Mario Cantone Heartbreak: Actor Thought Willie Garson Was ‘Kidding’ After Opening up About Tragic Health Condition Before Death

By Ashley Malone

Mario Cantone recently spoke out and candidly recalled when his on-screen partner, Willie Garson, opened up about his tragic medical condition to him. He thought he was "kidding" at first.

Speaking in an interview with People Magazine, Cantone, who plays the role of Anthony Marentino in "And Just Like That," said he had no idea about his good pal's cancer diagnosis until he told him.

"I thought he was kidding. And then he turned his head and I saw his look and I went," the actor said.

He then sat down beside Garson, leading them to cry together.

Most of the filming of "Sex and the City" HBO Max sequel, real-life best friend Sarah Jessica Parker was the only person who knew about the actor's pancreatic cancer.

More recently, Cantone expressed his sentiments over how the show handled his on-screen partner Stanford Blatch's storyline.

"I love that scene," the actor said about his character telling Carrie Bradshaw that his husband is getting a divorce as he's moving to Japan to handle a TikTok star. He added, "I think it's beautifully written." (via Elle Magazine)

Elsewhere in the interview, Cantone expressed his excitement over the show's second season even though it has not been renewed yet.

He noted that the entire cast "wanted to do it" as they enjoyed working with each other in the first season.

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The actor also opened up about how he wanted his character to be still a part of Carrie Bradshaw and Charlotte York's life, especially Miranda Hobbes, as there is a "shift" in her life after deciding to move to Los Angeles with her partner, Che Diaz.

Since his character is technically single, he wanted to meet another man that he could connect with, even though it worked out or not.

"I'd like a little bit more," he added.

Willie Garson's Supposed Storyline Revealed by 'AJLT' Creator

In early reports, Michael Patrick King revealed Willie Garson's character was supposed to appear in all ten show episodes. However, he became ill, leading him to leave filming.

Explaining Standford Blatch's story, the show's creator said he was going to have "a midlife crisis." (via Daily Mail UK)

In addition, the character will eventually question his life choices and explore if being a manager "wasn't a real career."

Speaking about his relationship with Cantone's role, King noted that their marriage was "not pleasant for anybody," so it's a relief for all the characters on the show.