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 Levy 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 Levy’s Johnny purchased for his son David, also played by Dan, as a prank.

Schitt’s Creek’s 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

Levy 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

Levy’s son 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.