Canadian actress Catherine O’Hara passed away Friday at 71. Across a career spanning decades, she created characters that were unforgettable. Yet for many viewers, her most enduring role was Moira Rose — the extravagantly eccentric matriarch of Schitt’s Creek, known for her wit, wigs and vocabulary. Through her, O’Hara transformed dialogue into pure art. As we pay our tribute to O’Hara, we revisit some of her iconic lines from the Emmy-winning series that was our comfort binge during the pandemic.
“Where is bébé’s chamber?”
Season 5, Episode 3
Moira’s obsession with pronouncing “baby” as bébé — complete with the unmistakable French accent — encapsulates the theatrics of the character. The humour comes not just from her pronunciation, but from that look of earnest cosmopolitan concern that only Moira could carry off.
“Gossip is the devil’s telephone. Best to just hang up.”
Season 4, Episode 4
Delivered with a head-tilt that suggests Moira believes she invented the metaphor, this line is whimsical at its best, especially coming from someone who is clearly the harbinger of the very gossip she pretends to condemn.
“This wine is awful. Give me another glass.”
Season 1, Episode 6
Moira’s willingness to guzzle dreadful-tasting fruit wine simply for the promise of appearing on TV makes this simple line a comedic masterpiece. It’s a moment that exposes her vulnerabilities. Once rich and famous, she is now left with rags and can’t wait to get back to fame and attention.
“Be careful, John, lest you suffer vertigo from the dizzying heights of your moral ground.”
Season 6, Episode 8
Here Moira performs verbal gymnastics. “Vertigo from moral ground” is the kind of phrase that sounds both insulting and poetic. Only Moira could pull this off. It’s a rebuke, yes, but also funny and dramatic.
“What you did was impulsive, capricious, and melodramatic. But it was also wrong.”
Season 2, Episode 1
Moira uses her thesaurus arsenal to chastise her son David, and does so with a theatrical flair that could only come from someone who has spent her life on and off stage. The inherent ironies in the line — she both criticises his actions and expresses veiled admiration — adds a touch of hilarity.
“Fear not, she hath risen!”
Season 4, Episode 5
When a false rumour of Moira’s death circulates, she immediately starts plotting her dramatic resurrection for the cameras. And the theatrical manner in which she rehearses the announcement is rib-tickling. This moment stayed with fans because it showcased her ability to turn even her own “death” into performance art.
“Who put a picture of a ghost on my desk?”
Season 4, Episode 6
Mistaking an ultrasound for a spectral portrait is classic Moira. This isn’t just a funny misinterpretation. It shows her detachment from mundane realities of her life, and her propensity to transform a simple moment into something dramatic.
“The live crows on set welcomed me as one of their own. One even tried to mate.”
Season 6, Episode 4
Moira’s account of her experience shooting the fictional film The Crows Have Eyes III: The Crowening is full of absurdity. It’s one thing to talk about bonding with animals, and it’s another to recount a crow’s attempt to mate with her — recounted with a poker face!
“David, stop acting like a disgruntled pelican!”
Season 3, Episode 1
A simile this weird only works with Moira’s theatrical delivery. Trying to coax David out of his sulk, Moira unleashes this comparison with a bird, with all the conviction of a Shakespearean actress. Try controlling your laughter when you watch O’Hara deliver it.
“The last time I felt this emotionally encumbered, I was playing Lady Macbeth”
Season 4, Episode 1
When Moira thinks she’s accidentally caused a man’s death, she compares the emotional weight to one of Shakespeare’s most guilt-ridden characters — Lady Macbeth. And she immediately recollects the time she played the character on a cruise ship production.