Wikipedia

Moira Rose

Moira Rose[1] is a fictional character in the Canadian sitcom Schitt's Creek, which aired on CBC and Pop from 2015 to 2020. Moira is introduced as the eccentric former soap opera star wife of Johnny Rose and mother of their adult children, David and Alexis. She is often portrayed as the family member most resistant to life in Schitt's Creek – viewing their loss of fortune as temporary. In later seasons, Moira's story becomes more community-oriented as she forms closer relationships with the townspeople.

Moira Rose
Schitt's Creek character
Moira Rose in the Schitt's Creek episode "Opening Night" (season 3, 2017)
First appearance"Our Cup Runneth Over" (2015)
Last appearance"Happy Ending" (2020)
Created by
Portrayed byCatherine O'Hara
In-universe information
GenderFemale
Occupation
Family
SpouseJohnny Rose

Moira was portrayed by actress Catherine O'Hara for the series' entire 80-episode run. She was cast by her long-time collaborator and Schitt's Creek co-creator, Eugene Levy. Her work as Moira garnered high praise, winning several awards for the role, including five consecutive Canadian Screen Awards; one ACTRA Award; one Canadian Comedy Award; two Television Critics Association nominations for Individual Achievement in Comedy; two Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, winning one in 2020; one Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series; and a Golden Globe Award in 2021.

Concept and casting

edit

The character of Moira Rose was developed by Schitt's Creek's father-son co-creators Eugene and Dan Levy.[2] She (along with the rest of the Rose family) was inspired by the wealthy reality TV stars of such programs as Keeping Up with the Kardashians and The Real Housewives franchise.[3] The Levys always envisioned the character to be a former soap star and socialite, but say that O'Hara brought an "extreme affectation" to Moira which made her "so much funnier than [we] imagined".[4] O'Hara was the creators' first choice for the role. She was offered it by Eugene Levy, whom she has known since the 1970s. They first met at The Second City improv troupe in Toronto[5] and went on to co-star in SCTV and several Christopher Guest films.[6] She was initially reluctant, citing "laziness" and an aversion to long-term projects. Levy subsequently contacted another actress for the role, but was ultimately able to convince O'Hara to participate in the pilot presentation by assuring her that she was not obligated to commit to the full series. When the show was picked up to series by the CBC, O'Hara agreed to continue in the role.[6]

Design and costumes

edit

Moira wears a Daphne Guinness-inspired wardrobe rendered in almost exclusively black and white tones.[7] The structured, designer garments set her apart from the local residents and serve as a kind of "armor" against the influences of Schitt's Creek to which Moira remains resistant.[8] Away from the townspeople, she is no different – often wearing a waistcoat over her silk pajamas.[8] Moira also wears a wide assortment of designer wigs, which range in style from a platinum blonde bob to short, red, and curly.[9] Each wig is selected, in part, to reflect Moira's mood or state of mind in the scene.[10] All of these design choices come from O'Hara, who suggested the character's overall look in her first meetings with the Levys.[7] Dan Levy also says Moira's wardrobe is intentionally designed to remind the audience of the Rose family's former wealthy standing.[11]

Characterization

edit

Moira is, as described by Matt and Haley Brennan of Paste Magazine, "spoiled, eccentric, [and] exceedingly dramatic".[12] Nearly everything she does, whether it is attending a town council meeting[13] or babysitting a child,[14] is completed with a kind of theatric flair. Moira often pairs these grand displays with biting sarcasm, such as in the pilot episode when she tells the motel clerk that all she needs in her room is a "bathtub and a long extension cord" after the Roses have lost their wealth.[15] But on rare occasions, Moira lets the ego and bluster fade – displaying both a tenderness toward her children and a distinct despair over the loss of her former life.[16]

To facilitate her over-the-top persona, Moira utilizes an affected accent and frequently peppers her vocabulary with arcane words like "frippet" and "pettifogging".[17] As The Atlantic's Amanda Walsh notes, she also "adopts an affectation that transforms monosyllabic and disyllabic words into something simultaneously lofty and ridiculous".[18] O'Hara stated that her character's unique – what some have called Canadian dainty[18] – accent is a kind of "souvenir" from Moira's world travels.[19] Her archaic vocabulary also expands throughout the series, with O'Hara often adding her own select phrases to the scripts.[20]

