Dustin Milligan calls Schitt's Creek Emmy nominations 'pretty wild'

Dustin Milligan says he didn't see this coming.

The actor, who is from Yellowknife and now lives in Los Angeles, is one of the stars of the CBC comedy Schitt's Creek, which was recently nominated for four Emmys.

"It started off as such a small, quaint little Canadian show," he said, "this little gem of a CBC show."

"And then it just slowly but surely started going and going and going, and getting more and more eyes on it."

The four Emmy nominations are a first for Schitt's Creek. It's up for best comedy series, best lead actress for Catherine O'Hara, best lead actor for Eugene Levy and outstanding contemporary costumes.

When he first started work on Schitt's Creek, Milligan said he had to explain what the show was to casting directors and producers. That has changed, he says, to having meetings with "super fans" who have binge watched the entire series, which is also available on Netflix in Canada and internationally. 

Milligan doesn't think any of the actors, including Canadians Dan Levy and Annie Murphy, could have predicted how successful the show would become. He calls the Emmy nods "pretty wild."

"But deep down in our hearts, I think we all wished that something that was this special to us could be appreciated by such a wide audience."

Ending on its own terms

Schitt's Creek's sixth and final season is airing this winter. The cast wrapped production a few weeks ago, which Milligan acknowledged is bittersweet.

He said it's been a "joy" working opposite the legendary actors, but he's happy that the show is going out on its own terms.

"It's gonna go out with a bang and I think audiences, I hope, will appreciate that all the more so now," he said.

"It has actually opened up some doors, which I'm eternally grateful for, again for such a show that none of us knew would ever get to where it's going. It's quite incredible."

Milligan, who has also starred in hits including 90210 and A Simple Favor, is now working on a movie for Hulu. 

The 71st Primetime Emmy Awards will be handed out Sept. 22.