According to Dan Levy, Catherine O’Hara not only prepared notes for the Schitt’s Creek writers, but also rewrote the entire scene “from start to finish.”
O’Hara passed away at her home in Los Angeles on January 30th after a short illness. She was 71 years old. On Monday’s episode of the “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” podcast, Levy recalled working with his friends and co-stars on the award-winning sitcom.
O’Brien told Levy, “I remember thinking it was so wonderful that Katherine was able to play that role where she was playing such a beloved character in the last 10 years of her life, because people love that character and we get to see another really interesting thing about Katherine. … It was very nice of her to have that happen.”
Levy responded, “She made it happen. I just made sure I was ready. At the end of the day, that’s what it was. Much like Moira Rose was to Katherine.” Seth Rogen once recalled that O’Hara would send him an email the night before filming saying, “Guys, I have an idea for a scene we’re going to shoot tomorrow” and “It’s going to be a complete rewrite from start to finish.”
“And as soon as he said that, it was like: I got those emails. ‘Gentlemen’ always started with ‘Gentlemen, I have some ideas,’ but then it was an incredible rewrite of the scene. And when she found a collaborator who wanted to give her that platform, it was an amazing, all-great Catherine role,” Levy said.
Levy continued, “You know, she had so much to offer, and so did she, but her way of thinking is so other-dimensional that you can’t really get into her head as a writer. So all you can really do is set the table, wait for an email to come in saying, ‘Gentlemen, I’ll think about it,’ and read the scene and say, ‘Damn, that’s right.’ I’m sure you understand, but just be prepared. ”
Levy also revealed that when she sees clips of O’Hara from the show online, she often stops and watches.
“The funny thing is, if you go on Instagram, her face is there and there are clips of Moira from the show all over the place,” Levy said. “And every time I see her – even if it’s something I’ve written – I stop and look. I don’t see anything I’ve done, but I watch because I can’t help but look at her. And it’s impossible not to love her, and it’s impossible not to laugh with her at everything she does. And it’s like an unimaginable loss. She was just an irreplaceable talent and an irreplaceable human being.”
On the podcast, O’Brien asked Levy if he owned any of the costumes from “Schitt’s Creek” and pointed out that Sarah Jessica Parker owns the dress from “Sex and the City.”
In response, Levy responded, “Are you crazy? Do you know how little that show costs? We had to sell all our clothes in season 6 to pay off the show’s debt. We didn’t have the cash. We were selective from the beginning and then we increased it incrementally. I think whatever the budget is, it’s like the standard 15%, and the budget could go up, but at 15% it’s like a pile of shells and feathers and you don’t get a lot.”
Levy said she had to sell most of her “Schitt’s Creek” wardrobe, but kept four “looks” for her roles, as well as O’Hara’s Moriah Rose and Annie Murphy’s Alexis. “Unfortunately, you can only buy my father’s suits in stores, so I have a few of them,” Levy said. “The retrospective will be small, but we have several looks,” O’Brien said. “So the museum will be like a little corner of the mall.” To this, Levy replied, “I’ll be in the corner.”
O’Hara starred in Schitt’s Creek with Dan Levy, Eugene Levy, and Annie Murphy. The show follows a wealthy family who falls victim to a scam and is left penniless overnight. “Schitt’s Creek” first aired on Canadian broadcaster CBC in 2015 and ran for six seasons until 2020. In the US, the series is available to stream on HBO Max.
Dan Levy said before O’Hara’s death that he was considering a sequel series to Schitt’s Creek.
Watch Levy’s appearance on SiriusXM’s “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” at this link.