According to O'Hara, Moira thinks about leaving Schitt's Creek "every day".[20] Unlike her husband and children, who largely settle into Schitt's Creek throughout the series, Moira remains resistant to living in the town long-term.[20] Because of that, her only long-term commitment to the town has been a seat on the town council.[21] Her time in Schitt's Creek nevertheless allows her to develop closer relationships with her family, which evolve from largely disconnected to occasionally sweet and loving as time passes.[20]

Fictional biography

edit

Moira Rose is a formerly wealthy daytime soap star, most known for her role as Vivian Blake on Sunrise Bay.[22] She and her husband, Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy), the former CEO of the second-largest video rental company in North America,[23] share two adult children, David (Dan Levy)[24] and Alexis (Annie Murphy).[25] David is a former New York City gallerist and later co-owner of Rose Apothecary,[26] while Alexis is a former socialite and later owner of her own public relations business.[27] Moira has one known younger sister named Deedee (Jennifer Irwin) who resides in Buffalo, New York.[28] She grew up in a small town not all that unlike Schitt's Creek, where she took pride in her self-sufficiency and ability to master the basics of everyday living.[29][30] Her big acting break came when she was cast as Sally Bowles in a production of Cabaret after the director spotted her working at a local gas station deli.[31] Moira would go on to act in a number of theater productions before being cast in Sunrise Bay, where she stayed for six and a half seasons.[32] During her time as an actress, Moira met her future husband at the grand opening of one of his video rental stores.[22] The two married sometime later and have remained married for many years.[22]

Moira is the matriarch of the Rose family.[22] A previously inattentive mother, she often struggles to connect with and care for her now adult children.[33][34] Her attempts at mothering are often awkward (such as the time she forgot her daughter's middle name)[35] or otherwise poorly executed. Her son, David, is in many ways her favoured child;[36] as the series progresses, she also begins to establish a relationship with her daughter, Alexis. Moira's closest confidant is her husband, Johnny, whose "straight man" demeanor balances and steadies her bombastic tendencies.[4] This pairing continuously highlights Moira's ability to be loving and kind even when she has difficulty expressing those feelings to others.[37]

Outside of her family, Moira's closest connections are with high school teacher Jocelyn Schitt (Jennifer Robertson)[38] and members of the Jazzagals a cappella group. Jocelyn and her husband, mayor Roland Schitt (Chris Elliott),[39] are some of the first people to show the Roses hospitality when they move to Schitt's Creek.[40][41] Moira is reluctant to return this kindness, but by the end of the first season displays glimmers of gratitude when she gifts Jocelyn one of her designer fur coats.[42] This relationship grows when Moira joins the Jazzagals, a singing group founded by Jocelyn.[43] While a part of this group, Moira also forms bonds with fellow members Ronnie Lee (Karen Robinson) and Twyla Sands (Sarah Levy).[44] Her relationship with Ronnie also extends to their work on the town council – work they share with Roland, who sometimes frustrates both Ronnie and Moira.[45][46]

Reception

edit

Critical reception

edit

O'Hara has received widespread praise for her work as Moira throughout the series. In an early review, Gillian Telling of People Magazine suggested that her portrayal on the series "might be her finest character work ever".[47] Paste Magazine's Erica Lies called her a "standout", and said "the entire show is worth watching just to see her meltdown as she gives acting lessons to middle school teens or drunkenly shoot[s] a commercial for a terrible winery".[48] As the series gained a larger following after its release on Netflix in 2017,[49] O'Hara received even more acclaim from critics. Michael Ausiello of TVLine noted that her work as Moira was "even more uproarious – and heartfelt – than the deafening buzz lets on".[50] Vanity Fair's Richard Lawson also heaped on praise, calling O'Hara's turn "a thrill of a performance".[51] The Daily Beast's Matt Wilstein suggested that O'Hara was "at the top of her game" and "deserves to win all the awards her character Moira Rose never could".[52] Logo's Lester Fabian Brathwaite went further, and called her performance as Moira "the embodiment of perfection".[53]

