Annie Murphy Talks Final Season of ‘Schitt’s Creek,’ Ted’s Goodbye, and ‘Kevin Can F*** Himself’ [Exclusive Interview]

The humour and heart of Schitt’s Creek quickly put the Canadian comedy on everyone’s radar. But there’s one phrase that propelled this series to iconic status early on in its career — the signature phrase, “Ew, David!”

Those famous words uttered by Alexis Rose quickly drew viewers’ gaze to an up-and-coming Canadian actress who would introduce us to a character with unique wit, rich mannerisms, and wild backstories.

Despite being surrounded by comedy royalty, Annie Murphy would win us over with her ability to bring incredible depth and warmth to a seemingly stereotypical socialite. Everything television had taught us to hate about this superficial character, we would come to celebrate about Alexis.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Murphy about all things Alexis Rose, her character’s difficult decision to say goodbye to Ted, and the actress’s promising new project Kevin Can F*** Himself. 

In a family of fashion standouts, style is everything even when you have nothing. So it has been somewhat of an honor to watch Alexis never comprise her chance to rock a cute outfit regardless of what the situation calls for.

While Murphy was eager to take “a little bit” of Alexis’s closet with her after filming, she also acknowledged that her character’s style is still very much one of a kind.

“So many of her clothes are so classically Alexis, and even though I loved them, I didn’t want to be that girl that’s no longer on the show cosplaying herself down the street. So I had to be selective of what I chose,” she noted.

So what iconic pieces from Alexis’s wardrobe did Murphy end up taking home with her? The actress confirmed the seventies-disco flared pants we see Alexis wear in Schitt’s Creek Season 6 Episode 1, “Smoke Signals,” found their way into her possession, along with another iconic outfit.

“I took those home with me — I took the pants. I took a big comfy Isabel Marant sweater, and I took the ridiculous purple velvet baby doll dress that I wore for the “A Little Bit Alexis” audition.”

Speaking of “A Little Bit Alexis”, the title track of Alexis Rose’s critically reviewed limited reality series has become a surprise hit for Schitt’s Creek and the actress.

The song, which Murphy co-wrote as a spoof for her character to perform for her Cabaret audition, debuted on music streaming platforms to moderate success, and Kelly Clarkson recently performed the banger live with Murphy on her talk show.

Murphy never expected the song to take off the way it did, but she admitted that it was always her intention to create something people could party to. Even so, she is still a little shocked as to where “A Little Bit Alexis” has taken her.

“No, not at all. We secretly wanted it to be a song people would put on seriously and have a good old fashion pre-drink or dance-off to. I could never have expected that I would be performing it next to Kelly Clarkson, who was singing it along with me. In my wildest dreams, that would not have been an option. It’s been pretty crazy.”

And how exactly did that iconic live performance with Clarkson come to fruition for Murphy? The actress said it was all a bit surreal.

“I heard I was going to be on her show, and I was so excited. Two days before I was supposed to be on it the producer called saying, ‘Kelly is wondering if you’d consider performing A Little Bit Alexis with her as a duet,’ and then I died a thousand deaths. I was like, ‘I’m sorry is Kelly Clarkson asking me to consider performing on stage with her? What world is this?'” she recalled.

“So, Kelly — Kelly Clarkson — I don’t know what to call her. This is all so weird. She is a huge fan of the show, and she actually said to me after we finished rehearsing that it was her favorite performance she has ever done. I’m like, this can’t be true. Yes, it was a very surreal and wonderful day.”

Where would Schitt’s Creek be without Alexis and her bonkers treasure trove of backstories?

Yes, a complete lack of parental supervision and a large trust fund led Alexis Rose down some interesting paths before her arrival to Schitt’s Creek. But we’ve come to embrace her rich complicated backstory and unusual celebrity name drops for the fun anecdotes they are, as has Murphy.

“I really do have to go an refresh my memory because there are so many good ones. They’re so frequent that they kind of disappear into the ether after they come out of your mouth,” she said.

“I think one I have a really good time imagining is Alexis being held hostage on David Geffen’s yacht by Somali pirates because I genuinely think it was a scenario where everybody ended up having a good time. The hostages, the pirates; I think it ended up turning into a radical yacht party. The sweet thing can find good in any situation.”

