Did you know Catherine O'Hara almost rejected her now iconic Schitt's Creek role

Schitt's Creek is a Canadian TV show with six seasons in total. The story is based on the Rose family, who once lived a glamorous and rich life. Johny owned a video store business and Moira was a famous soap opera actress. The story took its turn when their manager stole their money and disappeared.

Catherine O'Hara, who played Moira in this TV show, almost rejected her role. If she hadn't taken that role, she would have never won her Emmy Award. Sadly, on January 30, 2026, she died at the age of seventy-one. It is hard for the Schitt's Creek fans to imagine Moira without her.

Continue reading more about the story.

Catherine joined Schitt's Creek

Catherine agreed to join this TV series and her concept made it even stronger. She gave Moira many twists and turns that fans loved. Dan Levy shared that Catherine gave many ideas. He said:

"She came to me with some references in terms of how the character would look, and she was thinking of having this sort of accent ... I remember finding it all quite dazzling."

If anyone replaces her, the person should have to follow her bold clothes, her wigs with names, as well as her strange yet charming way of speaking. The actress had put her footprint on the show as Moira. A change in the cast will not be of any use. No one can replace Catherine.

In order to continue the show, the creators have to find other ways to manage this issue. For example, by showing the character dead, exiting permanently. O'Hara revealed:

"I just asked if I could wear lots of wigs, depending on my mood. It works for fashion reasons, it works for hiding or revealing what I'm feeling, it works as a protective helmet. So, it's just too much fun."

O'Hara's style choices made sense for fashion and helped turn the character into something unforgettable. However, the truth is that Catherine was such a great performer that any project became better the moment she joined in.

Catherine was always essential for Schitt's Creek

In 2020 Catherine admitted to The Av Club:

"It's so stupid. Really, it's lame to talk about not wanting to do it in the beginning. How stupid would I have been not to have done it?"

Her co-star and longtime collaborator Eugene Levy (who played Johnny Rose) said that he doesn't want anyone else to replace Moira's role. He said:

"She's always, like, a first choice. She was a first choice with the movies that Christopher Guest and I did. I mean, number one name. 'Let's get Catherine."

Levy once told Catherine that he needed only 15 minutes to explain the show's concept. He even said that if the show sold without her, he would not bother her about taking the role. The show did sell without her at first. But Levy and his son Dan, who created the series together, soon realized that Catherine was the missing piece. They knew that the series would not work without her.

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