Tragic Details About The Cast Of Schitt's Creek Are Heartbreaking

The beloved Canadian sitcom "Schitt's Creek" famously featured a stacked ensemble cast, including father-son duo Eugene and Dan Levy, Catherine O'Hara, and Annie Murphy, with the fan-favorite series running for six seasons from 2015 to 2020. Following a more low-key first few years, the comedy became a massive hit with audiences when it was made available for streaming on Netflix, garnering critical acclaim and making Primetime Emmy history as the first comedy to sweep the four main acting categories.

Despite the series being held in such high regard, touting iconic performances and endlessly quotable lines, the cast members of "Schitt's Creek" all experienced their own heartbreaking hurdles throughout their careers. Hollywood and the world were left devastated by Catherine O'Hara's tragic death in January 2026, her sitcom family mourning the actor's loss and the legacy she left behind. O'Hara's sudden death led fans both old and new to revisit her extensive acting repertoire and the side-splitting sitcom, many curious about the real lives of its cast members. Each actor has faced and overcome adversities on their respective journeys to become small screen superstars.  

Born to a Jewish family in Ontario, Canada in 1946, Eugene Levy attended Westdale Secondary School, where he faced antisemitic bullying while running for student council president. His campaign posters were targeted by a vandal who crossed out his last name and instead wrote "Jew." The discriminatory act did not discourage Levy from running, as he bravely confronted the anonymous perpetrator in an address to the student body, during which he encouraged the vandal to take a cold, hard look in the mirror. Levy then defiantly announced his pride of being Jewish in his speech, and he ultimately went on to win the election and become president. 

The celebrated comedian became an advocate for Hollywood's Creative Community for Peace (CCFP), a non-profit that provides antisemitic resources and support for the creative arts through the help and influence of prominent entertainers. Levy was honored by the organization in 2022 for his efforts to raise awareness and stop the spread of hate. Levy reflected upon the adversity he faced in his youth and the disheartening experience at the gathering. "What I took away from that as a 17-year old was, wow, if you can actually get people to a point of feeling shame for their own despicable thoughts and actions or for following the despicable thoughts and actions of others, then that can be a giant first step in turning heads and eventually eradicating hatred and bigotry," he said (via the Jewish Journal).

The road to stardom for comedian extraordinaire Catherine O'Hara was not without it hurdles. The actor kicked off her enduring career in 1974 when she joined The Second City improv group, subsequently becoming a breakout star in the sketch comedy show "Second City Television" (SCTV) alongside fellow comedians like Eugene Levy, John Candy, and Martin Short. Despite being one of the troupe's most dynamic performers, O'Hara faced rampant sexism in the comedy world as a woman.

"The sexism was still a holdover at that time. That generation of guys had been raised by an older generation, and depending on who raised them, they looked at women a certain way," O'Hara told Vulture of her early days on "SCTV" and its challenging environment. "But because they also did character work and not stand-up, I think they weren't just working from their own ideas, so they were open-minded. I love those guys, and no one was ever cruel. It was just a case of numbers, and that was a product of the times." O'Hara remained defiant and let her undisputed talent speak for itself, the actor going on to craft an enduring acting resume that quieted naysayers. She successfully expanded her career from the small screen to the cinema, appearing in beloved hits like "Beetlejuice," "Home Alone," and "The Nightmare Before Christmas" before tackling the iconic role of Moira Rose in the beloved sitcom "Schitt's Creek." 

Chris Elliott started off his career as a writer and regular performer on "Late Night with David Letterman" in the '80s, the comedian showcasing his signature surreal humor in his routines on the talk show. After initially being offered a gig at "Saturday Night Live" in 1985 by Lorne Michaels, Elliott eventually joined the hit series for the 1994 season but unfortunately did not enjoy his time there. At 34 years old, Elliott felt out of place with his younger co-stars, and he didn't want to put up with the both the toxic work environment and long hours.

"I had a terrible time," Elliott told Salon.com of his "SNL" days, pointing out how iconic cast members like Adam Sandler and Chris Farley had to actively battle it out for time on screen. "It's a really unhealthy process. You're doing comedy but you're competing with your fellow cast members for airtime. I had never worked in an environment like that." Elliott did express how nice his castmates were and how performing in the actual episode of the show was the easy part, but he simply felt out of place.

