Schitt’s Creek wrapped up its six-season run this spring with a heartwarming wedding, but the real celebration came during the Emmys.
Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara, a comedic duo with impeccable chemistry, both won their first acting Emmys for their roles in Schitt’s Creek on Sunday, 38 years after winning Emmys for writing on Second City Television (SCTV). As part of Schitt’s Creek‘s historic sweep of seven consecutive awards, Levy won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Johnny Rose, the family patriarch. O’Hara took home the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series award for her portrayal of Johnny’s theatrical wife, Moira.
The pair’s professional relationship dates back to the ’70s when they met as cast members at Toronto’s Second City improv theater. In 1982, they won their first Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program for SCTV. Levy earned another writing Emmy for the show the following year, but his role in the beloved cult comedy Schitt’s Creek, which he co-created with his son Dan Levy, secured him his first acting Emmy.
In a photo from 1982, Levy and O’Hara are seen with their fellow SCTV writers, including John Candy and Andrea Martin, proudly holding their Emmy statuettes, complete with the iconic ’80s style, large glasses, and all.
O’Hara was previously nominated for playing Moira last year and received a Supporting Actress nomination in a Miniseries or Movie in 2010 for her role in Temple Grandin. She and Levy have appeared together in several projects, including Christopher Guest’s films Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman.
Schitt’s Creek, which concluded earlier this year, made history at the Emmys by becoming the first comedy or drama to win all four acting categories, with Dan Levy and Annie Murphy also taking home awards.
“Our show is fundamentally about the transformative power of love and acceptance, and that’s something we need now more than ever,” Dan Levy said while accepting the Outstanding Comedy Series award.
Eugene Levy praised his son: “I also want to thank this young man for taking our fish-out-of-water story about the Rose family and turning it into a celebration of inclusivity, a condemnation of homophobia, and a testament to the power of love.”
Celebrating the night with her co-stars at the Schitt’s Creek viewing party, O’Hara expressed her gratitude to the Levys: “Thank you for giving me the chance to play a woman of a certain age—my age—who gets to fully embrace her ridiculous self.”
