When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.<\/i><\/p>\n Credit: Pop\/CBC<\/p>\n It was, sadly, at the end of January that TV and film fans learned of the passing of comedy legend Catherine O\u2019Hara<\/a>, who lit up the screen in innumerable movie and television projects<\/a> across five decades. One of those TV shows could be said to have helped bring her talents to a far wider audience in her later years, and that\u2019s the record-breaking Emmy winning comedy<\/a>, Schitt\u2019s Creek. However, she wasn\u2019t initially interested in doing the series, but we know how creators Dan and Eugene Levy (who also co-starred with her) changed her mind.<\/p>\n Seeing as how we know how difficult it can be for many actors to maintain steady work, it always seems a bit odd whenever we hear that someone turned down not just a job, but one that went on to become one of their most beloved roles in an overall hilarious show<\/a>. But, that\u2019s the case with Catherine O\u2019Hara and Moira Rose, the self-obsessed former soap opera star that O\u2019Hara portrayed on Schitt\u2019s Creek for six seasons.<\/p>\n In a series that was filled to the brim with funny characters<\/a>, O\u2019Hara made sure that Moira stood out in the pack, and because of it fans are left with some of the most laugh-inducing episodes of TV ever made. This nearly wasn\u2019t the case, though, and creators\/co-stars\/father-and-son duo Eugene and Dan Levy detailed to CBC Gem<\/a> the story of how they convinced the Home Alone star to take the leap and join them in that wacky little fictional town. Dan said:<\/p>\n My dad had asked Catherine to be part of the presentation pilot. She had said yes, conditionally, and then the show got bought and we had to go back to her and say, \u2018Remember that show that we shot, that was 14 minutes? Do you want to do that, now, for 13 episodes?\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n So, the Levys had approached O\u2019Hara and were able to get her to take on the project because she was only supposed to appear in the short that was going to be used to attempt to sell the show to a network. Clearly, having Levy\u2019s \u201cfirst choice\u201d co-star from the mockumentaries he penned with Christopher Guest (For Your Consideration, A Mighty Wind, Best in Show, and Waiting for Guffman) worked out, because the show was picked up.<\/p>\n Related:<\/p>\n Eugene Levy, Dan Levy And More Schitt\u2019s Creek Alums Pay Tribute To Catherine O\u2019Hara After Her Death<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n This meant that Dan and his father had to attempt to coax O\u2019Hara into the cast for the full series, but she said no and the pressure was on to get her to change her mind. He continued:<\/p>\n I said [to Dad], \u2018Call her back. Tell her let\u2019s just look at one year. We\u2019ll go one year at a time, and if it\u2019s not gonna work, it\u2019s not gonna work.\u2019 He called her, and she said yes! And the rest is history.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n History indeed! The final season of Schitt\u2019s Creek netted nominations in the seven major categories for a comedy series, with it also winning in every category, including an award for O\u2019Hara for her wig-loving lead character<\/a>. As she said in the same CBC Gem interview, \u201cHow stupid would I have been not to have done it?\u201d Luckily, she was convinced, and TV comedy history was made.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/span><\/div>\n
How Dan And Eugene Levy Convinced Catherine O\u2019Hara To Star In Schitt\u2019s Creek<\/h2>\n