Accolades

edit

O'Hara won her first Canadian Screen Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Comedic Role for her work as Moira in 2016.[54] She won this award again in 2017,[55] 2018,[56] 2019[57] and 2020, tying (with her own Schitt's Creek castmate Emily Hampshire) the record for the most Canadian Screen Awards won by a comedic actress.[58] In 2016, she was also awarded an ACTRA Award for Best Performance – Female,[59] and in 2019, the Canadian Comedy Awards named her the Comedic Artist of the Year.[60] This same year, she also received a Television Critics Association Award nomination for Individual Achievement in Comedy and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.[61][62]

As part of the Schitt's Creek ensemble cast, O'Hara has won two Canadian Screen Awards for Best Comedy in 2016[54] and 2019,[57] also receiving a nomination in 2017.[63] O'Hara won an additional ACTRA Award with the cast for Member's Choice Series Ensemble in 2019,[64] an award for which the cast was also nominated in 2017[59] and 2018.[59] The cast also received its first Dorian Award, GLAAD Award,[65] Critics’ Choice,[66] Primetime Emmy Award,[62] and Television Critics Association Award[61] nominations in 2019, from which they won two Dorian Awards for TV Comedy of the Year and Unsung TV Show of the Year.[67] She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2020.

References

edit
  1. ^ "Moira Rose – Schitt's Creek". CBC. Archived from the original on 2019-09-12. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  2. ^ "Schitt's Creek". poptv.com. Archived from the original on 2019-06-10. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  3. ^ Blyth, Antonia (2018-01-14). "'Schitt's Creek' Was Inspired By The Kardashians & 'Real Housewives'". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2018-06-14. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  4. ^ a b Turchiano, Danielle (2015-02-11). "Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara on Evolving Their Long (and Funny) Working Relationship for 'Schitt's Creek'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2019-05-25. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  5. ^ Syme, Rachel (23 January 2019). ""When in Doubt, Play Insane": An Interview with Catherine O'Hara". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  6. ^ a b Wieselman, Jarett. "Eugene Levy And Catherine O'Hara Look Back On Their 40-Year Friendship". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on 2017-06-03. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  7. ^ a b Mack, David (2018-09-20). "How Catherine O'Hara On "Schitt's Creek" Became One Of The Best-Dressed Characters On TV". BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on 2019-03-31. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  8. ^ a b Syme, Rachel (2019-01-23). ""When in Doubt, Play Insane": An Interview with Catherine O'Hara". ISSN 0028-792X. Archived from the original on 2019-05-21. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  9. ^ Patton, Rebecca (2019-02-13). "18 Moira Wigs From 'Schitt's Creek' More Dramatic Than The Jazzagal Herself". Bustle. Archived from the original on 2019-05-15. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  10. ^ Nyren, Erin (2019-06-20). "'Schitt's Creek': Inside Moira Rose's Iconic Wig Collection". Variety. Archived from the original on 2019-06-21. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  11. ^ Ivie, Devon (2018-03-28). "Schitt's Creek Is a Master Class in Aspirational Fashion". www.vulture.com. Archived from the original on 2019-05-24. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  12. ^ Brennan, Matt (2018-04-20). "Moira's 20 Best Looks on Schitt's Creek". pastemagazine.com. Archived from the original on 2019-03-31. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  13. ^ Schitt's Creek (2017-01-12), Schitt's Creek – Moira's First Council Meeting, retrieved 2019-06-15
  14. ^ Fremont, Maggie (2019-02-09). "Schitt's Creek Recap: Dressed to the Nines in Choking Hazards". www.vulture.com. Archived from the original on 2019-07-01. Retrieved 2019-06-15.
  15. ^ "Our Cup Runneth Over". Schitt's Creek. Episode 1. Season 1. February 11, 2015. Pop TV.
