Dan Levy Admits 'It's a Strange and Surreal' Feeling Attending 2026 Emmys After 'Schitt's Creek' Costar Catherine O'Hara's Death

Dan Levy spoke at length about what it was like missing the late Catherine O'Hara at the 2026 Emmys.

The Monday, September 14, ceremony marked the first Emmys since the star's tragic passing, and her former costars made sure to honor her in great style.

Speaking to E! News at the event, the Schitt's Creek creator shared how he was carrying the torch for O'Hara on the night.

"I have a little, black rose in honor of my Schitt's Creek family," he said of an embellishment on his suit. "It's a strange, surreal evening."

He declared, "All you can really do is lead with love and lead with your most sincere thoughts and feelings, and hope that you honor a woman whose legacy is so much bigger than all of us."

In the same interview, the Canadian actor was full of praise for the Beetlejuice star.

"Catherine was such a singular force," he said. "I remember looking back on my time and thinking, 'Just let her do her thing. Give her space. Give her anything she wants. If she wants to wear wigs, let her wear wigs. If she wants to name those wigs, let her name those wigs. Do anything you can to make her happy because what she is doing on this show is next level.'"

O’Hara, who died in January at age 71, was deeply missed at the ceremony after being a familiar presence at the event throughout her decades-long career.

In her lifetime, the actress received 10 total nominations and two wins for her outstanding TV work in Schitt's Creek, The Studio and The Last of Us.

At the event, Levy and his fellow Schitt's Creek star Annie Murphy honored their TV mom with emotional speeches, alongside O'Hara's on-screen son from Home Alone Macaulay Culkin.

"Catherine's laugh was a perpetual 'yes, and,'" Murphy told the audience (via Entertainment Tonight). "It challenged anyone who heard it to join in and be as delighted as she was. And she spread that delight everywhere. While buying wine at the LCBO, I was treated to a very lively Catherine mashup, which was a woman saying, 'Ew David, where's the bébé?' while doing what I can only assume was Catherine's exquisite hobble from Best in Show."

Murphy concluded, "These are only a very few of the interactions I've been lucky enough to have that remind me how profoundly Catherine has impacted the world."

Meanwhile, Levy shared, "The greatest lesson I learned from Catherine, both professionally and personally, was to always say yes. Say yes to her instincts. All of them, as radical as they may sometimes seem. She is miles ahead of you, and you will learn to catch up. Say yes to giving her space to experiment and create. It will amaze you on a daily basis, and it will change your life."