‘Schitt’s Creek’: Why Annie Murphy Refers to Catherine O’Hara as ‘a Witch’

Annie Murphy has never made a secret of just how much she admires Catherine O’Hara. The Candian actor grew up revering the Home Alone star and thought of her as acting royalty, especially in the comedic world. So when Murphy learned that she’d be playing O’Hara’s daughter in Schitt’s Creek, she was over the moon.

Who did Annie Murphy and Catherine O’Hara play in ‘Schitt’s Creek?’

In Schitt’s Creek, Murphy portrays Alexis Rose, daughter of O’Hara’s Moira Rose. While the pair have a semi-fraught relationship at the beginning of the series, over time, their bond grows and deepens. But the love fest between Murphy and O’Hara seemed to start from the very first day that the pair were on set together. The Kevin Can F**k Himself actor admitted that she was a bit intimidated about working alongside such a seasoned professional. However, she explained that O’Hara went out of her way to put her at ease.

Murphy admits that she was nervous to be starring opposite O’Hara

“I was riding such a high from booking a job,” Murphy revealed to Variety about being cast in Schitt’s Creek. “I was so excited about that, I forgot that I would have to actually act with these people who I’d idolized for so long. The night before, I was like, ‘Holy f***. What have I done?'” Fortunately, O’Hara and Eugene Levy made Murphy feel comfortable right off the bat. “Eugene and Catherine were so incredibly nice,” Murphy recalled. “They made me feel accepted and protected and safe. It was family right out of the gate.”

Not only did Murphy feel safe and protected, but she also got a masterclass on comedic acting by watching O’Hara every day. Even after working with the actor for multiple seasons of Schitt’s Creek, Murphy was impressed by what O’Hara managed to bring to her role. In fact, Murphy seemed to liken O’Hara’s talents to magic.

Why Murphy refers to O’Hara as a witch

“There are times when Catherine just goes on a tear,” Murphy shared. “Still, six seasons in, Dan [Levy] and I are complete s*** at keeping it together because when she goes, it’s amazing. We, for the most part, have to be annoyed at whatever Moira’s doing, you know? And all I want to do is get a box of popcorn and just sit and watch her do her thing. It’s not even improv, but the way she chooses to pronounce a word can shock you to hell — making the word ‘how’ into seven syllables. I don’t know how she does it, but she’s a witch.”

The ‘Schitt’s Creek’ cast and crew often had to disguise their laughter when the Rose matriarch was performing

In fact, O’Hara was so good at her job, that Murphy and Dan Levy often had to find ways to disguise their laughter when their on-screen mom was performing. Though the cast improvised very few moments in the six seasons of Schitt’s Creek, O’Hara was particularly skilled at leaving the cast and crew in stitches with her colorful dialogue. And while it made Murphy’s job more difficult, the actor reveals that trying to swallow her laughter at O’Hara’s antics was one of the best feelings. Clearly, the cast had just as much filming the show as viewers did watching it.