Eugene Levy has broken his silence over the death of his Schitt’s Creek costar and collaborator of 50 years, Catherine O’Hara.
The actor, 79, shared a statement with Us Weekly on Friday, January 30, after news of O’Hara’s death at age 71.
“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 fifty years,” Eugene said. “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.”
He concluded, “And I will miss her. My heart goes out to Bo, Matthew, Luke, and the entire O’Hara family.”
As well as playing husband and wife on Schitt’s Creek, Eugene and O’Hara collaborated on many projects over the decades including the Christopher Guest films Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006).
The pair first met in 1972 and while appearing on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen in 2020, they even admitted they briefly dated for “one or two dates” in their early days working together as castmates on Second City.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2015, O’Hara opened about their working relationship, telling the outlet, “I think a lot of it is a very fortunate circumstance, in a way, that we happen to end up teamed together.”
In the same interview, Eugene said portraying onscreen couples was easy for them due to their natural chemistry.
“We’ve known each other for such a long time that it’s just a comfortable relationship,” Eugene explained. “And when you’re doing comedy, number one, you do want to work with the best people. It’s hard when you’re not working with the best people, so the bottom line is you want really good people who are quite skilled at this particular kind of comedy.”
The actress died on Friday at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness, her manager confirmed to Us Weekly.
A Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson later confirmed to Us Weekly that paramedics were called to the actress’ Brentwood home at 4:48 a.m. Friday morning for a medical aid call. O’Hara was transported in “serious condition” to the hospital. An official cause of death has yet to be released.
Eugene’s son Dan, 42, and daughter Sarah, 39, who both also worked on the Emmy-winning sitcom Schitt’s Creek, were also among those to pay tribute to O’Hara following her death.
“What a gift to have gotten to dance in the warm glow of Catherine O’Hara’s brilliance for all those years,” Dan wrote via Instagram on Friday. “Having spent over fifty years collaborating with my Dad, Catherine was extended family before she ever played my family. It’s hard to imagine a world without her in it. I will cherish every funny memory I was fortunate enough to make with her.”
He added, “My heart goes out to Bo, Matthew, Luke and every member of her big, beautiful family.”
For her part, Sarah shared a heartfelt tribute on her own Instagram account.
“This one cuts deep. What an honor it has been to know and work with and love Catherine O’Hara,” Sarah wrote in the caption. “Cheers to all that you brought to this world — you will be so, so missed. ❤️”
