The friendship between Sarah Jessica Parker and Willie Garson transcended television, and the actor’s death hurt her.
The whole of Hollywood reacted shockingly to the news that “Sex and the City” star Willie Garson passed away at the age of 57 on September 21, 2022. The actor played various roles in multiple movies throughout his career and was a beloved star in the industry for his talent and character.
After the news of his demise broke, many Hollywood stars paid tribute to the late actor. However, one tribute unsurprisingly stood out from among the rest. The tribute posted by actress Sarah Jessica Parker was a touching and emotionally charged homage to Garson.
The late actor and Jessica Parker both starred in the iconic sitcom “Sex and the City” which became one of their most famous film roles. In the series, Garson played Stanford, the stylish, gay best friend of Jessica Parker’s main character Carrie Bradshaw. The duo had also filmed the upcoming sequel series, “And Just Like That,” together before Garson passed away.
In her tribute to Garson, Jessica Parker noted that the thought of his demise was unbearable for her. The legendary actress wrote:
“Sometimes silence is a statement. Of the gravity. The anguish. The magnitude of the loss of a 30-plus-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.”
Jessica Parker declared she would miss the late actor and would replay their last moment together repeatedly. The actress also promised to re-read all their texts and fill his absence with the blessing of their memories together. She then offered her condolences to his son Nathen.
Sarah Jessica Parker and Willie Garson’s Friendship
Although most people know Jessica Parker and Garson from their role and friendship on “Sex and the City,” they were actually very close friends off the screen. In fact, their relationship was one of the factors that helped their chemistry and their character’s friendship in the sitcom.
According to reports, the pair were real-life friends before they got cast in “Sex and the City.” Jessica Parker and Garson initially met on a blind date. However, while things didn’t work out for them romantically, the duo became best friends. The two were also very open about their friendship, and they became inseparable when they reunited to film the “Sex and the City” reboot “And Just Like That.”
Jessica Parker and Garson constantly shared friendly hugs and on-cheek kisses throughout filming. Before his death, Garson spoke about his friendship with Jessica Parker stating:
“I’ve known Sarah for 15 years. We were founded once, had a very long flirtation, and then settled on just becoming best friends. I think this is really what I read at the show.”
Meanwhile, after his death, Jessica Parker told Vulture that she felt responsible for her friend’s death. The actress also spoke about knowing the late actor had pancreatic cancer and how she cared for him during the filming of “And Just Like That. She declared:
“I knew before we started shooting that Willie was sick. He asked me to keep that confidential, and I honored that.”
Garson Kept His Diagnosis a Secret
Although Jessica Parker knew about her friend’s pancreatic cancer diagnosis, Garson kept the information hidden from almost everyone else. The actress explained she was scared for Garson during filming because it occurred during the Covid-19 lockdown. However, Jessica Parker couldn’t make his condition public and had to hide the information from their castmates.
Eventually, on his last day on set, Garson disclosed his diagnosis to the entire cast of “And Just Like That.” However, Jessica Parker said that day was excruciating for all of them because they had also filmed the funeral episode on their show. The actress noted that fiction and reality sadly looked and felt similar.
Also, Garson came to the set with the determination to complete the entire season because he had a major storyline. Sadly, the actor couldn’t achieve his goal and had to bid goodbye to his colleagues. Jessica Parker also explained that Garson knew he needed to leave to take care of himself and his son Nathen. She declared:
“I am so glad that he did that because when he passed away, he wanted to do so in an environment and circumstance that made him feel safe and comfortable.”
Meanwhile, his co-stars paid tribute to the actor in different episodes of “And Just Like That.” Garson’s death is undoubtedly a huge loss to the industry but most especially to his “Sex and the City” co-stars and his family. The actor dazzled fans with his iconic ad memorable performances, and he will be sorely missed.