Moira Rose | |
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Schitt's Creek character | |
First appearance | "Our Cup Runneth Over" (2015) |
Last appearance | "Happy Ending" (2020) |
Created by | |
Portrayed by | Catherine O'Hara |
In-universe information | |
Gender | Female |
Occupation |
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Family |
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Spouse | Johnny Rose |
Moira Rose [1] is a fictional character in the Canadian sitcom Schitt's Creek, which aired on CBC and Pop from 2015 to 2020. Moira is introduced as the eccentric former soap opera star wife of Johnny Rose and mother of their adult children, David and Alexis. She is often portrayed as the family member most resistant to life in Schitt's Creek – viewing their loss of fortune as temporary. In later seasons, Moira's story becomes more community-oriented as she forms closer relationships with the townspeople.
Moira was portrayed by actress Catherine O'Hara for the series' entire 80-episode run. She was cast by her long-time collaborator and Schitt's Creek co-creator, Eugene Levy. Her work as Moira garnered high praise, winning several awards for the role, including five consecutive Canadian Screen Awards; one ACTRA Award; one Canadian Comedy Award; two Television Critics Association nominations for Individual Achievement in Comedy; two Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, winning one in 2020; one Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series; and a Golden Globe Award in 2021.
The character of Moira Rose was developed by Schitt's Creek's father-son co-creators Eugene and Dan Levy. [2] She (along with the rest of the Rose family) was inspired by the wealthy reality TV stars of such programs as Keeping Up with the Kardashians and The Real Housewives franchise. [3] The Levys always envisioned the character to be a former soap star and socialite, but say that O'Hara brought an "extreme affectation" to Moira which made her "so much funnier than [we] imagined". [4] O'Hara was the creators' first choice for the role. She was offered it by Eugene Levy, whom she has known since the 1970s. They first met at The Second City improv troupe in Toronto [5] and went on to co-star in SCTV and several Christopher Guest films. [6] She was initially reluctant, citing "laziness" and an aversion to long-term projects. Levy subsequently contacted another actress for the role, but was ultimately able to convince O'Hara to participate in the pilot presentation by assuring her that she was not obligated to commit to the full series. When the show was picked up to series by the CBC, O'Hara agreed to continue in the role. [6]
Moira wears a Daphne Guinness-inspired wardrobe rendered in almost exclusively black and white tones. [7] The structured, designer garments set her apart from the local residents and serve as a kind of "armor" against the influences of Schitt's Creek to which Moira remains resistant. [8] Away from the townspeople, she is no different – often wearing a waistcoat over her silk pajamas. [8] Moira also wears a wide assortment of designer wigs, which range in style from a platinum blonde bob to short, red, and curly. [9] Each wig is selected, in part, to reflect Moira's mood or state of mind in the scene. [10] All of these design choices come from O'Hara, who suggested the character's overall look in her first meetings with the Levys. [7] Dan Levy also says Moira's wardrobe is intentionally designed to remind the audience of the Rose family's former wealthy standing. [11]
Moira is, as described by Matt and Haley Brennan of Paste Magazine , "spoiled, eccentric, [and] exceedingly dramatic". [12] Nearly everything she does, whether it is attending a town council meeting [13] or babysitting a child, [14] is completed with a kind of theatric flair. Moira often pairs these grand displays with biting sarcasm, such as in the pilot episode when she tells the motel clerk that all she needs in her room is a "bathtub and a long extension cord" after the Roses have lost their wealth. [15] But on rare occasions, Moira lets the ego and bluster fade – displaying both a tenderness toward her children and a distinct despair over the loss of her former life. [16]
To facilitate her over-the-top persona, Moira utilizes an affected accent and frequently peppers her vocabulary with arcane words like "frippet" and "pettifogging". [17] As The Atlantic's Amanda Walsh notes, she also "adopts an affectation that transforms monosyllabic and disyllabic words into something simultaneously lofty and ridiculous". [18] O'Hara stated that her character's unique – what some have called Canadian dainty [18] – accent is a kind of "souvenir" from Moira's world travels. [19] Her archaic vocabulary also expands throughout the series, with O'Hara often adding her own select phrases to the scripts. [20]
