Schitt’s Creek and Saturday Night Live’s shared history
By Matt Moore
Catherine O’Hara was a Saturday Night Live cast member for two weeks
Like her Schitt’s Creek husband Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara has had a remarkable career that has endeared her to fans of all ages. There are few comedic actresses with a resume that can compare to that of O’Hara.
She started at SCTV with Levy and joined him in Christopher Guest’s movies. She earned more fans with roles in films like Beetlejuice, Home Alone, and now Schitt’s Creek.
Her work on SCTV gave O’Hara the chance to join Saturday Night Live in 1981. The American sketch show was looking to restart after creator Lorne Michaels had left the show. O’Hara was tapped to replace Ann Rinsley and the Canadian comedian made the jump to SNL.
It didn’t last long as O’Hara left after just two weeks. SCTV‘s future was uncertain at the time O’Hara joined SNL. But after SCTV secured a new network deal, O’Hara decided she made a mistake and returned to her comedy home.
O’Hara clearly didn’t burn any bridges at SNL with her decision. She had a cameo in a March 1988 episode hosted by Matthew Broderick. O’Hara would then host during season 16 in October 1991. It’s a memorable season in SNL history as it featured legendary writers like Conan O’Brien, Robert Smigel, Bob Odenkirk, Al Franken, Jim Downey, and Jack Handey. Making their debut that year were cast members Adam Sandler, Tim Meadows, Julia Sweeney, David Spade, and Rob Schneider.
O’Hara was right at home among these comedy icons. She would return to SNL as a host in season 18.