Elliott departed the sketch series after just a single season, subsequently experiencing many highs and lows in his career until nabbing the role of Roland Schitt in "Schitt's Creek" back in 2015. The 1994 season was infamously torn to pieces by critics and, as a result, much of its cast (including Elliott) and writers departed for a major revamp.  

Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara were close friends with Second City alum John Candy, the talented trio memorably sharing the screen multiple times throughout their respective careers. When the comedy legend tragically passed away from a heart attack in 1994 at 43 years old, the comedian's death left Levy and O'Hara devastated; O'Hara even gave a touching eulogy at Candy's memorial service. "His movies are a safe haven for those of us who get overwhelmed by the sadness and troubles of this world," she said in her poignant eulogy (via GOOD). "As if he knew he'd be leaving us soon, John left us a library of fun to remember him by." O'Hara further honored her beloved friend in the tear-jerking speech by proclaiming, "God bless, dear John, our patron saint of laughter." 

Candy's death also had a profound effect on Levy, as Candy's former co-star had a lot to say about the Hollywood icon's legacy. "I loved John dearly. We were very, very close friends. I think I worked with John more than anybody else in TV, and on four or five movies," said Levy, per the National Post. "John was a lovely man, first of all, who cared deeply about people. And he was, I think, one of the most gifted comedic actors that honestly has ever been in the business. He made such an impact in his movies and people truly loved him ... It always seems like John is still around." 

Prior to landing her big break as the spoiled-yet-lovable Alexa Rose on "Schitt's Creek," Annie Murphy nearly quit acting altogether after suffering a series of heartbreaking setbacks. During an appearance on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," Murphy reflected on her life before landing the hit show and detailed her unfortunate luck, which included having just $3 in her bank account. "Just before 'Schitt's Creek,' things were quite bleak. My house had just burnt down, I had like, $3 in my bank account, I hadn't worked in close to two years," she told the host (via People). "And I had just blown my very first screen test — like blown it, blown it, blown it. I found myself crying in the Pacific Ocean, a very snotty cry, and the universe was like, 'Don't do this anymore. This is not for you!' But then, two days later, I got the audition for 'Schitt's Creek.'" 

In the original unaired pilot, Alexa was portrayed by "Saturday Night Live" alum (and Chris Elliott's daughter) Abby Elliott, though she was unable to commit to the show due to prior commitments. "Schitt's Creek" co-creator and star Dan Levy immediately thought of Murphy to take over the role, as the actor provided a "wonderfully natural likability" to the character, per The 92nd Street Y, New York. The success of "Schitt's Creek" kickstarted Murphy's stunning transformation; she received numerous accolades for her scene-stealing role as the socialite with a heart of gold, including a Primetime Emmy Award and Gracie Award.

Dan Levy followed in his famous father's footsteps and set out to pursue a career in Hollywood. The actor and filmmaker made a name for himself when he co-created and starred in "Schitt's Creek," a testament to Eugene and Dan Levy's strong working relationship. As for their personal relationship, Dan came out to his parents when he was 18 years old, but Eugene admitted that he and his wife Deborah knew Dan was gay before he officially came out. While Dan's famous family was supportive of him coming out, the same cannot be said for everyone.

Early in his career, Dan faced homophobia while working on "MTV Live" in the 2000s. In 2023, the actor discussed the mistreatment he experienced and the overall lack of sensitivity during his time there. "I remember walking into work one day and someone asked me what I did on the weekend. I said, 'Well, I installed a dimmer switch in my apartment.' And that person said, 'Wow, it's almost like you're a real man,'" he said on an episode of the "Phone a Friend with Jessi Cruickshank" podcast (via People). "And I thought, 'This isn't right.' But at the time, there was no sensitivity, and there was nobody to go to because it was a different time." This wasn't the first time the actor experienced homophobia, as he called out journalist John Doyle in 2017 for using a homophobic slur and disregarding Dan's hosting career in relation to his work on "The Great Canadian Baking Show." Dan used his platform to raise awareness and educate the writer about the power of derogatory words.

