Eugene Levy, known for his role in Schitt’s Creek, has issued a moving tribute to his longtime collaborator Catherine O’Hara following her passing at age 71. The acclaimed actress, best recognized recently as Moira Rose opposite Levy’s Johnny Rose in the popular CBC series, died on Friday after a brief illness. She leaves behind her husband, Bo Welch, and their two sons.

Decades of Collaboration

Levy and O’Hara shared a professional bond spanning over 50 years, beginning on the Second City stage and continuing through SCTV, films directed by Chris Guest such as Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show, and their six seasons on Schitt’s Creek. In a statement, Levy ed profound grief: “Words seem inadequate to the loss I feel today. I had the honour of knowing and working with the great Catherine O’Hara for over fifty years. From our beginnings on the Second City stage, to SCTV, to the movies we did with Chris Guest, to our six glorious years on Schitt’s Creek, I cherished our working relationship, but most of all our friendship.” He added, “And I will miss her. My heart goes out to Bo, Matthew, Luke, and the entire O’Hara family.”

Tributes from Co-Stars

Macaulay Culkin, O’Hara’s co-star from Home Alone, shared his sorrow on Instagram: “Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you. But I had so much more to say. I love you. I’ll see you later.”

Dan Levy, Eugene’s son and on-screen son David in Schitt’s Creek, posted on Instagram: “What a gift to have gotten to dance in the warm glow of Catherine O’Hara’s brilliance for all those years. Having spent over fifty years collaborating with my Dad, Catherine was extended family before she ever played my family. It’s hard to imagine a world without her in it. I will cherish every funny memory I was fortunate enough to make with her.”

Sarah Levy, Eugene’s daughter who played Twyla in the series, also shared: “This one cuts deep. What an honor it has been to know and work with and love Catherine O’Hara. Cheers to all that you brought to this world — you will be so, so missed.”

A Lasting Partnership

Levy previously reflected on their enduring collaboration, stating: “We’ve known each other for such a long time that it’s just a comfortable relationship. And when you’re doing comedy, number one, you do want to work with the best people. It’s hard when you’re 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.”