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Johnny Rose
Schitt's Creek character
First appearance"Our Cup Runneth Over"
Created byDan Levy
Eugene Levy
Portrayed byEugene Levy
In-universe information
Full nameJohnny Rose
GenderMale
Occupation
  • Rosebud Motel co-manager (current)
  • CEO of Rose Video (former)
Family
SpouseMoira Rose
ReligionJudaism

Johnny Rose[1] is a fictional character in the Canadian sitcom Schitt's Creek, portrayed by actor and producer Eugene Levy.[2] Johnny is the former CEO of Rose Video, a video rental chain, and the current co-manager of Rosebud Motel.[1] Johnny also bought the deed to Schitt's Creek as a joke birthday gift for his son in 1991.[3]

For this role, Levy has been nominated for four consecutive Canadian Screen Awards, winning the award in 2016. Levy has also won one ACTRA Award as part of the ensemble cast.

Role in Schitt's Creek

Johnny Rose is the formerly wealthy CEO of North America's second largest video chain, Rose Video.[4] He and his ex-daytime soap star wife, Moira (Catherine O'Hara), share two adult children, David (Dan Levy) and Alexis Rose (Annie Murphy).[5] David is a former New York City gallerist and current small business owner[6][7], while his former socialite daughter, Alexis, owns her own public relations venture.[8][9] Johnny also has one known sister-in-law named Deedee (Jennifer Irwin).[10] He religiously identifies as Jewish, making minor references to his faith throughout the series, such as the fact that he attended Hebrew school.[11] Outside of these references, little is said about Johnny's upbringing. Sometime after his schooling, he invested his entire savings -- $2,000 -- into a video rental business called Rose Video.[12] Rose Video eventually expanded to become one of the largest video rental store companies, leaving Johnny with a sizable fortune.[4] During this period, Johnny met his future wife, Moira, at a Rose Video store opening.[13] After decades at the helm, Johnny's time as CEO of Rose Video came to an abrupt end when he was informed that his business manager, Eli, had been embezzling money from the company for years instead of paying taxes, and the government had no choice but to repossess all of his assets -- save for the town of Schitt's Creek.[14]

As the head of the Rose family, Johnny projects a sense of leadership as he tries to take charge of a bad situation.[15] Johnny's years as a high-powered CEO have left him largely disconnected from his adult children,[16] yet he maintains a palpable sense of love for his family.[17] He is particularly dedicated to his wife, Moira, whom he patiently supports at every turn, be it a successful debut as a theater director[18] or a meltdown over anonymous trolls on the Internet.[19] Johnny is slightly less patient (albeit still overprotective)[20] with his children, whose lack of urgency and life skills require Johnny to be both a motivator and a reality check, including when he tells David he'll need to get a job to pay for his Parisian moisturizer.[21] This changes as the series progresses, when their personal and professional successes turn Johnny into an enthusiastic "cheerleader" of his children.[22]

Johnny's connections with the townspeople of Schitt's Creek are more complicated. His relationship with the mayor, Roland Schitt (Chris Elliott), is initially contentious, with the mayor even removing the Rose family's motel room doors in retaliation after a minor spat with Johnny.[23] But as the series progresses, the two continually offer each other assistance[24] and ultimately become unlikely co-workers when Roland takes a side job at the motel.[25] This is also true of his relationship with Stevie (Emily Hampshire), which starts off with him referring to her as the "mouthy kid"[26] manning the motel reception desk. As the Rose family's stay at the motel is extended, their interactions evolve from respectful to appreciative -- to the point that Johnny becomes Stevie's business partner.[27] From there, their relationship deepens into genuine caring, which Stevie shows most prominently when Johnny falls ill with severe heartburn in season five.[28][29]

Character

Creation

The character of Johnny Rose was created by Eugene Levy and his son, Schitt's Creek co-creator Dan Levy.[30] While crafting Johnny and the rest of the Rose family, the Levys drew inspiration from wealthy American reality TV families portrayed on such shows as Keeping Up with the Kardashians and The Real Housewives franchise.[31] Early incarnations of the character depicted Johnny as an incompetent man who ran a business with his two brothers. But as they further developed the series, the Levys believed the character needed more "credibility" as a businessman and a certain set of "executive skills" which would allow him to handle the financial crisis that befalls the Rose family.[15] Intending for Johnny to be the "straight man" of the series, the elder Levy also drew more inspiration for the role from his own personality than he had for any of his previous characters. Catherine O'Hara helped further develop the character by setting the tone and overall dynamic for Johnny's relationship with his wife, Moira, after she secured the role.[32]

Design

In contrast to his wife, Moira's, often over-the-top black and white wardrobe, Johnny's sense of style is more subdued. He is frequently clad in a "well-tailored" gray or black suit from designers like Hugo Boss and Ermenegildo Zegna.[33] This serves as a reminder to the audience of Johnny's business background, as well as the wealth from which he came.[34]

Personality

Johnny presents himself as the most "dependable,"[35] realistic, and "easy-going"[32] member of the Rose family. He approaches the family's current predicament with a business-like mentality and often provides logical advice to alleviate their various woes.[32] His loyalty and affirming devotion also anchors the family, as things frequently threaten to spin out of control.[35] Despite this, however, Johnny still "loses it himself all the time."[17] Whether it's his incredulous reaction to Alexis over-ordering his shipment of raw milk,[36] or his exasperation at David misunderstanding what constitutes a tax write-off,[37] Johnny maintains an underlying sense of "panic"[35] over his family's lack of basic skills.