  16. ^ Butler, Kathleen (2016-02-02). "Review: Schitt's Creek – "Bob's Bagels" | TV, eh?". www.tv-eh.com. Archived from the original on 2019-06-29. Retrieved 2019-06-15.
  17. ^ Mills, Madison (2019-01-16). "Pettifogging Moira's Vocabulary in Schitt's Creek". www.vulture.com. Archived from the original on 2019-01-17. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  18. ^ a b Wicks, Amanda (2019-03-18). "The Bombastic Matriarch of 'Schitt's Creek'". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 2019-05-09. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  19. ^ Jung, E. Alex (2019-03-20). "In Conversation: Catherine O'Hara The Schitt's Creek star on her long career, sexism in comedy, and her favorite impressionists". www.vulture.com. Archived from the original on 2019-05-28. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  20. ^ a b c d Snetiker, Marc (2019-01-17). "'Schitt's Creek' star Catherine O'Hara on the tragic comedy of Moira Rose". EW.com. Archived from the original on 2019-07-16. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  21. ^ Butler, Kathleen (2016-03-30). "Review: Schitt's Creek season two finale | TV, eh?". www.tv-eh.com. Archived from the original on 2018-07-26. Retrieved 2019-06-15.
  22. ^ a b c d "Meet the Cast – Moira Rose". Pop TV. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  23. ^ "Johnny Rose – Schitt's Creek". CBC. Archived from the original on 2019-09-12. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  24. ^ Newman-Bremang, Kathleen. "Know Your Schitt! A Guide To The Cast & Characters Of "Schitt's Creek"". www.refinery29.com. Archived from the original on 2019-04-15. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  25. ^ "Meet the Cast – Alexis Rose". Pop TV. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  26. ^ "Meet the Cast – David Rose". Pop TV. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  27. ^ "Alexis Rose – Schitt's Creek". CBC. Archived from the original on 2019-09-12. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  28. ^ Schitt's Creek (2016-03-09), Schitt's Creek – Meet Dee Dee, retrieved 2019-06-14
  29. ^ "Honeymoon". Schitt's Creek. Season 1. Episode 10. April 15, 2015. Pop TV.
  30. ^ "Family Dinner". Schitt's Creek. Season 2. Episode 2. March 16, 2016. Pop TV.
  31. ^ Fremont, Maggie (2019-02-20). "Schitt's Creek Recap: Hopefully Some Holds Barred". www.vulture.com. Archived from the original on 2019-07-02. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  32. ^ Bierly, Mandi (2019-04-11). "Everything We Know About Moira Rose's Showbiz Career on Schitt's Creek". www.vulture.com. Archived from the original on 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  33. ^ Schitt's Creek (2016-03-09), Schitt's Creek – Two Truths and a Lie, retrieved 2019-06-15
  34. ^ David, Greg (2019-11-30). "Schitt's Creek expands in Season 2 | TV, eh?". www.tv-eh.com. Archived from the original on 2018-08-07. Retrieved 2019-06-15.
  35. ^ Patton, Rebecca (2019-01-16). "11 Moira Quotes From 'Schitt's Creek' That Are Even Better Than Her Absurd Accent". Bustle. Archived from the original on 2019-03-31. Retrieved 2019-06-15.
  36. ^ Schitt's Creek (2017-01-18), Schitt's Creek – Lunch Plans, retrieved 2019-06-15
  37. ^ Fremont, Maggie (2019-04-03). "Schitt's Creek Recap: A Bashful Clam and a Backpack of Cheese". www.vulture.com. Archived from the original on 2019-04-05. Retrieved 2019-06-15.
  38. ^ "Jocelyn Schitt – Schitt's Creek". CBC. Archived from the original on 2019-09-12. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  39. ^ "Roland Schitt – Schitt's Creek". CBC. Archived from the original on 2019-09-12. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  40. ^ Schitt's Creek (2016-03-09), Schitt's Creek – Moira's Stressed, retrieved 2019-06-15
  41. ^ Schitt's Creek (2016-03-09), Schitt's Creek – Welcome to the Luau, retrieved 2019-06-15
  42. ^ Schitt's Creek (2016-03-09), Schitt's Creek – Getting Out, retrieved 2019-06-15
  43. ^ Butler, Kathleen (2016-01-20). "Review: Schitt's Creek "Jazzagals" – And, we're back | TV, eh?". www.tv-eh.com. Archived from the original on 2018-06-13. Retrieved 2019-06-15.
  44. ^ Schitt's Creek (2017-04-05), Schitt's Creek – No "I" in Ensemble, retrieved 2019-06-15
  45. ^ Schitt's Creek (2017-03-22), Schitt's Creek – Dedicated to Moira, retrieved 2019-06-15
