When you think of the Rose family from Schitt’s Creek, Johnny may not immediately strike you as the one who is the most conscious about his looks, even though the man loves a good suit. Moira’s extravagant wigs, Alexis’ neverending wardrobe options, and David’s avant-garde fashion sense have always stood out more. However, Eugene Levy’s real-life obsession with his hair inspired one of the show’s most memorable episodes, ‘The Drip.’
In an interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Levy, the beloved patriarch of the Rose family, shared the behind-the-scenes story of how his son, Dan Levy, crafted the episode to irk his dad.
Levy, known for his remarkable comedic timing, began by admitting, “Yeah, well, yeah, there was one,” in response to Clarkson’s inquiry about Dan’s antics. As an image from “The Drip” episode popped up on the screen, with Levy’s character bedraggled and drenched, Clarkson chimed in with excitement, noting how much she loves that episode.
The actor explained, “Okay, I’m a little picky about my hair and it’s not, you know, it’s not vanity. It’s just really tough hair to do, you know, for me,” he explained. His hair-related quirks led to Dan’s prank, which played really well into the story.
“He wrote an episode called ‘The Drip’, where I’m lying in bed and all night a drip has been dripping on my head and I wake up soaked,” Levy recounted. On set, he discovered that his son was determined to take the prank a step further. “I said, ‘Ah, Dan really? It can’t drip anywhere else except on my hair?”
Levy continued, “We were shooting the scene, and I take a break, and I look in that little hand mirror. I said, ‘Can I borrow a little mirror?’ and I check the mirror, and I’m going, ‘Okay, it’s all right, I think I can live with this,’ and then I hear a voice saying, ‘I think it should be more wet.’ That was Daniel.”
Eugene Levy’s retelling of the fun moment was both amusing and endearing. “But we did that scene, and he got such a kick out of it. Honestly, I mean, I got as much fun watching him watching me being as miserable as I was doing the scene,” he shared.
In retrospect, Levy admitted that the quirky hair-soaking episode had a method to the madness. “I got it, and I knew why the hair had to be wet. So I went ahead and did it. I leaned in,” he concluded with a grin.
Levy was on the show to promote the book Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: The Story of Schitt’s Creek, which was published in October 2021. It is a celebratory coffee-table book that pays homage to the acclaimed TV series, offering character profiles, iconic moments, and behind-the-scenes insights that can be a keepsake for ardent fans of the show.
