Eugene Levy broke his silence on Schitt\u2019s Creek costar Catherine O\u2019Hara\u2019s death after 50 years of friendship and working together<\/b>
\nEugene Levy has broken his silence over the death of his Schitt\u2019s Creek costar and collaborator of 50 years, Catherine O\u2019Hara.
The actor, 79, shared a statement with Us Weekly on Friday, January 30, after news of O\u2019Hara\u2019s death at age 71.
\u201cWords seem inadequate to express the loss I feel today. I had the honor of knowing and working with the great Catherine O\u2019Hara for over fifty years,\u201d Eugene said. \u201cFrom our beginnings on the Second City stage, to SCTV, to the movies we did with Chris Guest, to our six glorious years on Schitt\u2019s Creek, I cherished our working relationship, but most of all our friendship.\u201d
He concluded, \u201cAnd I will miss her. My heart goes out to Bo, Matthew, Luke, and the entire O\u2019Hara family.\u201d
As well as playing husband and wife on Schitt\u2019s Creek, Eugene and O\u2019Hara collaborated on many projects over the decades including the Christopher Guest films Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006).
The pair first met in 1972 and while appearing on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen in 2020, they even admitted they briefly dated for \u201cone or two dates\u201d in their early days working together as castmates on Second City.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2015, O\u2019Hara opened about their working relationship, telling the outlet, \u201cI think a lot of it is a very fortunate circumstance, in a way, that we happen to end up teamed together.\u201d
In the same interview, Eugene said portraying onscreen couples was easy for them due to their natural chemistry.
\u201cWe\u2019ve known each other for such a long time that it\u2019s just a comfortable relationship,\u201d Eugene explained. \u201cAnd when you\u2019re doing comedy, number one, you do want to work with the best people. It\u2019s hard when you\u2019re not working with the best people, so the bottom line is you want really good people who are quite skilled at this particular kind of comedy.\u201d
The actress died on Friday at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness, her manager confirmed to Us Weekly.
A Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson later confirmed to Us Weekly that paramedics were called to the actress\u2019 Brentwood home at 4:48 a.m. Friday morning for a medical aid call. O\u2019Hara was transported in \u201cserious condition\u201d to the hospital. An official cause of death has yet to be released.
Eugene\u2019s son Dan, 42, and daughter Sarah, 39, who both also worked on the Emmy-winning sitcom Schitt\u2019s Creek, were also among those to pay tribute to O\u2019Hara following her death.
\u201cWhat a gift to have gotten to dance in the warm glow of Catherine O\u2019Hara\u2019s brilliance for all those years,\u201d Dan wrote via Instagram on Friday. \u201cHaving spent over fifty years collaborating with my Dad, Catherine was extended family before she ever played my family. It\u2019s hard to imagine a world without her in it. I will cherish every funny memory I was fortunate enough to make with her.\u201d
He added, \u201cMy heart goes out to Bo, Matthew, Luke and every member of her big, beautiful family.\u201d
For her part, Sarah shared a heartfelt tribute on her own Instagram account.
\u201cThis one cuts deep. What an honor it has been to know and work with and love Catherine O\u2019Hara,\u201d Sarah wrote in the caption. \u201cCheers to all that you brought to this world \u2014 you will be so, so missed. \u2764\ufe0f\u201d<\/p>\n