According to O'Hara, Moira thinks about leaving Schitt's Creek "every day". [20] Unlike her husband and children, who largely settle into Schitt's Creek throughout the series, Moira remains resistant to living in the town long-term. [20] Because of that, her only long-term commitment to the town has been a seat on the town council. [21] Her time in Schitt's Creek nevertheless allows her to develop closer relationships with her family, which evolve from largely disconnected to occasionally sweet and loving as time passes. [20]
Moira Rose is a formerly wealthy daytime soap star, most known for her role as Vivian Blake on Sunrise Bay. [22] She and her husband, Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy), the former CEO of the second-largest video rental company in North America, [23] share two adult children, David (Dan Levy) [24] and Alexis (Annie Murphy). [25] David is a former New York City gallerist and later co-owner of Rose Apothecary, [26] while Alexis is a former socialite and later owner of her own public relations business. [27] Moira has one known younger sister named Deedee (Jennifer Irwin) who resides in Buffalo, New York. [28] She grew up in a small town not all that unlike Schitt's Creek, where she took pride in her self-sufficiency and ability to master the basics of everyday living. [29] [30] Her big acting break came when she was cast as Sally Bowles in a production of Cabaret after the director spotted her working at a local gas station deli. [31] Moira would go on to act in a number of theater productions before being cast in Sunrise Bay, where she stayed for six and a half seasons. [32] During her time as an actress, Moira met her future husband at the grand opening of one of his video rental stores. [22] The two married sometime later and have remained married for many years. [22]
Moira is the matriarch of the Rose family. [22] A previously inattentive mother, she often struggles to connect with and care for her now adult children. [33] [34] Her attempts at mothering are often awkward (such as the time she forgot her daughter's middle name) [35] or otherwise poorly executed. Her son, David, is in many ways her favoured child; [36] as the series progresses, she also begins to establish a relationship with her daughter, Alexis. Moira's closest confidant is her husband, Johnny, whose "straight man" demeanor balances and steadies her bombastic tendencies. [4] This pairing continuously highlights Moira's ability to be loving and kind even when she has difficulty expressing those feelings to others. [37]
Outside of her family, Moira's closest connections are with high school teacher Jocelyn Schitt (Jennifer Robertson) [38] and members of the Jazzagals a cappella group. Jocelyn and her husband, mayor Roland Schitt (Chris Elliott), [39] are some of the first people to show the Roses hospitality when they move to Schitt's Creek. [40] [41] Moira is reluctant to return this kindness, but by the end of the first season displays glimmers of gratitude when she gifts Jocelyn one of her designer fur coats. [42] This relationship grows when Moira joins the Jazzagals, a singing group founded by Jocelyn. [43] While a part of this group, Moira also forms bonds with fellow members Ronnie Lee (Karen Robinson) and Twyla Sands (Sarah Levy). [44] Her relationship with Ronnie also extends to their work on the town council – work they share with Roland, who sometimes frustrates both Ronnie and Moira. [45] [46]
O'Hara has received widespread praise for her work as Moira throughout the series. In an early review, Gillian Telling of People Magazine suggested that her portrayal on the series "might be her finest character work ever". [47] Paste Magazine 's Erica Lies called her a "standout", and said "the entire show is worth watching just to see her meltdown as she gives acting lessons to middle school teens or drunkenly shoot[s] a commercial for a terrible winery". [48] As the series gained a larger following after its release on Netflix in 2017, [49] O'Hara received even more acclaim from critics. Michael Ausiello of TVLine noted that her work as Moira was "even more uproarious – and heartfelt – than the deafening buzz lets on". [50] Vanity Fair 's Richard Lawson also heaped on praise, calling O'Hara's turn "a thrill of a performance". [51] The Daily Beast 's Matt Wilstein suggested that O'Hara was "at the top of her game" and "deserves to win all the awards her character Moira Rose never could". [52] Logo 's Lester Fabian Brathwaite went further, and called her performance as Moira "the embodiment of perfection". [53]