  46. ^ Butler, Kathleen (2016-03-15). "Review: Schitt's Creek "The Motel Guest" – I need my space! | TV, eh?". www.tv-eh.com. Archived from the original on 2017-02-23. Retrieved 2019-06-15.
  47. ^ Telling, Gillian (2015-02-11). "Schitt's Creek: Why You Need to Watch Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara's New Comedy". PEOPLE.com. Archived from the original on 2019-05-13. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  48. ^ Lies, Erica (2016-03-30). "5 Reasons to Watch Schitt's Creek". pastemagazine.com. Archived from the original on 2019-03-31. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  49. ^ Adalain, Josef (2019-01-16). "The Unlikely Rise of Schitt's Creek". www.vulture.com. Archived from the original on 2019-05-29. Retrieved 2019-06-15.
  50. ^ Ausiello, Michael (2018-04-11). "I'm Late to the Schitt's Creek Party and I Feel Like Absolute You-Know-What". TVLine. Archived from the original on 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  51. ^ Lawson, Richard (2019-01-16). "Yes, Schitt's Creek Really Is That Good". HWD. Archived from the original on 2019-05-11. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  52. ^ Wilstein, Matt (2018-12-27). "The 20 Funniest Performances of 2018". Archived from the original on 2019-07-10. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  53. ^ Brathwaite, Lester Fabian (2019-03-22). "Can We Talk About?: Gay, Fashion, and TV Icon—Moira Rose | NewNowNext". www.newnownext.com. Archived from the original on 2019-07-28. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  54. ^ a b Furdyk, Brent (2016-01-19). "2016 Canadian Screen Awards Nominees Announced". ET Canada. Archived from the original on 2019-04-16. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  55. ^ "Canadian Screen Awards Nominees". Academy.ca. Archived from the original on 2019-05-05. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  56. ^ "Broadcast Gala". Academy.ca. 2018-03-11. Archived from the original on 2019-05-28. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  57. ^ a b "CBC CELEBRATES 52 WINS AT THE 2019 CANADIAN SCREEN AWARDS". CBC (Press Release). 2019-04-01. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  58. ^ "Anne with an E wins 7 Canadian Screen Awards including Best Drama Series, ties with Cardinal: Blackfly Season for most 2019 Canadian Screen Awards". Academy.ca. 2019-03-31. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  59. ^ a b c "The ACTRA Awards in Toronto | ACTRA Toronto". Archived from the original on 2019-05-03. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  60. ^ "Nominations & Awards Archives | Canadian Comedy Awards". www.canadiancomedyawards.org. Archived from the original on 2019-05-06. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  61. ^ a b Ausiello, Michael (2019-06-19). "TCA Awards: Pose, Russian Doll, Fleabag, Good Fight, Schitt's Creek Score Multiple Nominations". TVLine. Archived from the original on 2019-06-19. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  62. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (2019-07-16). "'Schitt's Creek' Four Emmy Noms Are First For Pop TV: 'Holy Sh**!!' Exclaims Network Boss Brad Schwartz". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2019-07-16. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  63. ^ "2017 TV Nominees – Academy.ca". 2017-02-28. Archived from the original on 2017-02-28. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  64. ^ "Winners: The 17th Annual ACTRA Awards in Toronto | ACTRA Toronto". Archived from the original on 2019-05-28. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  65. ^ Gardner, Chris (2019-01-25). "Outstanding Film – Wide Release – GLAAD Media Awards: The Complete List of Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2019-04-26. Retrieved 2019-06-15.
  66. ^ Yeo, Debra (2018-12-13). "Schitt's Creek becomes first Canadian comedy series nominated for a Critics' Choice Award | The Star". thestar.com. Archived from the original on 2019-05-06. Retrieved 2019-06-15.
  67. ^ Kilkenny, Katie (2019-01-03). "TV Comedy of the Year – 'The Favourite,' 'Pose,' 'Killing Eve' Lead Dorian Award Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2019-05-25. Retrieved 2019-06-15.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Moira_Rose&oldid=1239480375"