‘Schitt’s Creek’: Annie Murphy Auditioned for Another Role in the Cast

It fair to say that Annie Murphy shined as Alexis Rose in the Schitt’s Creek cast. Despite Alexis starting off the series as a spoiled socialite, Murphy was always able to imbue her character with charm and heart. Even when she wasn’t the best person, there was something intrinsically lovable about the blonde. Because Murphy did such a good job playing Alexis, it’s hard to imagine her portraying any other role in the cast. But Murphy actually auditioned for another character in Schitt’s Creek.

Annie Murphy was thrilled when she got her first audition for ‘Schitt’s Creek’

When Murphy first got her audition for Schitt’s Creek, it was, in fact, for Alexis. A Canadian, she easily recognized the names Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara, who were already attached to the project. She grew up watching films with the veteran actors and considered them her comedic icons. So, she jumped at the chance to audition for a place in the Schitt’s Creek cast.

Eugene Levy initially had a hard time seeing Murphy as Alexis Rose

Murphy impressed her on-screen brother, Dan Levy, right away with her audition. After seeing her, he felt confident that she should join the Schitt’s Creek cast as Alexis. However, Eugene, who co-created the show with Dan, was hung up on one small detail. While speaking with Variety, Murphy revealed that Eugene was unsure about offering her the part because of her hair color.

“Dan sent my audition to Eugene [Levy], and was like, ‘We found Alexis,'” Murphy recalled. “Eugene, who’s the sweetest man in the whole goddamn world, had a really hard time wrapping his head around the fact that I was a brunette. In his mind, Alexis was blonde. Dan was like, ‘We can dye her hair.’ But Eugene said, ‘I don’t know.'”

Murphy auditioned for both Alexis and Stevie Budd

Deciding to compromise with his father, Dan called Murphy back in to audition for Alexis once more. However, he also had her audition for the role of Stevie Budd. Ultimately, it was Emily Hampshire, who would round out the Schitt’s Creek cast as Stevie. However, Murphy ended up going through the test process for both wildly different characters.

“So Dan called me and was like, ‘I just need to see you again. We need to see your Stevie’ — conveniently a brunette,” Murphy remembered. “I flew back to Toronto, and I tested for both Stevie and Alexis. I was in L.A. for pilot season, for my third or fourth at this point, in 2013. Then waited by the phone for almost three weeks.”

Murphy was eventually offered the role of Alexis in the ‘Schitt’s Creek’ cast

Those three weeks of waiting would ultimately turn into the opportunity of a lifetime for Murphy. Dan eventually called her and let her know that she’d booked the role of Alexis. However, Murphy admits that it was rough waiting to see if she’d been chosen to be a part of the Schitt’s Creek cast. According to the Kevin Can F**k Himself actor, she’d been close to booking roles before, but ultimately lost out on them to another actor. However, the stars finally aligned for Murphy with Schitt’s Creek. We’re sure both she and her fans are pleased that Eugene finally saw past her brown locks.