Schitt’s Creek

Schitt’s Creek is a Canadian comedy series brought to the small screen by actor Dan Levy and his father, actor Eugene Levy.

Dan Levy, who, along with his father, were two main stalwarts of the Schitt’s Creek cast, came up with the idea for the series when he began to wonder just how super wealthy families would react if they suddenly, and without warning, lost all of their money.

He turned to his father to smooth out the premise, which eventually turned into comedy gold.

Schitt’s Creek tells the story of the wealthy Rose family, Johnny, Moira, David, and Alexis, who found their fortune in video stores. Their filthy rich world all comes crumbling down when they are bilked of everything by their business manager.

The only thing they have left, and the only place they have to go, is Schitt’s Creek, a small nothing of a town that Johnny had purchased as a birthday gift joke for David.

The series brought about the reunion of Eugene Levy with actress Catherine O’Hara, the two having starred in what was intended to be the competition to Saturday Night Live in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, the sketch comedy show, SCTV, and numerous other projects throughout the years.

For O’Hara’s part, it took a lot of convincing to get her to commit to a long-running series, calling herself “lazy” and unwilling to put in the work to sustain a series. She did, obviously, decide to become one of the main Schitt’s Creek cast members.

It took a couple of years before the series caught on in America, having premiered in Canada on the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) Television for all six seasons and finding a home on Netflix after its third season.

Once it hit Netflix, though, the series took off and critical acclaim followed. So, let’s take a look at what made the comedy series so much fun – the Schitt’s Creek cast. (THERE MAY BE SOME MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD).

SCHITT’S CREEK CAST – THE ROSES

Johnny Rose – Eugene Levy

You know you’re in for some fun when Eugene Levy is involved. From his early days on the sketch comedy show SCTV to feature films such as Armed and Dangerous, Father of the Bride II, Best in Show, Bringing Down the House, Cheaper by the Dozen 2, and of course as Jim’s Dad in the American Pie movies, Levy is always around for a smile. He doesn’t disappoint in Schitt’s Creek.

Levy is the Schitt’s Creek cast patriarch, Johnny Rose. He was an owner of a very successful video store chain that brought him and his family untold wealth until his business manager took it all. Although very funny, Levy’s Rose is typically the most levelheaded one in the Rose family.

Moira Rose – Catherine O’Hara

Catherine O’Hara plays Moira Rose to the hilt. Moira is the former star of the soap opera, Sunrise Bay, and with everything she does, it typically comes with some sort of dramatic flair. If it is one thing O’Hara does well (there is actually a lot) it is dramatic flair.

O’Hara’s over-the-topness is one of the many positives of the Schitt’s Creek cast. O’Hara was immediately praised for her work as Moira Rose and as the series continued, it became clear that O’Hara was the perfect fit for Moira.

David Rose – Dan Levy

Dan Levy is one of the co-creators of Schitt’s Creek, along with his real-life father, Eugene Levy. Dan’s David Rose is immediately seen as spoiled, pampered, and bitchy. While Dan Levy is an openly gay man, he plays David as pansexual, someone who is attracted to a person based on sexual, romantic, or emotional confines rather than a specific gender.

As part of the Schitt’s Creek main cast, Levy brings a ton of humor to his character as he works with his on and off-screen father, showing he has the chops for comedy and can stand toe-to-toe with both his father and O’Hara. Dan Levy penned a number of the Schitt’s Creek episodes and next will be seen in the remake of Disney’s Haunted Mansion.

Alexis Rose – Annie Murphy

Annie Murphy plays Schitt’s Creek’s Alexis Rose to perfection. When we first meet Alexis, she is a globetrotting, spoiled, self-absorbed socialite who has no time whatsoever for her family. But as she begins to settle into their new, very poor, life, she turns to two locals to keep her “company” – Mutt Schitt (Tim Rozon) and Ted Mullens (Dustin Milligan).

There is a lot more to Alexis Rose than meets the eye. On the surface, she appears to be only about herself, but as the series continues, fans get to see her kindheartedness and generosity that she hides so well.

SCHITT’S CREEK CAST – THE TOWNIES

Stevie Budd – Emily Hampshire

The Roses meet Stevie when they first arrive at the run-down motel. Stevie is the clerk at the hotel and almost immediately becomes friends with David. For a while, their friendship turns into something more, but it was a brief fling that they decided to end but remain best buds.

By the end of the series, Stevie has decided to stay in Schitt’s Creek but has also decided to work with Johnny and Roland as they build the Rosebud Motel locations. While the small town will remain her base of operations, Stevie will also be traveling the country as needed when a new Rosebud Motel opens.

Roland Schitt – Chris Elliott

Comedian Chris Elliott has been a part of many TV series and in a number of feature films. He may be best known for the TV series, Get a Life and also as Nathanial Mayweather in the funny feature film, Cabin Boy. In Schitt’s Creek, Elliott portrays Roland Schitt, the easily offended and very nosy mayor.

Roland was always one to pull a joke on Johnny and Moira and as the Roses are leaving town one last time, Roland pulls another by putting the faces of Johnny and Moira on the town’s welcome sign. Roland also chose to stay in town to help run the Rosebud Motel.

Jocelyn Schitt – Jennifer Robertson

There always needs to be some balance in comedy. On the Schitt’s Creek cast, Jennifer Robertson provides just that as Jocelyn Schitt, the down-to-earth schoolteacher and wife to the mayor. Someone has to keep the mayor in check.

Ted Mullens – Dustin Milligan

For the longest time, it appeared that Alexis and Ted Mullens would live a happy life together. That is until Ted got a six-month research fellowship in the Galápagos Islands. By the series’ end, Ted and Alexis decide that their career paths won’t line up, so parting is the best decision.

SCHITT’S CREEK CAST MADE EMMY HISTORY

It took a little bit of time for the series and the Schitt’s Creek cast to find their footing. But by the time they reached the sixth and final season, the series was humming along. So much so that it broke records.

Season 6, which ended in 2020, saw all loose ends wrapped up neatly. The Schitt’s Creek cast and series in general went on to stand tall in the 72^nd Primetime Emmy Awards, taking home all seven major comedy awards, the first time a comedy has ever done that. It was a fitting end to a series that held many laughs and surprisingly a ton of heart.

THE CAST HAS HAD A HISTORY IN OTHER PRODUCTIONS

Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy are much more than their Schitt’s Creek characters, Moira and Johnny Rose. On top of the pair starting their careers on SCTV together, they have also starred in a number of feature films together. The pair have been in eight films together, from small bit parts in films like Nothing Personal and Deadly Companion to bigger roles in the Christopher Guest series of mockumentaries such as Waiting for Guffman, the hilarious The Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration.

Whether they appear in any other films or TV series together in the future is anyone’s guess, so seeing them paired up on Schitt’s Creek was a treat. One place they might be seen together again could be in the upcoming sequel to This is Spinal Tap as Christopher Guest will be back reprising his role as Nigel Tufnel, along with other original Spinal Tap pals Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, and Rob Reiner back in the director’s chair and acting as well.