In more than the six seasons of “Schitt’s Creek,” one character has undoubtedly changed more than any other is Annie Murphy’s, Alexis Rose.
Annie Murphy only held $3 in her bank account when she was asked to audition for the role as Alexis Rose, the diva daughter of the socialite-turned-bankrupt family at the centre of “Schitt’s Creek,” she says.
She was also precariously decided to call her acting career off. She had not achieved to work in almost two years and had just missed a prior audition, Murphy explained on “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”
And, to make things worse, her apartment had burned down.
“I had just found myself crying in the Pacific Ocean, a very snotty cry, and the universe was like,’ Don’t do this anymore. This is not for you,” Murphy said on the show.
Then, only two days later, Eugene and Dan Levy came calling. The dad-and-son duo, who co-created and performed main roles in the show, initially gave the role for Alexis Rose to actress and comedian Abby Elliott. Still, Murphy ascended to the job after Elliott left the show for another gig.
“Thank God she was a successful actress who had other things to do,” Murphy told Marie Claire. “I owe my career to Abby’s career.” “Schitt’s Creek” flew under the radar when it was first launched in 2015 on Pop TV in the U.S. and CBC in Canada, but the show later started a deal with Netflix in 2017. Pop TV estimates that over four million people watched at least some of the show’s previous season on its channel. It got a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for best comedy in 2019.
“Schitt’s Creek” also launched Murphy to comedic stardom. Familiar catchphrases from her self-absorbed yet likeable character Alexis Rose, like “Ew, David” and “Love that journey for me,” have been used on stickers and T-shirts and have been at the part of numerous memes.
Even one of her comedic jingles from the show, “A Little Bit Alexis,” was included to iTunes and chosen for a Dorian Award for TV musical performance of the year, alongside Lizzo and Michelle Williams. And when that the show was in its sixth and final season, Murphy told Marie Claire she intends to finish her journey almost precisely how she started it by going to Los Angeles to search for a new role.
The Early Life of Annie Murphy
Anne Frances Murphy was born an only child in Ottawa, Ontario, on December 19, 1986. Both her parents were educators.
She attended high school at Elmwood School in Ottawa, where she acted in stage productions. Murphy enrolled at Queen’s University for one year before seeking a degree in theatre performance at Concordia University. She then trained at the Canadian Film Centre Actors’ Conservatory.
She shifted to Los Angeles at age 22 to pursue a career in acting.
Career of Annie Murphy
Annie Murphy’s earlier projects have included Rookie Blue, Flashpoint, Good God, The Story of Jen, Beauty and the Beast, and Blue Mountain State, and she has also worked in theatre in Montreal and Toronto.
Murphy recently performed in Schitt’s Creek for CBC/ITV. She stars beside Eugene Levy, Daniel Levy, Catherine O’Hara, and Chris Elliott as Alexis Rose, the daughter of Levy and O’Hara. Murphy was chosen for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Actress in a Comedy for her work on the show.
Murphy wrote, produced, and acted in The Plateaus, a CBC web series, which also features Elisha Cuthbert, Jay Baruchel, Sam Roberts, and Kevin MacDonald. She is a graduate of both the Canadian Film Centre Actors’ Conservatory and the Theatre Performance Program at Concordia University. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.
Personal life of Annie Murphy
Murphy married singer and musician Menno Versteeg, who was the lead vocalist of the bands Hollerado and Anyway Gang, in August 2011. In 2013, a fire occurred at their home; the two were uninjured but lost most of their belongings.
Murphy has a tattoo of James Stewart’s silhouette on her wrist, citing his “heartbreaking, sweet, and funny” performance in Harvey (1950) as one of her powers.
Activism and Advocacy
Murphy is an ambassador for the global relief agency Care Canada. In 2019, she toured Jordan to discover Care’s efforts to empower women and girls in the region. In January 2021, Murphy granted proceeds from the auction of her first red carpet dress to Encampment Support Network, a not-for-profit that supports Toronto’s homeless persons.
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