Sean was originally a 26-year old, but Laura Linney offered the role to John Benjamin Hickey and the character was rewritten as the slightly older brother.
John Benjamin Hickey was nominated for a 2013 Primetime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie category for his role as Sean Tolkey.
Laura Linney's third role in which her character is diagnosed with terminal cancer.
The title of this show was originally "The C-Word," and some promotional materials were made using this title. But while a guest on "The Daily Show," Laura Linney told Jon Stewart that the title was changed from "The C-Word" to "The Big C" to avoid confusion with The L Word (2004), which had also aired on Showtime.
Bill Condon (director of the pilot) and Laura Linney have been friends and have worked together for years.
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