O'Hara won her first Canadian Screen Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Comedic Role for her work as Moira in 2016. [54] She won this award again in 2017, [55] 2018, [56] 2019 [57] and 2020, tying (with her own Schitt's Creek castmate Emily Hampshire) the record for the most Canadian Screen Awards won by a comedic actress. [58] In 2016, she was also awarded an ACTRA Award for Best Performance – Female, [59] and in 2019, the Canadian Comedy Awards named her the Comedic Artist of the Year. [60] This same year, she also received a Television Critics Association Award nomination for Individual Achievement in Comedy and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. [61] [62]
As part of the Schitt's Creek ensemble cast, O'Hara has won two Canadian Screen Awards for Best Comedy in 2016 [54] and 2019, [57] also receiving a nomination in 2017. [63] O'Hara won an additional ACTRA Award with the cast for Member's Choice Series Ensemble in 2019, [64] an award for which the cast was also nominated in 2017 [59] and 2018. [59] The cast also received its first Dorian Award, GLAAD Award, [65] Critics’ Choice, [66] Primetime Emmy Award, [62] and Television Critics Association Award [61] nominations in 2019, from which they won two Dorian Awards for TV Comedy of the Year and Unsung TV Show of the Year. [67] She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2020.
Catherine Anne O'Hara is a Canadian actress, comedian, and screenwriter. She is known for her comedy work on Second City Television (1976–1984) and Schitt's Creek (2015–2020) and in films such as After Hours (1985), Beetlejuice (1988), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Home Alone (1990), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024). Her other film appearances include the mockumentary films written and directed by Christopher Guest: Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006).
Eugene Levy is a Canadian actor and comedian. Known for portraying flustered and unconventional figures, Levy has won multiple accolades throughout his career including four Primetime Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2011, and was made Companion of the Order of Canada in 2022.
The ACTRA Awards were first presented in 1972 to celebrate excellence in Canada's television and radio industries. Organized and presented by the Association of Canadian Television and Radio Artists, which represented performers, writers and broadcast journalists, the Nellie statuettes were presented annually until 1986. They were the primary national television award in Canada until 1986, when they were taken over by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to create the new Gemini Awards, although ACTRA continued to present Nellies in radio categories.
Noah Nicholas Reid is a Canadian-American actor and musician, best known for his work on the television series Franklin and Schitt's Creek. In 2016, he received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Original Song for his work in the feature film People Hold On. In 2019, he received a Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy for his work on Schitt's Creek.
Daniel Joseph Levy is a Canadian actor and filmmaker. He began his career as a television host on MTV Canada. He received international prominence and critical acclaim for starring as David Rose in the CBC sitcom Schitt's Creek (2015–2020), which he co-created and co-starred in with his father, Eugene Levy.
Jennifer Robertson is a Canadian actress, writer, and comedian. She is known for her starring role as Jocelyn Schitt in the CBC sitcom Schitt's Creek (2015–2020), for which she won a Screen Actors Guild Award and received nominations for four Canadian Screen Awards.
Schitt's Creek is a Canadian television sitcom created by Dan Levy and his father, Eugene Levy, that aired on CBC Television from 2015 to 2020. It consists of 80 episodes spread over six seasons. Produced by Not a Real Company Productions and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, it follows the trials and tribulations of the formerly wealthy Rose family. After their business manager embezzles the family business, Rose Video, the family loses its fortune and relocates to Schitt's Creek, a town they once purchased as a joke. Now living in a motel, Johnny and Moira — along with their adult offspring, David and Alexis — must adjust to life without wealth.
Anne Frances Murphy is a Canadian actress. She rose to international recognition for her starring role as Alexis Rose in the sitcom Schitt's Creek (2015–2020), for which she garnered acclaim and won a Primetime Emmy Award and a nomination for a Golden Globe Award.
