Podcast Summary: "Literally! With Rob Lowe"

Guest: Catherine O’Hara – Booties & Baby Pictures (Re-Release)

Date: February 2, 2026
Host: Rob Lowe

Episode Overview

In this re-released episode, Rob Lowe celebrates the life and career of comedy legend Catherine O’Hara following her passing, sharing their original conversation from 2020. The episode is a joyful, freewheeling, and deeply affectionate exchange covering Catherine's upbringing in a big, funny Canadian family, her journey through SCTV, improvisation with Christopher Guest, and her iconic role in Schitt’s Creek. The discussion features behind-the-scenes stories, impressions, reflections on family, acting, and touching remembrances of comedy greats. The chemistry is playful, respectful, and brimming with genuine admiration and laughs.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Remembering Catherine O’Hara (00:30–01:46)

• Rob opens with heartfelt remarks about Catherine’s passing:

  "So sad hearing the news that Catherine O’Hara has passed. What a brilliant, brilliant actor and by all accounts, just one of the great humans that we had in the business." (00:30)

Family, Upbringing & Comedy Roots (03:14–09:34)

• Family in Showbiz: Catherine talks about her husband and sons working on “Schmigadoon,” all in different behind-the-scenes roles.
• Parents’ Influence & Humor:
  • Catherine grew up one of seven siblings in a family where humor was valued and encouraged. Her dad would entertain the family with silly antics, deeply shaping her comic sensibility.
  • “My parents… the sexiest thing about them is them making each other laugh right to the end, no matter what they were going through…they just always found a way to laugh about it.” (06:33)
• Impressions from Childhood: She reveals she’d impersonate men, like Paul Lynde, to make her dad laugh.

SCTV vs. SNL, Godspell, and Gilda Radner Memories (12:08–16:53)

• Comedy Scene in Toronto:
  • Catherine recalls the tight-knit Toronto theater scene and crossing paths with Gilda Radner, Eugene Levy, Martin Short, and others.
  • Shares that she and her sister were once waitresses at Second City, following Gilda’s career closely.
  • “We just followed Gilda everywhere… we have home videos of her doing improvs with my mom and dad…” (15:21)
• SCTV vs. SNL:
  • Felt SCTV was never a rival to SNL; SCTV cast had more control and flexibility, notably shooting without a live audience.
  • “We were not in the same league. They were the prime time players… we had more control as a cast, way more control than the cast has on Saturday Night Live.” (13:17–14:43)

Auditioning, Acting & Staying Fresh (17:13–22:21)

• Audition Stories:
  • Catherine confesses to being a terrible auditioner, once climbing into a chair to pretend to be in bed for a Robert De Niro audition.
  • “I was really bad…in that scene Robert De Niro and his wife were in bed... so instead of sitting there reading the scene, I got down like this to look like I was in bed.” (17:31)
• Keeping Roles Interesting:
  • Both discuss the challenge of making TV roles engaging over multiple seasons.
  • Rob: “On TV you live a character and in movies you play a character… But on a TV show… you’re inevitably going to experience a range of real life emotions because on a movie you can just put all that aside for six weeks or whatever, but you can't do it when you're … doing a TV show.” (27:30)

Schitt’s Creek: Its Rise and Cultural Impact (24:49–29:10)

• Finding an Audience:
  • Catherine credits the boom in the show’s popularity to Netflix and COVID lockdowns.
  • “Everybody’s stuck at home… people are watching anything… the day Netflix started showing our show made a big, big difference.” (26:07)
• Family Dynamics Mirroring the Pandemic:
  • The centrality of the Rose family's dynamics resonated with audiences living with grown children during lockdown.

Moira Rose: Inspiration, Costumes & Character Building (29:03–35:43)

• Look Inspiration:
  • Catherine modeled Moira’s look on fashion icon Daphne Guinness:

    “Her determination to look different and amazing and strong... that’s all true.” (29:10)

• Collaborative Wardrobe Creation:
  • She brought 150+ pictures of Guinness to initial meetings, with Daniel Levy fully buying into the look.
  • “It’s one thing for me to come in with pictures of Daphne Guinness. I didn’t have to shop…I didn’t have to put it together…that was all Debra Hansen and Daniel Levy.” (33:40)
• Evacuation Story:
  • During the Getty Fire evacuation, Catherine grabbed her Givenchy booties and baby pictures—her “essentials.”

    “I grabbed like 8, 10 pieces of clothes and the Givenchy booties. They're just so cool. Along with the baby pictures. Of myself. No, of the kids.” (35:50)

Impressions, Games & Old Hollywood (36:24–46:14)

• Exchange of Impressions:
  • Rob and Catherine riff on impressions of Paul Lynde, Lorne Michaels, Tom Cruise, Jay Leno, Gene Hackman, and play a game (Marty Short’s improv challenge): “Give each other people to do you've never done...” (44:20)
  • Rob’s Tom Cruise ordering water:

    “I would like it in a glass. I would like lemon in it. I would like to be room temperature... just super intense and specific…” (41:55)

• Impression Game on TV:
  • Catherine recounts playing the game live on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Eric Bana.

Behind the Scenes: Christopher Guest Films (48:21–55:03)

• Guest’s Genius & Process:
  • Catherine describes Guest as “the Sahara” in dryness, and the central critical eye every comic wants to impress.
  • On set: “He comes off as the toughest critic in the world…and he’s also really smart and really funny…Chris Guest never repeated a thought from take to take…” (49:09–49:54)
• Improvisational Filmmaking:
  • Insights into making Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, etc.—shooting 90+ hours of improv for each, cut into tight features.

