Being funny runs in her family. On Schitt’s Creek, actress Sarah Levy gets to show off her comedic chops and share the screen with her dad, Eugene Levy, and brother Dan. As zany waitress Twyla, she’s one of the small-town citizens who has become a fixture in the lives of the Rose family (played by her father, brother, Catherine O’Hara and Annie Murphy).
Sarah reveals to Hello! that there was no keeping her or her brother from following in their father’s footsteps. “Having grown up around it, it just seemed like such a natural thing for [Dan and I],” she says. “I don’t ever remember not wanting to [pursue acting].”
Here, she tells us about the episode she can’t wait to share and the perk of not playing a Rose.
What’s new for your character, Twyla, this season? This year she’s integrated more into the lives of the Rose family. There’s a great episode where Johnny actually starts helping Twyla work in the café. That was wonderful to be able to basically spend a full episode with Dad.
'I loved that people didn't know that I was related in any way'
What’s it like for you to watch your brother and co-star Annie Murphy play out arguments as siblings on TV? It’s like looking at it from the outside. It’s so funny to see Annie push his buttons further than I would. I look at her like, “Whoa! OK, I’m going to let her do the talking.” It’s great. She’s the third daughter for sure. She looks more like a Levy than I do, hands down. [ Laughs] She’s got the eyebrows for it.
Was it appealing to you to play a role that isn’t a member of the Rose family? One hundred per cent. When the show first came out, everyone assumed I was the sister. I love that that wasn’t the case, because it has fully removed me from the hubbub of Daniel and Dad being father and son onscreen. I loved that people didn’t know that I was related in any way, because I was able to do my own thing.
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What was it like to grow up around comedy legends? A lot of the SCTV people, like Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short and Andrea Martin, were always around. I think we didn’t realize at the time how wonderful it was to have all of these people around. But the older I get, the more I realize that the fact that I just sat at the dinner table with them is quite amazing.
What did you learn about comedy from them? What I’ve observed is to always maintain a sense of play in your work and life. Make sure there’s always a bit of comedy in the darkest times, if that’s what helps you through.
