as a manager, and we were like going to explore the fact that it wasn’t a real career. It was going to be Carrie and him, feeling the shifts. Anthony and him were probably going to have split anyway.”

King continued, “Then we would keep both of them in, and everybody would be relieved that they were divorced because it was not pleasant for anybody. But there was a series of really fun, flirty, hilarious confidante scenes with Carrie that I loved. That old, old, very specific chemistry that Carrie and Stanford have, which is based totally on the uniqueness of Willie and Sarah Jessica’s history.”

He then expanded on the way that they wrote him out of the story. “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. I knew the audience would never invest in it, because they knew he was never coming back. It’s the most threadbare writing I’ve ever done just to move him along without much maneuvering, because it was just so sad. There was no way I could write myself out of that in any charming, cute way.”

He also confirmed to The New York Times in December 2021 that Stanford didn’t not die in the Sex and the City reboot. (He also confirmed that Samantha Jones also doesn’t die in And Just Like That after Kim Cattrall declined to return to the role.) “Nobody’s dead. Nobody,” King said. He explained that the writers chose not to kill off Stanford because it would have been inauthentic to the viewers. “Because it wasn’t charming,” he said. “And I knew that the audience would know.”

How did Willie Garson die?

How did Willie Garson die? Willie Garson died on September 21, 2021. An obituary in The New York Times confirmed that his cause of death was pancreatic cancer. The most common form of pancreatic cancer is pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The disease accounts for 90 percent of cases of pancreatic cancer and happens when adenocarcinomas, cancerous tumors, form in the issues of the pancreas, an organ that lies in the abdomen on the lower part of the stomach that releases enzymes that aid in digestion and produces hormones that help with blood sugar, according to the Mayo Clinic.

 Garson’s death was announced by his son, Nathen Garson, whom he adopted from the foster care system when he was 7 years old in 2009. “I love you so much papa. Rest In Peace and I’m so glad you got to share all your adventures with me and were able to accomplish so much,” Nathen captioned a series of photos and videos of his father. “I’m so proud of you. I will always love you, but I think it’s time for you to go on an adventure of your own. You’ll always be with me. Love you more than you will ever know and I’m glad you can be at peace now. You always were the toughest and funniest and smartest person I’ve known. I’m glad you shared you’re love with me. I’ll never forget it or lose it ❤️😘.”

During the filming of And Just Like That, Cynthia Nixon said that the only person who knew of Garson’s illness was Sarah Jessica Parker. “You know, the last time I saw Willie, and most of us saw Willie, maybe all of us saw Willie was at [Chris Noth’s character] Mr. Big’s funeral,” Nixon, who portrays Miranda Hobbes, said during the And Just Like That documentary. “Sarah Jessica was the only person who knew that he was ill.”

Kristin Davis, who plays Charlotte York Goldenblatt, added, “At one point, Sarah knew and the rest of us didn’t because he didn’t want us to know because he didn’t want it to be about that.”

How did Sarah Jessica Parker and the cast of And Just Like That react to Willie Garson’s death?

How did Sarah Jessica Parker and the cast of And Just Like That react to Willie Garson’s death? Sarah Jessica Parker didn’t immediately react online to one of her closest friend’s death, noting on Chris Noth’s Instagram tribute that she was still processing Garson’s death. On September 24, 2021, she posted on her Instagram, “It’s been unbearable. Sometimes silence is a statement. Of the gravity. The anguish. The magnitude of the loss of a 30 + year friendship. A real friendship that allowed for secrets, adventure, a shared professional family, truth, concerts, road trips, meals, late night phone calls, a mutual devotion to parenthood and all the heartaches and joy that accompany, triumphs, disappointments, fear, rage and years spent on sets (most especially Carrie’s apartment) and laughing late into the night as both Stanford and Carrie and Willie and SJ.”

She continued, “Willie. I will miss everything about you. And replay our last moments together. I will re-read every text from your final days and put to pen our last calls.
Your absence a crater that I will fill with blessing of these memories and all the ones that are still in recesses yet to surface. My love and deepest sympathies and condolences to you dear Nathen. You were and are the light of Willie’s life and his greatest achievement was being your Papa. These were his last words to me. “Great bangles all around.” Yes. Godspeed Willie Garson. RIP. X, SJ​”

Three months before his death, Garson told Us Weekly that he and Parker were extremely close. “As you probably know, Sarah Jessica and I were friends for 10 years before the show. And we’re still the closest of friends,” he said. “We talk almost every day.”

“I first met Willie in 1995 on the spooky nighttime set of the X-files,” Kristin Davis, who portrays Charlotte York on the show, wrote on Instagram. “He immediately made me laugh. Little did I know that we would have the joy of sharing Sex and the City + And Just Like That together. Willie is beloved by our entire community. He was smarter and funnier than you ever would have imagined. We are bereft without him.”

“I really want to pay tribute to his fearless commitment to single fatherhood,” she continued. “We spoke about being single parents through adoption often. And nothing gave him more joy and pride than his son Nathen. Nathen’s strength and wisdom beyond his years are evident in his beautiful tribute to his dad. The outpouring of love is earned dear Willie.”

“So deeply, deeply sad we have lost @WillieGarson,” Cynthia Nixon tweeted, who plays Miranda Hobbes. “We all loved him and adored working with him. He was endlessly funny on-screen and and in real life. He was a source of light, friendship and show business lore. He was a consummate professional— always.”

Kim Cattrall who plays Samantha Jones in Sex and the City but did not reprise her role in the first season, tweeted, “Such sad news and a terribly sad loss to the SATC family. Our condolences and RIP dear Willie xo.”

Mario Cantone who plays Stanford’s husband Anthony Marentino in both series posted on Instagram. “I couldn’t have had a more brilliant TV partner. I’m devastated and just overwhelmed with Sadness. Taken away from all of us way soon. You were a gift from the gods sweet Willie. Rest …I love you.”

Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis also posted birthday tributes for their dear friend.

Kristin wrote, “Today is Willie’s Birthday,” I celebrate all that he has left behind. His incredibly kind and whip smart son @nathen_garson and so many friends with wonderful memories. We struggle with your absence dear Willie. We miss you and quite frankly there is a painful hole in our hearts. I can only imagine how Nathen and the rest of the family are coping.”

Kristin also wrote, “I never take my health for granted. And I try to remember to connect and appreciate the people in my life in real time,” she added. “We miss your humor and silliness on the set and I miss our conversations about our kids. Hope you are flying free dear Willie. And love you @nathen_garson.”

On Cynthia’s part, she wrote, “Dear Willie, I am thinking of you today on your birthday,” the actress, 56, captioned an old photo of them on Instagram. “I miss you. I miss your sweetness, your snarky sense of humor and your sublime talent. I miss you when we are shooting. I miss you when not. We are so lucky to have known you but just wish so much you were still here.”