    “All the scenes that are in the outline ended up being the scenes in the movie…but the dialogue is improvised… we'd improvise 90 something hours… and [Chris] cut it down to 92 minutes.” (53:36)

Emmy Wins, “The Trophy Run”, & Perspective (55:17–60:49)

• Awards Night:
  • Catherine recalls the surreal night Schitt’s Creek swept the Emmys, thanks in part to COVID restrictions creating a surreal, isolated celebration.
  • “I didn't think we were going to [win] because we were trained by [‘For Your Consideration’], so did not expect it. That was a nice surprise.” (55:44)
• On Perspective:
  • She and Eugene Levy kept each other grounded during awards, referencing their own satirical movie about awards season.

Parenting, Family, and Lessons from the Pandemic (61:04–65:13)

• Family First:
  • On what she'd save in a fire:

    "No, I think it'll be passport, the kids' pictures." (61:04)

• Parental Games:
  • Catherine shares a trick to keep things fair when dividing treats for kids: “One of you will pour or divide it and the other will choose.” (62:09)
• Living Together during Lockdown:
  • Both discuss the silver linings and stressors of pandemic family life, reflecting themes of “Schitt’s Creek”.

COVID, Filming, & Challenges (65:13–69:18)

• Filming Under Protocol:
  • Rob describes intense safety measures on set: double masks, face shields, frequent tests, communication challenges:

    “I'm deaf in one ear anyway… I realize I've used, I lip read so much, so I have no relationship with anybody anymore on my show at all because I can't communicate.” (65:57)

• The “Bats in the Cave” Conversation:
  • They riff about makeup concerns, with Rob sharing the phrase for a runny nose on set: “bats in the cave.” (69:07)

Closing Banter: Hollywood Squares, Land of the Lost & Final Goodbyes (69:19–73:29)

• Old TV References:
  • Discussion of classic shows—Hollywood Squares, Match Game, Land of the Lost (Catherine’s husband designed the movie set).
• Catherine’s Wish:
  • She expresses a desire to become as good a friend to Rob as Daphne Guinness is to him.
  • “I want to become as good a friend to you as Daphne Guinness.” (72:54)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Her Parents’ Humor:

  “They just always found a way to laugh about it. Always.” (06:33) — Catherine O’Hara

• On SCTV/SNL Non-Rivalry:

  “We were not in the same league. They were the prime time players… We were so happy for them.” (13:17) — Catherine O’Hara

• On Gilda Radner’s Generosity:

  “She gave me 17 coupons… ‘I will do the dishes for you, I will make you lunch…’” (15:21) — Catherine O’Hara

• On Keeping Acting Fresh:

  “On TV you live a character and in movies you play a character.” (27:30) — Rob Lowe

• On Schitt’s Creek’s Success:

  “The day Netflix started showing our show made a big, big difference.” (26:07) — Catherine O’Hara

• On Moira’s Wardrobe:

  “I brought my iPad… it was like 150 pictures of Daphne [Guinness]…Daniel [Levy] went, ‘Yes, yes.’” (31:26) — Catherine O’Hara

• Evacuation Choices:

  “I grabbed like 8, 10 pieces of clothes and the Givenchy booties. They're just so cool. Along with the baby pictures. Of myself. No, of the kids.” (35:50) — Catherine O’Hara

• On Christopher Guest:

  “He comes off as the toughest critic in the world…and he’s also really smart and really funny.” (49:09) — Catherine O’Hara

• On Improvised Films:

  “We’d improvise 90 something hours…Chris would cut it down to 92 minutes.” (53:36) — Catherine O’Hara

• Advice from Lorne Michaels:

  “My advice, I think the King’s names work best.” (38:58) — Rob Lowe (as Lorne Michaels)

• Pandemic Family Lesson:

  “I think I’ve stopped lecturing as much as I used to…you relax and start letting each other be.” (63:18) — Catherine O’Hara

Timestamps for Key Sections

• Opening Remembrance: 00:30–01:46
• Family, Upbringing & Comedy Roots: 03:14–09:34
• SCTV, Gilda Radner, Toronto scene: 12:08–16:53
• Auditioning, Acting, TV: 17:13–22:21
• Schitt’s Creek & Moira’s Look: 24:49–35:43
• Impressions & Comedy Games: 36:24–46:14
• Christopher Guest & Improv films: 48:21–55:03
• Emmy Wins & ‘Trophy Run’: 55:17–60:49
• Parenting & Pandemic Life: 61:04–65:13
• Filming under COVID: 65:13–69:18
• Classic TV & Goodbyes: 69:19–73:29

Tone & Style

• Warm, affectionate, and deeply funny—a hallmark of both Rob and Catherine. There is constant playful banter, bursts of laughter, and clear mutual admiration.
• Candid and sincere: Both discuss the highs and the humble, awkward, and vulnerable moments of performance.
• Reflective: Especially regarding legacy, family, and the weirdness/gift of living through extraordinary times.

For New Listeners

This episode is a loving tribute to Catherine O’Hara’s brilliant, singular comic spirit, charting her journey from a joyful family, through iconic roles, to her late-in-life mainstream breakthrough. It’s a masterclass in how comedy, kindness, and risk-taking can shape an extraordinary creative career — and serves as an uplifting, moving, and often hilarious memorial to a legend.