Dan and Eugene Levy decided to turn "Schitt's Creek" into a family affair when they enlisted the youngest Levy member, Sarah Levy, to join the sitcom as the perpetually cheerful waitress Twyla Sands. Sarah tragically lost her Los Angeles home in the Pacific Palisades fire that spread through the Santa Monica mountains in 2025. The actor detailed the traumatic event with a devastating post on Instagram, which featured an old photo of a sunset taken from her home before its destruction. "Oh, my sweet home. My heart so deeply aches," Sarah began the post. "What I would give to hear the key slide in the front door one more time or the baby gate click behind me as I bring the laundry upstairs. To hear the garbage truck outside every Tuesday and watch James run to the window to look. To smell the eucalyptus and the roses and the rosemary," she further wrote in the lengthy caption. 

Her father Eugene was also one of many who were affected by the blaze, as he too had his home burn down. Eugene had managed to evacuate his home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood before the flames sadly destroyed it. Sarah and Eugene were two of the thousands of people who were displaced from the relentless fire, with fellow stars like Paris Hilton and Billy Crystal amongst the famous figures to be afflicted by the blaze.

During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Annie Murphy found herself (like many people) struggling with severe depression and grappling with the state of the world. In February 2020, Murphy had been riding high on the massive success of "Schitt's Creek" and had been cast in her first major follow-up project, the dark dramedy series "Kevin Can Go F*** Himself." Filming was supposed to commence in March 2020, but the pandemic delayed the production by months, prompting Murphy to return home to Canada prior to the beginning of the lockdown.

"My mom was like, 'You're crying 12 times a day hysterically, to the point where your teeth are chattering. That's not normal,'" she told The Zoe Report, which prompted the actor to seek out a therapist and discover she had depression. "I was like, 'Damn it, I'm depressed.'" Murphy opened up about the stigma surrounding celebrities who complain about their problems, revealing that taking antidepressants and routinely going to therapy vastly helped improve her mental state. "A lot of people are going to think that I sound like I'm playing a tiny violin for myself," she further told the outlet. "'Oh, you're rich and famous. Why the f*** are you sad? You have nothing to be sad about.' But I'm not going to post photos of me covered in my own snot, lying on the floor, unable to get up. I don't want people to have to see that." 

Following his Emmy-winning work in the beloved sitcom "Schitt's Creek," Dan Levy set his sights on the big screen and focused on making his directorial debut with the dramedy "Good Grief," a project that he also wrote, produced, and starred in. Levy opened up about how the death of his grandmother inspired him to take on the project, as he used his profound grief as fuel to pen the screenplay of the film. "I lost my grandmother towards the end of the pandemic, and I was really kind of in a state of grief but really trying to figure out what the grief meant, and I knew that I really wanted the next thing that I did after 'Schitt's Creek' to be about friendship," he told ETalk. "And so it was about the combination of how would friendship come to comfort someone in the wake of a great loss." 

Levy wanted to shine a light on the power of friendship and how it can help navigate someone through such a devastating loss. "Good Grief" premiered in December 2023 and garnered positive praise from both critics and audiences, who singled out Levy's poignant storyline and refreshingly honest point-of-view as a filmmaker. The movie features the diverse talents of stars such as Ruth Negga, Luke Evans, and Himesh Patel. With a 76% Rotten Tomatoes score, the powerful project helps pave the way for future films from Levy.

Hollywood legend and beloved actor Catherine O'Hara suddenly passed away on January 30, 2026 at 71 years old from complications of a pulmonary embolism and, secondarily, rectal cancer. She had gone to the hospital after having difficulty breathing and had been in serious condition when she died later that day. Her death sent shockwaves throughout the industry and beyond, with her friends, family, and fans all mourning the loss of the talented performer. 

Her "Schitt's Creek" co-stars movingly paid tribute to O'Hara, whose her legacy and impact on the entertainment industry is immeasurable. Eugene Levy mourned the loss of his lifelong friend in a moving statement. "Words seem inadequate to express the loss I feel today. I had the honor of knowing and working with the great Catherine O'Hara for over 50 years," Levy said (via Entertainment Weekly). "From our beginnings on the Second City stage, to 'SCTV,' to the movies we did with Chris Guest, to our six glorious years on 'Schitt's Creek,' I cherished our working relationship, but most of all our friendship."

O'Hara's on-screen children, Dan Levy and Annie Murphy, also honored the celebrated star. Dan declared in an Instagram post, "What a gift to have gotten to dance in the warm glow of Catherine O'Hara's brilliance for all those years. Similarly, Murphy took to Instagram to express how much she learned from the actor: "[O'Hara] would have never presumed to call herself a teacher (too self-deprecating, too Canadian) but holy f***, was I ever a student," she wrote.