Catherine O’Hara does not consider Moira Rose, her Schitt’s Creek character, to be an icon. But Moira herself—the egocentric actor forced to acclimate to small-town life, one outrageous wig and costume choice at a time? Well, she “might actually” consider herself one, O’Hara laughed during a recent 92Y conversation with her costars moderated by Vanity Fair’s Richard Lawson.
No matter how many tragedies befell her career during the five seasons she was stuck in Schitt’s Creek—the Herb Ertlinger wine commercial, the unfortunate headshot that news outlets used to falsely report her death—Moira’s spirit never sank. (Her ego never shrank, either.) The final season of Schitt’s Creek—airing now on Pop TV—tracks Moira in the lead-up to the release of what she anticipates will be her big comeback project, The Crows Have Eyes III: The Crowening. In tribute to the character, here are five secrets from O’Hara about playing television’s most beloved narcissist.
A Wig for Every Occasion
Schitt’s Creek creators and costars Dan and Eugene Levy brainstormed the character of Moira Rose, a washed-up soap star. But when the father and son spoke to O’Hara about playing this character, the actor suggested an out-there creative flourish for Moira—that she alternate wigs for many of her scenes.
“Originally I just wanted to come up with a character that I would carry an interest in and have fun playing [across multiple seasons],” O’Hara told the 92Y, explaining that Moira’s beloved wig collection was initially a somewhat selfish creative decision. “I had no idea that anyone else would care. I said, ‘Can I wear different wigs all the time?’ They said, ‘Yes!’” O’Hara previously told the Globe and Mail that she borrowed the idea from two women she knows in real life who alternate wigs mid dinner party. (When the writer asked O’Hara where she met such creatures, the actor replied, “You have to get out of the house.”)
Incredibly, Schitt’s Creek hairstylist Ana Sorys has found enough wigs to keep Moira’s beloved collection fresh for over 60 episodes—and a favorite running gag on the series. Last week, Dan Levy told Vanity Fair that he and Sorys make sure to have between eight and 10 wigs available on set for O’Hara to choose from at any given moment. “Oftentimes, she would choose the wig right before she went on set, so it was very impulsive,” Levy said. “Whatever wig called to her, she would put it on, twist it around, wear it sideways, or wear it backwards.”
Moira’s Real-Life Costume Inspiration
Believe it or not, Moira’s dramatic black-and-white costumes—none of which are practical for small-town life—are inspired by the wardrobe worn by a real-life fashion figure: Daphne Guinness, the brewery heiress and fashion muse who pairs extreme couture with whimsical accessories. O’Hara has said that she brought photos of Guinness to an early creative meeting with Dan and Eugene Levy, and explained the rationale behind Moira’s look. “[Guiness’s] wardrobe, it’s just so great and extreme. It’s strong and it’s armor, which is perfect when you’ve had your life ripped out from under you, like Moira, and you’re in this place that’s like the town you got out of earlier in life,” O’Hara told the New Yorker.
“Moira just has so much to show, she believes, but doesn’t know quite what that is yet,”O’Hara further told Vulture. “And if you can externally present different versions of yourself with the help of great wigs and wardrobe, then it boosts your confidence. ‘I have more to me, too. I can be different. I can still grow.’”
Speaking Moira
Moira Rose does not just look different from every one in the small town of Schitt’s Creek. She also sounds different—speaking with an unplaceable accent, peculiar intonations, and an arcane vocabulary. (“Underneath the brambly tartan blousant,” Moira told flannel-clad Stevie ahead of her debut in the town production of Cabaret, “is a chrysalis bursting with potential.” O’Hara has said that she discovered Moira’s accent after mashing up Audrey Hepburn’s diction and Marilyn Monroe’s breathiness. (“It’s how people speak when they want to reinvent themselves over and over again!” she told Entertainment Weekly.) The intonations, though—those are random. “I love to stretch out the syllables,”O’Hara told Newsweek. “I don’t think about it when I’m doing it, but some words want to live longer.”
