Moira Rose and Delia Deetz walk into a room — Catherine O'Hara shares what she thinks would happen next
In a Q interview, the Canadian comedy legend discusses her work in the new Beetlejuice sequel
Interviewers often ask Catherine O'Hara to compare two of her most famous characters: Moira Rose from Schitt's Creek and Delia Deetz from Beetlejuice. In an interview with Q guest host Talia Schlanger, the Canadian comedy legend says the two characters are similar in that they both wear eccentric black and white clothing, have creative interests (Moira is an actor; Delia, a visual artist) and desperately want to be recognized for their art.
So what would Moira and Delia say to each other if they were in a room together? Under these circumstances, O'Hara believes their differences would emerge, with Moira trying to "mentor" Delia.
"Moira, I think, is a lot more confident," O'Hara tells Schlanger. "She's had some great success and she believes she'll have it again. She really maintains who she thinks she is, whereas Delia's way less secure. Delia has not received the recognition she thinks she deserves for her talent. She keeps striving, she keeps trying. She'd be somebody who'd be posting crap every day."
O'Hara had to actively work on separating herself from Moira as she prepared to reprise her role as Delia for the new sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which hits theatres today. She found it difficult to leave Moira behind after Schitt's Creek wrapped up its final season.
"Right after finishing Schitt's Creek, when I would go to another job, I'd have to really stop myself because it was so much fun to speak like that," O'Hara says. "There's so much character in the voice that it just lifts me up…. I feel so free doing it. I had to let go to be other characters."
O'Hara knows that when people see her in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, they'll not only recognize her from Schitt's Creek, but also Best in Show and Home Alone. She admits that she was "scared" she'd bring too much of Moira to the role.
When she originally filmed the iconic Tim Burton movie in the late '80s, it was mainly only Canadians who knew her from her work on the improv television show, SCTV, which also features the likes of Eugene Levy and Martin Short. Beetlejuice was her breakout hit in the United States.
O'Hara initially struggled to return to the character of Delia, but one night Beetlejuice happened to be on TV and it gave her a jolt of inspiration.
"I don't know if it was lack of experience at the time or if it was a conscious choice, but I spoke really quickly as Delia in that first movie — and that gave me something to go on," she says. "So I again sound inexperienced in this movie and speak more quickly."
Alongside O'Hara, Winona Ryder reprises her role as Lydia Deetz, Michael Keaton comes back as Beatlejuice and Burton returns as director.
O'Hara credits Burton for making them all feel like they were on the original set, without expectations or fame.
"He just wanted to get that feeling back — and he totally succeeded," she says. "It felt so loose and fun and collaborative, and Tim looked so happy, that was just so infectious. It was a really happy set."
The full interview with Catherine O'Hara is available on our podcast, Q with Tom Power. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Interview with Catherine O'Hara produced by Vanessa Greco.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
