Dan Levy, whose new Netflix dark comedy tackles grief, reflects on Catherine O’Hara’s legacy

TORONTO – Dan Levy says his former “Schitt’s Creek” co-star Catherine O’Hara built a career that no one else can replicate.

The creator reflected on how much he learned from the comedy legend, who died earlier this year at the age of 71, during an interview in Toronto about his new project.

The Netflix dark comedy called “Big Mistakes” takes a cue from the dysfunctional “Schitt’s Creek” family but turns it on its head with blackmail, organized crime and chaos around every turn.

It also tackles the loss of a loved one.

Dan and his father Eugene Levy worked with O’Hara for six seasons on “Schitt’s,” and the Moira Rose character was written especially for her.

Levy says working with her allowed him to witness her comedic genius up close.

“I remember saying to her at one point, you are, in the truest sense of the word, an icon. And she of course, being both Canadian and Irish Catholic, rejected any kind of flattery at all,” he said Tuesday.

“The word ‘icon’ or ‘legend,’ or all of these things are, kind of, in the cultural vocabulary at this point. But they’re often overused. I think in her case, I meant it as almost more of an observation than a compliment because everything that she has done throughout the course of her career has been something that no one else can replicate. That’s iconic, truly.”

“Schitt’s Creek” became an international sensation during its run, sweeping the comedy category in 2020 at the Emmy Awards, winning nine in total.

“To work with her was to see it up close and to understand it and to learn from it and to try and improve myself by way of it. It’s such a loss, but I think she has left people with a legacy of work that will soothe so much of that sadness that we all feel, because she brought so much joy. So, there is a kind of bittersweet quality to the fact that you can always turn to her work and have a laugh,” Levy said.

Eugene Levy worked with O’Hara for decades, from their famed days at “SCTV” to the films “A Mighty Wind” and “Best in Show.”

“I think ‘Best in Show’ was trending … for weeks, it was amazing,” Levy said.

Streaming services put the mockumentary about competitive dog owners, directed by Christopher Guest, front-and-centre for fans to revisit and a whole new generation to discover after O’Hara’s passing.

“She was one of the most amazing people I have had the good fortune of knowing and working with and I think what is so special to see in the way that people respond to her legacy of work is just how singular she was as a performer.”

O’Hara’s death on Jan. 30, which was caused by a pulmonary embolism with rectal cancer as the underlying cause, shocked the entertainment world, and Levy says he continues to grapple with the loss.

“You’ve lost someone very close and very special, so you know, that’s all you can do is try and live through it,” he says.

Levy is the showrunner and executive producer on “Big Mistakes,” and he also stars in the series alongside Taylor Ortega as his sister and Laurie Metcalf playing his mother. It premieres April 9.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2026.