News of Catherine O’Hara’s death in January prompted an outpouring of grief, tributes and renewed celebration of her most iconic performances, from Beetlejuice to Best in Show. But for actor, writer and showrunner Dan Levy, the loss is clearly still deeply felt.
In an emotional interview on CBS Sunday Morning, Levy revealed he had been considering a Schitt’s Creek sequel before O’Hara’s death, but said he could not imagine continuing without her.
“No, not now. No. You can’t,” Levy said through tears as he walked with CBS’s Anthony Mason through Goodwood, Ontario, the town used as the setting for Schitt’s Creek.
Levy visited the location in March while promoting his new Netflix series Big Mistakes, marking his first return since the sitcom wrapped. Reflecting outside the real-life storefront used as Rose Apothecary, he admitted the experience hit him harder than expected. “It’s tough. It’s tough going back. I didn’t think I’d have quite an emotional reaction,” he said. “Just a lot of memories. A lot of memories with Catherine.”
He added that the thing sustaining him most is the memory of their time together, along with the many clips that continue to circulate online. Speaking about O’Hara’s comic legacy, Levy joked: “It’s what you have to hold onto is the memories of it all… and an incredible clip reel. Listen, for someone who was not on the internet, she knew how to meme.”
When Schitt’s Creek debuted on CBC in 2015, it quickly won over audiences with its strange, sharp and endlessly quotable characters. The series ran for six seasons and became a major hit in the United States, culminating in a record-breaking Emmy sweep in 2020.
Levy also reflected on one of the show’s most beloved moments: Moira Rose’s chaotic fruit wine advert. He said he knew while filming it that, even if nothing else landed, he desperately hoped that particular scene would find a life online.
While discussing Big Mistakes, Levy said he has not let the success of Schitt’s Creek become a burden. Instead, he sees the show as something to celebrate, not something future work has to outdo. And while he may not be returning to that world on screen, he made clear that he will always carry the memories of the cast and their time together.
“We had the best time. We had the best time. She had the best time,” Levy said of O’Hara, whom he described as “awe-inspiring” and “one of the great, great, great, great queens”. “It’s an amazing thing to be a part of something that she loved so much. You know, it feels very special.”
