The Schitt’s Creek Cast Pays Tribute To Catherine O’Hara

The world is mourning Catherine O’Hara after the comedy legend died on Jan. 30 at the age of 71, and the cast of Schitt’s Creek is among them. Following her death, O’Hara’s former co-stars on the Emmy-winning series are paying tribute, including her frequent collaborator Eugene Levy and his son, series creator Dan Levy.

In 2015, O’Hara reunited with Eugene for the sitcom, where she played former soap star and family matriarch Moira Rose. The sitcom followed the once-wealthy Rose family as they lost their fortune and were forced to move into a motel in the one asset they still owned, the small town of Schitt’s Creek, which Eugene’s Johnny purchased for his son, David, also played by Dan, as a prank.

The Schitt’s Creek audience started small but surged in popularity after episodes began streaming on Netflix, and went on to last an impressive six seasons. Moira Rose, especially, grew a cult following with her soap opera dramatics, bewildering wig collection, and unique vocabulary that became a language among fans (and even the Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

O’Hara went on to win the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the show’s final season. “I will forever be grateful to Eugene and Daniel Levy for the opportunity to play a woman of a certain age, my age, who gets to fully be herself,” she said during her speech. Read her castmates’ tributes below.

Eugene Levy

Eugene paid tribute to his frequent collaborator in a statement. “Words seem inadequate to express the loss I feel today,” he said, as per Entertainment Weekly. “I had the honor of knowing and working with the great Catherine O’Hara for over 50 years. From our beginnings on the Second City stage, to SCTV, to the movies we did with Chris Guest, to our six glorious years on Schitt’s Creek, I cherished our working relationship, but most of all our friendship.”

Dan Levy

Dan took to Instagram to pay respects to his onscreen mother. “What a gift to have gotten to dance in the warm glow of Catherine O’Hara’s brilliance for all those years,” he wrote. “Having spent over fifty years collaborating with my Dad, Catherine was extended family before she ever played my family. It’s hard to imagine a world without her in it. I will cherish every funny memory I was fortunate enough to make with her.”

Annie Murphy

Taking to Instagram, Murphy shared throwback photos and a note detailing what she learned from her onscreen mom. “She would have never presumed to call herself a teacher (too self-deprecating, too Canadian) but holy f***, was I ever a student,” she wrote. “Here are a few Coles Notes for those who also want to study: Giggles always. Jokes first. As looking as they feel right in your bones. When you find the people you love and make you laugh, stick with your lovers and laughters.”

In the caption, Murphy paid tribute to O’Hara’s laugh. “Ha-ha-HAAAA?!?! Her laugh was a perpetual Yes, And...,” she wrote. “It challenged anyone who heard it to join in, and be as delighted as she was. Gosh, were we ever lucky to have her.” She ended her tribute by referencing one of her most iconic Schitt’s Creek lines, “#goodbyetoagreatactress,” complete with the sunglasses emoji.

Emily Hampshire

Hampshire, who played motel manager Stevie, remembered O’Hara in two Instagram posts, one of which recalled the infamous “naked photos” scene on Schitt’s Creek. “I’m pretty sure this was the only take where I was able to suppress all AUDIBLE laughter at the word ‘spooky’ coming out of Catherine’s mouth,” she wrote. “I remember this being one of my favorite days on set with her.”

She also wrote an emotional letter, saying there was “no one more alive” than O’Hara. “I was lucky enough to work with her at the beginning of my career,” she recalled. “She was just as kind and generous then as she was after six years of working together on Schitt’s. That’s simply who she was with everyone. So pathologically kind and generous that it inevitably seeped into her characters.”

Sarah Levy

Eugene’s daughter and Dan’s sister, Sarah, who played waitress Twyla on Schitt’s Creek, shared a sweet behind-the-scenes photo of O’Hara on Instagram. “This one cuts deep,” she captioned the post. “What an honour it has been to know and work with and love Catherine O’Hara. Cheers to all that you brought to this world — you will be so, so missed.”

Noah Reid

Reid, who played Moira’s future son-in-law Patrick, also shared BTS snapshots on Instagram, saying he was at a “total loss” and insinuating his castmates felt the same. “Meeting Catherine was surreal, like meeting a painting or a hologram or a saint,” he wrote, in part. “Knowing Catherine was a gift I still can’t believe I got to receive. The coolest, kindest, realest, funniest, most genuine. The best of us. An electrical current of creativity I haven’t seen before or since.”

Jennifer Robertson

O’Hara’s onscreen frenemy Robertson shared a photo of their Schitt’s Creek characters to remember her co-star. “Being in Catherine O’Hara’s orbit was a beautiful and magical gift,” she wrote. “She was an absolute star who never understood why people made such a fuss over her. Catherine was truly one of a kind. Her passing is a loss for everyone who knew and loved her, and a loss for Canada.”

Chris Elliott

Elliott, who played Mayor Roland Schitt, issued a statement to USA Today. “Working with her and Eugene was a dream come true for me — made all the more special because Catherine was such a warm-hearted, generous, and humble human being,” he said. “I will always remember the laughs we shared on screen and off, and I’ll never forget our fun shopping spree at Joe Fresh.”