Schitt's Creek star Annie Murphy, while now seen as a generally optimistic person, thanks in large part to her role as Alexis Rose, had to go through several struggles before finally achieving success.
MORE: Dan Levy talks Schitt's Creek film – and we are so excited
It was the period right before she landed the audition that changed her life, however, that proved to be extremely trying.
WATCH: Schitt's Creek sweeps comedy categories at 2020 Emmys
Speaking to Fashion Magazine, the actress opened up about the tragedy that set off a really bleak time for her in 2013. “My house had just burned down, I hadn’t booked a job in two years, I had $400 in my bank account and I’d absolutely shat the bed on my very first screen test out in L.A.,” she explained.
She'd been out of town with her husband, Canadian musician Menno Versteeg, when the incident took place at their Toronto apartment. However, the loss proved really hard for her.
READ: Schitt's Creek fans have same reaction to show winning big
“My biggest heartbreak was losing my teddy bear named Worthington that had been my buddy since I was born. We’d seen some shit together, so he was a tough one to lose,” she said.
The cast of Schitt's Creek at the SAG Awards
However, just as she was getting ready to give up on acting, she got a call to audition for the role of Alexis two days later. Eventually, she was cast and played the character on the highly successful sitcom for six seasons, netting an Emmy and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance.
“I realized that there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel; you just don’t quite know when you’ll be bathed in it.”
MORE: Schitt's Creek star Dan Levy sends fans wild with this vacation picture
MORE: Carol Vorderman: A look at the Countdown star's heartbreaking family history
The 34-year-old star has since become a household name and a beloved celebrity, currently starring in her second big lead role in the dark comedy Kevin Can F**k Himself.
Annie's role on the hugely popular Canadian sitcom netted her a Primetime Emmy award in 2020
She also revealed in a recent interview with The Zoe Report that she went through a severe bout of depression before filming her new show. But, with the help of therapy and antidepressants, she was able to feel better.
"You don't have to be on drugs for the whole time, but they truly, truly saved my life in the sense that I was not a functional human being and I was able to be a functional human being,” she said.
However, given the acclaim she has started to generate for Kevin, there's hopefully a better and happier path ahead for the actress.
Read more HELLO! US stories here
Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.