The Roses of Schitt’s Creek are icons. Though a little screwy at times, they are one of the TV families consistently treating each other well. And behind the scenes, they seemed to have a similar chaotic yet very loving energy. That was proven again as Annie Murphy recounted the story behind getting hired, and the way Dan Levy trolled her during it. Let’s just say this story is worth an “Ew, David!”
Murphy joined the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast and covered a lot of ground, including how badly she wanted to land a role on this comedy that is now a Canadian megahit (it’s also available to stream with a Hulu subscription). While talking about her Schitt’s Creek auditions, she revealed it took weeks to hear back about whether she landed the role of David’s sister Alexis or David’s best friend Stevie. When she finally did get word, co-creator and soon-to-be peer (they didn’t know each other well at the time), Dan Levy, tricked her into thinking she didn’t land anything until the end. The actress explained:
Dan was such an asshole about it, too…. I didn’t know him at all [at that point] . I tested and then literally three weeks passed, and you know that every minute of every day, I’m just like, checking the phone or calling my agent, to be like, ‘Just tell me they don’t want me. Just tell me that they passed.’ I got a call from Dan, and he was like, [Takes on solemn voice] ‘Hey, just wanted to thank you so much for all the effort and all the time that you put in. Yeah, we really appreciated it so much.’ And that’s what people say when they’re about to be like, ‘Fuck you, we went with someone else.’ And I was like, ‘Okay, thanks so much.’ And I was signing off the call, and he was like, ‘Just one quick thing, um, do you want to play my sister on the show?’
Obviously, we knew how this story ended, because Murphy played Alexis for six seasons, won an Emmy for it, and had many viral moments. So, this tale is funny. However, at the moment, I would have been horrified. The actress explained that she did indeed feel that way then, even though she can laugh about it all now, saying:
I do now [think that was funny] . In the moment, I was just like, ‘Please put me out of my misery.’ Because you picture it. You come so close to a thing, and you start picturing it and you start living it and then to have that [mimics snatching movement] .
Fully, an “Ew, David!” instance. But, it’s absolutely on par with the Rose family dynamics, so I can’t fault Levy all that much for playing it that way. It does make even more sense now that Levy shared that he had to deprogram himself from David Rose’s actions after the show was over.
Overall, though, after watching Murphy and Levy together on screen and immediately falling in love with their siblings, I couldn’t imagine anyone else playing Alexis and David together. They truly do have that obnoxious yet loving brother-sister dynamic on-screen, and it seems like that’s the case off-screen too.
After the comedy ended in 2020, the two found their next projects quickly. Dan Levy headed to Netflix for Good Grief, which, like Schitt’s Creek, he created and starred in.Meanwhile, Murphy starred in Kevin Can F**k Himself. Also, you can catch the Black Mirroractress in Season 2 of Nine Perfect Strangers, which just ended on our 2025 TV schedule and is also available on Hulu. Next, she has one immediate project but is hoping for a Schitt’s Creek movie, and I’m right there with her.
It remains to be seen whether or not her onscreen brother, Dan Levy, will troll her in this wish too. I’m crossing my fingers that Murphy won’t have to cheekily pull out her iconic phrase if he tricks her with the unlikely but potential continuation. However, I’ll also always be ready to yell “Ew, David!” if it’s needed.
