What To Know
- Dan Levy sported a black floral pin in honor of his on-screen mom, and he later joinedHome Alone star Macaulay Culkin andSchitt’s Creek costar Annie Murphy to honor her on stage.
- Catherine O’Hara died in January.
As celebratory as the evening might’ve been at the 2026 Primetime Emmy Awards, there was one TV family for whom it was a somber affair.
Schitt’s Creek star Dan Levy revealed on the red carpet that he and costar Annie Murphy were indeed coming in to pay tribute to their late, great, on-screen mom, Catherine O’Hara.
Speaking to E!, the show’s creator and star revealed that he was wearing a black floral pin in honor of O’Hara, who played the quirky logophile and daytime TV alum, Moira Rose.
After confirming that his tuxedo was created by his friend and Celine designer Michael Rider, he explained, “I feel great, and I have a little black rose in honor of my Creek family, who I’m honoring tonight. And you know, it’s a strange, surreal evening, to be honest.”
He then explained the challenge he and Murphy would face in celebrating O’Hara’s memory, saying, “Listen, we have like two minutes collectively between three of us to talk about her. So there’s like a mad race to say… How do you distill so many feelings into such a small gesture? But I think all you can really do is lead with love and lead with your most sincere thoughts and feelings, and hope that you honor a woman whose legacy is so much bigger than all of us.”
When prompted to share any stories he didn’t get to fit into the then-upcoming segment, Levy said, “I think it’s just Catherine was such a singular force, and I remember looking back on my time and thinking, ‘Just let her do her thing, give her space, give her anything she wants. If she wants to wear wigs, let her wear wigs. If she wants to name those wigs, let her name those wigs. Do anything you can to make her happy because what she is doing on this show is next level.’ And to be here at the Emmys, I mean, one of the greatest nights of my life was at the Emmys with her, watching her win for a performance that, to be perfectly honest, should have been nominated a few years prior, but that is what it is.”
On stage,Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin andSchitt’s Creek stars Dan Levy and Annie Murphy shared their memories of O’Hara.
Culkin said first. “Catherine O’Hara. We remember her as the forgetful mother, right? Yeah, but we’ll never forget about her. There are all kinds of words I could use to describe Catherine. She was encouraging. She was warm. She was funny. But the word that I think of is, ‘Mama.’ She wasn’t just a wife and mother to Matthew and Luke. She was my mom. She was our mom, and by extension, she’s all of our mama. By the way, call your mother away, for real,” he remembered. “But like a good mom, she always showed up when I asked her to, because that’s Catherine. That’s what she did. She showed up, and this is the best that we can do for her tonight. We’re showing up for her. So she may have forgotten me twice, but we will always remember her.”
Murphy was up next and said, “Catherine’s laugh was a perpetual and it challenged anyone who heard it to join in and be as delighted as she was, and she spread that delight everywhere. After we lost Catherine, I was passed a note on an Air Canada flight, that said, ‘She was so special. I hope you’re doing OK.’ On a drive up north, I was hugged by an extremely gruff-looking gas station attendant who was also grieving her loss.” Murphy went on to remember buying wine as someone imitated her “bebe” cadence and said, “These are only a very few of the interactions I’ve been lucky enough to have that remind me how profoundly Catherine has impacted the world, and it’s because she brought us joy.”
Levy then added, “The greatest lesson I learned from Catherine, both professionally and personally, was to always say yes. Say yes to her instincts, all of them, as radical as they may sometimes seem, she is miles ahead of you, and you will learn to catch up. Say yes to helping her build a TV character over the age of 60 that wears leather miniskirts and eight-inch heels and speaks in a strange, sometimes unintelligible transatlantic accent.
And note that she will not scare an audience away. Say yes to that rewrite she emails you, sometimes the night before: ‘Dear Dan, some thoughts.’ It will always improve the story.
Say yes to the concept of a wigwall. Say yes to her asking to wear a wig as a hat.
Say yes to her naming that wig. Say yes to giving her space to experiment and create. It will amaze you on a daily basis, and it will change your life. Say yes to her dinner invites and her stories and her wisdom and her generosity. Those are the things you will hold on to the tightest. Always say yes to any opportunity to revel in the presence of greatness.”
O’Hara died in January due to a pulmonary embolism associated with rectal cancer. She was previously honored with a posthumous SAG Award for her turn inThe Studio, which was accepted by Seth Rogen, who honored the actress’ memory on stage.