“I had so much fun playing the whole range” of emotions, gushes Annie Murphy. The actress played fallen socialite Alexis Rose on the hit comedy series “Schitt’s Creek,” which recently concluded its sixth and final season. The opportunity allowed her to work with comedy legends Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy, and to chart a course of satisfying emotional growth for her character. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
“When we first meet Alexis, she is deeply unlikable,” admits Murphy. Alexis’ now iconic vocal fry and floppy wrists manifested after the performer took “to YouTube for many hours on end” to observe the antics of Hollywood personas like Paris Hilton and the Kardashians. Murphy “frankenstein-ed little bits and pieces of them into Alexis.”
However, Alexis was also described as a “young Goldie Hawn” in the initial breakdown, and that inspired Murphy to search for depth within the role. “Every human has many many layers,” explains the actress. She is happy with the “tremendous growth” Alexis experienced on her journey towards independence.
In Season 6, that growth is perhaps best exemplified when Alexis and longtime boyfriend Ted (Dustin Milligan) decide they must end their relationship in order for the both of them to follow their dreams. Murphy describes a “weird quiet on set” during rehearsal, leading the pair to initially think that the moment didn’t land. It wasn’t until an emotional Eugene Levy emerged with tears in his eyes, that she realized the impact of the scene. “It’s such a beautiful example of the end of a relationship not being a failure,” she explains, “but being an incredible moment of love and respect.”
“Schitt’s Creek” enjoyed a massive surge in viewership late in it’s run. The turn of events led to widespread use of Alexis’ “ew David” catchphrase, and a Comedy Series nomination at last year’s Emmy Awards. Murphy is amazed by the wide embrace. Filming in Canada, “we were kind of isolated,” she notes, “it didn’t really feel like the rest of the world knew about it.” Ultimately, the actress feels proud of her satisfying role and luck to ride the wave of appreciation that the show generated.
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