"Life Is a Cabaret" is the fourteenth and final episode of the fifth season of the Canadian television sitcom Schitt's Creek. In the episode, Patrick and Stevie perform in a local rendition of the musical Cabaret.
David Rose is a fictional character in the Canadian sitcom Schitt's Creek, which aired on the CBC and Pop TV from 2015 to 2020. David, a member of the central Rose family, is introduced as the spoiled adult son of Johnny and Moira Rose, and the older brother of Alexis Rose. His initial stories revolve around his attempts to adjust to the family's sudden loss of wealth and subsequent banishment to Schitt's Creek, a small town his father purchased as a joke for his birthday years earlier. As the series progresses, David's story focuses on his small business, Rose Apothecary, and his romantic relationship with Patrick Brewer.
Alexis Claire Rose is a fictional character in the Canadian sitcom Schitt's Creek, which aired on CBC and Pop TV from 2015 to 2020. Alexis, a member of the central Rose family, is introduced as the spoiled socialite daughter of Johnny and Moira Rose, and the younger sister of David Rose. Her early seasons storylines revolve around her efforts to adjust to life in Schitt's Creek after her family loses their fortune, as well as her romantic entanglements with locals Mutt Schitt and Ted Mullens. In later seasons, Alexis's story focuses on her educational pursuits and the establishment of her public relations business, Alexis Rose Communications, all while starting a new and serious relationship with Ted. For the fifth season episode "The Hospies", Alexis performs the song "A Little Bit Alexis", which was later released professionally by Annie Murphy on February 19, 2019.
Jonathan Michael Rose is a fictional character in the Canadian sitcom Schitt's Creek, which aired on the CBC and Pop TV from 2015 to 2020. Johnny is introduced as the patriarch of the central Rose family and stories revolve around his attempts to rebuild his family's fortune and help them adjust to life in Schitt's Creek, a small town he bought as a joke birthday gift for his son, David, in 1991. In later seasons, Johnny's stories focus on his work as co-manager of the Rosebud Motel and his relationship with his family.
"Happy Ending" is the series finale of the Canadian television sitcom Schitt's Creek. It serves as the 14th episode of the sixth season and the 80th overall. The episode was written by series creator and executive producer Daniel Levy, who codirected it with Andrew Cividino. The episode originally aired in Canada on CBC Television and on Pop TV in the United States on April 7, 2020, where it was followed directly after by a one-hour documentary depicting the making of the final season.
The first season of Schitt's Creek a Canadian television sitcom created by Daniel Levy and father Eugene Levy premiered on January 13, 2015, and concluded on March 31, 2015, on CBC Television. The season aired 13 episodes and saw the introduction of the characters Johnny Rose, Moira Rose, David Rose, and Alexis Rose. The season was produced by Not a Real Company Productions.
The second season of Schitt's Creek a Canadian television sitcom created by Daniel Levy and father Eugene Levy premiered on January 12, 2016, and concluded on March 29, 2016, on CBC Television. The season aired 13 episodes and saw the return of the characters Johnny Rose, Moira Rose, David Rose & Alexis Rose. The season was once again produced by Not a Real Company Productions.
The third season of Schitt's Creek, a Canadian television sitcom created by Daniel Levy and father Eugene Levy, premiered on January 10, 2017, and concluded on April 4, 2017, on CBC Television. The season aired 13 episodes and saw the return of the characters Johnny, Moira, David, and Alexis Rose. It was once again produced by Not a Real Company Productions.
The sixth and final season of Schitt's Creek, a Canadian television sitcom created by Dan Levy and father Eugene Levy premiered on January 7, 2020, and concluded on April 7, 2020, on CBC Television, and was followed by a one-hour behind-the-scenes retrospective documentary titled Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: A Schitt's Creek Farewell. The season aired 14 episodes and saw the final appearances of the Rose Family, consisting of characters Johnny Rose, Moira Rose, David Rose, and Alexis Rose.