Dan Levy Feels Comforted Knowing Everyone Loved Catherine O’Hara

I feel like I started watching Schitt’s Creek right before lockdown. Maybe a year or two before. So much of that time feels like a blur. Still, I do remember snuggling up with my wife on the couch and crying and laughing as this dysfunctional family tried to pull itself back up. It was an incredibly heartfelt endeavor that made me feel wonderful every time I watched it. To be a bit hacky, it was simply the best. And a big part of its quality was Catherine O’Hara’s supreme performance.

To be clear, I thought everybody on that show was phenomenal. There were comedy legends and newcomers, all of whom could make you laugh or cry at the drop of a hat. Still, dammit, O’Hara was positively next level, crafting a character that somehow felt over-the-top and not of this world, and yet one hundred percent believable. She practically stole every scene that she was in (but also knew how to be a supporting player). And Dan Levy, one of the show’s creators, is happy to have that legacy.

O’Hara passed away in late January. It was devastating and unexpected, and no, Levy is doing his first press tour. So, of course, her passing was brought up, as she was not only his co-star but a close family friend for decades. While appearing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the host offered his condolences, and Levy noted that the loss affects everyone. “Listen, it’s like a collective loss, I think,” he explained. “She was the greatest. She’s irreplaceable. The great comfort for me has just been to see how loved she was — the outpouring. Everyone felt like they kind of knew her.”

My wife and I spent the first night after O’Hara’s passing watching Best in Show. We needed to celebrate and admire her. But, while we were honoring her, it felt like she was giving a gift to us at the same time. It was really incredible. She was a giant and will be missed for a very long time. But at least we got to spend the time with her that we did.