Along with her bonkers backstories and Coachella-ready style, Alexis’s unique mannerisms have become not only a staple of this show but of this series most meme-able moments.

No matter how many changes Alexis undergoes in her journey, her mannerisms still very much embody a parody of the stereotypical rich socialite. But that’s far from a bad thing. Her limp wrists, which are best described as a “T-Rex attempting to play the piano”, bring a critical layer of physical comedy to the character — and the series.

Not to mention, the character’s peculiar way of vocalization her brother’s name always finds new and intriguing notes to hit.

“I just did it one day and just kept doing it. And it stuck. It’s a collaborative set so anything tossed out there is considered. So I had a lot of flexibility with the character. Not with lines necessarily, but with physicality and tendencies. Peppering Davids into everything is something that I think annoyed the hell out of everyone. But no regrets,” admitted Murphy.

In one of the most devastating and emotional moments of the series, Schitt’s Creek Season 6 Episode 8, “The Presidential Suite,” saw the end of Alexis and Ted. But even as our hearts break at the thought of Texis being no more, it’s hard to find a reason to resent the couple for making such a mature decision.

Murphy discussed her reaction to the breakup, and why she believed the choice made sense for both characters at that moment.

“It was sad to know it was going to happen, but it also makes sense. I think both characters have really helped each other grow in so many ways, especially Alexis. Ted was her first true love, and I think at an older age like that it’s almost more impactful. He opened her up to feeling a whole bunch of feelings that she hadn’t felt before. So I think they really helped each together grow and change.”

Not only was this a formal goodbye for fan-favorite Ted Mullens, but it was also marked a number of lasts for the actor who plays him as well. Murphy acknowledged that the circumstances of both goodbyes could be felt between the two characters in their final scene together.

“It was really hard to say goodbye because I’ve come to love them as characters and as a couple. And on the day we shot the break up scene, that was Dustin Milligan’s last day of shooting. So we were emotional for many reasons, and it was bittersweet for many reasons. It was the mature thing to do and they did it,” she explained.

“I think there were a lot of things in the script that we could also say to each other as good buds, who have enjoyed working together for five years. Yes, there is some character and some normal human being in that scene.”

For anyone worried this recent trauma will knock Alexis off her game, Murphy assures us she will still very much be the spitfire socialite we’ve come to know.

“She will continue to be Alexis. But she will continue to be a more independent version of that. I think we first met her we saw a version of her that was very dependant, whether it was on men or money or things. It was a much more shallow dependant version of herself.”

“In moving to Schitt’s Creek and meeting Mutt, Ted, and Twyla, and discovering these new meaningful relationships, she also discovered independence that she didn’t have before. You know, like her taking it upon herself to go back to high school at the tender age of thirty and pursue her diploma. As cheesy as it is, I think she really found herself along the way. It was a really bold, adult, and mature move to pick herself.”

Murphy will continue her reign as the lead of AMC’s Kevin Can F*** Himself, a sitcom that looks to rectify the way comedies such as Kevin Can Wait have treated the American sitcom wife. While many fans had been secretly hoping for “A Little Bit Alexis” prequel reality show, news that the actress would be joining another profanity loving sitcom was met with overwhelming joy. 

We’re not the only ones who love that journey for her. Murphy expressed her own excitement to begin exploring this departure from Schitt’s Creek.

“I auditioned for it, and I now have a job. It’s all very new and exciting. I’m super stoked about the script and it’s a huge departure from Alexis. It’s kind of this downtrodden sitcom wife perspective that has her husband be the center of attention for many many years and has kind of been gaslit for a while. She isn’t enjoying life as much as she should be and takes matters into her own hands.”

“What I’m excited about, is the show is going to be shot multi-camera and single-camera. So when she’s with her husband and in that world it’s all sitcom — sets, lights, canned laughter. But when she’s on her own it’s a really beautiful single-camera with dark and gritty tones. So it’s going to be a really fun and completely different experience.”

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The final season of Schitt’s Creek airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on CBC and Pop TV.

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