Whether it’s laughing at Alexis’ (Annie Murphy) “Ew, David!” or admiring Moira’s (Catharine O’Hara) extravagant outfits, Schitt’s Creek has presented its comedic magic to the audience through brilliant writing and bold characters. Though the series ended in 2020, many devoted fans are still re-watching it to this day (and some have just gotten into it!)
You may know that Schitt’s Creek was a family affair. Eugene Levy (Johnny Rose) is the real-life father of Dan Levy (David Rose) and Sarah Levy (Twyla Sands), but this is perhaps one of the more popular facts of the show. Like many films and television series, there is more than meets the eye. Here are some lesser-known facts about the cast and production of the series.
Dan Levy and Noah Reid Shared a Bottle of Prosecco Before The Lip Sync Scene
Every Schitt’s Creek fan will remember that scene where David (Dan Levy) serenades Patrick (Noah Reid) by lip-syncing to a cover of Tina Turner’s "The Best." Levy confessed his fear of shooting the scene and even went as far as saying it was “the scariest scene I’ve ever shot in my life. I’m terrible at memorizing lyrics, and I don’t dance, and I don’t perform like that ever.”
Before shooting the scene, Dan requested a bottle of Prosecco and split the bottle with his on-screen partner, Noah Reid. Thankfully, the bottle of Prosecco helped calm both their nerves, and this scene has remained one of the most memorable and iconic scenes in Schitt's Creek.
2000s Celebrities Inspired Alexis Rose’s Character
In an interview with Variety, Annie Murphy, who played the character of Alexis Rose, shared how she came up with Alexis for the show. Her ultimate source of inspiration came down to reality TV shows and their stars, such as the Kardashians, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and the Olsen twins. Murphy further expressed her gratuity for “— the vocal fry and the [holds out her hand]. I noticed they all carried their handbag like this. One late night I was like, “What if there was no handbag?”
Emily Hampshire And Annie Murphy Struggled Before ‘Schitt’s Creek’
Emily Hampshire, who played the character of Stevie Rudd, shared her experience before Schitt’s Creek. Hampshire told Mental Floss, “I literally had $800 in my bank account, hadn't worked in a year, was getting a divorce,”
Annie Murphy (Alexis Rose) had a similar experience to Hampshire in which she was a struggling aspiring actress who barely had any funds in her bank account, in her case — $3. That’s right, Murphy only had $3 in her account and had been jobless for nearly two years before she landed the role of Alexis Rose in Schitt’s Creek. Murphy also told Kelly Clarkson that she was about to give up on her dreams of becoming an actress and had just blown a previous audition, but two days later, she landed an audition for Schitt’s Creek.
Daphne Guinness Inspired Moira’s Style
It is hard not to recognize whichever extravagant outfit (and wig) Moira Rose (Catharine O’Hara) is wearing every time she appears on-screen. Her signature style comprises punk/grungy looks with a monochromatic palette. Many will be surprised to learn that her style is largely inspired by the English socialite and fashion designer Daphne Guinness (McQueen's muse). Guinness' black-and-white and Cruella-de-Vil-Esque hairdo (swirly and monochromatic) makes her (and Moira, of course) the fashion icon she is today.
Noah Reid Composed His Rendition of “The Best”
Another memorable moment shared between David and Patrick happens during the open mic night in Rose Apothecary when Patrick confesses his love to David by singing an acoustic rendition of Tina Turner’s The Best. The musically talented Noah Reid has given more depth to what is easily the most heartwarming moment in the whole series because the rendition was composed by Reid himself.
Recognizing Reid's musical talent inspired Levy to write scenes where they both express their love for one another through music. Levy said, “I hate listening to people talk about how they feel. I'd rather just show it. That was a great device to bring them closer in ways they didn't expect.”
Annie Murphy Co-Wrote “A Little Bit Alexis” With Her Husband
“A Little Bit Alexis” has become a sensational hit and can be heard in gay clubs worldwide and on TikTok. This may come as a surprise, but Murphy, along with her musician husband Menno Versteeg, and his former bandmate Nick Boyd, joined Murphy as co-writers of the song.
In an interview with Elle, Versteeg mentioned how Murphy described the song and the way she wanted the song to be, and one day he was in “some chain fashion store and “Work Bitch” by Britney Spears was on. The second she told me, I knew I wanted to rip off the feel of that song.”
Eugene Levy Hated Getting His Hair Wet
Many will remember that in the second episode of Schitt’s Creek, Eugene’s character, Johnny Rose, gets woken up by a leaking ceiling dripping directly on his hair. Not only did that scene set the tone of what’s to come for the Rose family, Dan Levy (David Rose) purposely wrote that scene because he knew his (real-life) father hated getting his hair wet.
In an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, while Eugene has headphones on (so he doesn’t hear anything), the other cast members of Schitt’s Creek had to guess Eugene’s biggest pet peeve on set, to which they thought, “The Drip” - the episode where his hair got wet. After taking the headphones off, Jimmy Fallon asked Eugene the same question, and he replied, “Oh, 'The Drip'. The episode in the show when my hair’s soaking wet,”
‘Schitt’s Creek’ Set an Emmy Record
Schitt’s Creek decided to end its series after a six-season run. Despite never winning any Emmys for its previous seasons, the sixth and final season set an Emmy record for most wins: nine wins, including two Creative Arts Emmys, in a single season for a comedy series. It broke the record of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s previous eight wins in 2018 and 2019.
Schitt’s Creek won nine Emmys in the categories: Best Comedy Series, Best Actor in a Comedy Series, Best Actress in a Comedy Series, Best-Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, Best-Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Best Directing for a Comedy Series, Best Writing for a Comedy Series, Best Contemporary Costumes, and Best Casting for a Comedy Series. Daniel Levy also tied the record with Moira Demos and Sherman-Palladino for most wins (four wins) by an individual in a single season.
Dan And The Team of Writers Wrote The Series Finale in Half a Day
It’s a popular notion that the finale is one of the most challenging parts of writing in a series. In the case of actor/creator/writer Daniel Levy, he (and the team of writers) only took half a day to write the finale of Schitt’s Creek.
In a talk with The 92nd Street Y, New York, Levy admitted to already knowing how the series would end; he stated, “the last episode of our show, I wrote in half a day. And I feel like that’s because we had exceptional writers that helped me,” and further added, “that last episode wrote itself.”
Dan Levy On The Last Day of Shooting: “The Most Emotional Day” of His Life
The audience, the cast members, or anyone involved in the series generally feels a certain level of sadness when a series has come to an end. Viewers who attach themselves to the actors find it difficult to part ways with their favorite on-screen characters, but these feelings are certainly more intense for those who were directly involved in the making of the series.
In an interview with GQ, Dan Levy opened up about how he felt about the last day of filming Schitt’s Creek. He told GQ that the last day of shooting was the emotional day of his life; he further added, “I cried for, I want to say, five straight hours, to the point where I had a splitting headache and didn't know what to do with my life. I wept when I took David's shoes off.”