Johnny is also frequently flummoxed by technology and new business techniques. These struggles include basic computer skills,[4] such as navigating the Internet, and the use of social media to help grow one's business.[38] He frequently falls back on his experience running Rose Video to help him navigate business dealings, even if those approaches are not the most up-to-date.[39]

Character development

When Johnny arrives in Schitt's Creek, he displays a sense of "entitlement"[40] and is quick to use his well-honed business skills to make his family's stay in Schitt's Creek as short as possible.[32] His entitlement slowly recedes as he settles into the town and begins to recognize the generosity and hospitality of his new community. Despite this growing appreciation, Johnny maintains his business instincts -- continually (and urgently) looking for ways in which to rebuild his reputation and return to his old life.[41] He eventually finds his footing as the series progresses when he partners with the owner of his current home, the Rosebud Motel, to help revive the largely dormant establishment.[27] Through it all, Johnny remains committed to his family, for as Kelly Connolly notes for TV Guide, "Johnny visibly uncoils when his family is happy."[35]

Reception

Critical reception

When Schitt's Creek premiered in 2015, many critics celebrated the return of Levy-O'Hara as a comedic duo. In an early review for The Hollywood Reporter, Whitney Matheson said much the show's "charm" is derived from seeing Levy and O'Hara portray "extreme, unsympathetic characters," further arguing that only the seasoned professionals "could pull off the levels of deadpan required to convince us that, say, the parents can't remember their own daughter's middle name."[40] Brian Moylan of The Guardian called the series a nice "recipe for these two comedy vets to stretch their chops."[42] Moze Halperin of Flavorwire had a decidedly different reaction, calling Levy and O'Hara's performances "vacated" and "more actorly than comedic."[43] As the series progressed, critics reacted with far more praise. Vulture's Maggie Fremont declared Levy and O'Hara's characters the emotional "anchor"[44] of the show, and Caroline Framke of Variety called the actor pairing a "reliable goldmine."[45]

Critics also noted how Johnny Rose is a departure from most of Levy's previous roles. People Magazine's Gillian Telling said that rather than a "bumbling oaf or super-nerd," Johnny Rose was "stronger" and "more confident."[17] Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair also called the role "against type" and Levy's portrayal smart and "surprisingly dashing."[46] The Guardian's Brian Moylan further appreciated the turn, saying the role let the actor be in "much finer form" than some of his previous roles.[42] And Julie Miller, in a retrospective article on the character for Vanity Fair, declared Levy as Johnny Rose "may be the most brilliant of the actor’s nearly 50-year career—a masterclass in his deadpan gift."[4]

Accolades

For his work as Johnny Rose, Levy has been nominated for four consecutive Canadian Screen Awards for Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Comedic Role, beginning in 2016.[47][48][49][50] He subsequently won the award in 2016, beating out his on and off-screen son, Dan Levy.[51] As part of the ensemble cast, the elder Levy also won two Canadian Screen Awards for Best Comedy in 2016[51] and 2019,[52] with an additional nomination in 2017.[48]

In 2019, Levy and the Schitt's Creek cast were also honored with the ACTRA Award for Member’s Choice Series Ensemble[53], an award for which they were also nominated in 2017[54] and 2018.[55] The ensemble scored additional wins for TV Comedy of the Year and Unsung TV Show of the Year as part of the 2019 Dorian Awards.[56] Other 2019 cast nominations included a GLAAD Award for Outstanding Comedy Series[57]; a Critics Choice Award for Best Comedy Series[58]; and a Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy.[59]

References

  1. ^ a b "Johnny Rose - Schitt's Creek". CBC. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  2. ^ "Eugene Levy - Schitt's Creek". CBC. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  3. ^ Grow, Kory (2019-01-28). "Why 'Schitt's Creek' Is a Comedy Sleeper Hit". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  4. ^ a b c d Miller, Julie (2019-06-11). "How Eugene Levy's Hilarious Schitt's Creek Character Came to Be". HWD. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  5. ^ Betancourt, Manuel (2019-01-15). ""Schitt's Creek" And The Return Of The Nice Comedy". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  6. ^ "Meet the Cast - David Rose". Pop TV. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  7. ^ Newman-Bremang, Kathleen. "Know Your Schitt! A Guide To The Cast & Characters Of "Schitt's Creek"". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  8. ^ "Meet the Cast - Alexis Rose". Pop TV. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  9. ^ Liszewski, Bridget (2019-01-08). "Schitt's Creek's Annie Murphy on the Transformation of Alexis Rose". The TV Junkies. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  10. ^ Schitt's Creek (2016-03-09), Schitt's Creek - Meet Dee Dee, retrieved 2019-06-20
  11. ^ Burack, Emily (2019-04-11). "The Best Jewish Jokes In 'Schitt's Creek' Season 5". Alma. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  12. ^ "Bob's Bagels". Schitt's Creek. Season 2. Episode 5. February 2, 2016. Pop TV.
  13. ^ "Meet the Cast - Moira Rose". Pop TV. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  14. ^ Bianculli, David (2015-02-10). "New Comedy 'Schitt's Creek' From Canada Is A Reboot Of 'Green Acres'". NPR.org. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  15. ^ a b Los Angeles Times (2019-06-06), Daniel and Eugene Levy create a fallen CEO and his family you can root for in 'Schitt’s Creek', retrieved 2019-06-20
  16. ^ Schitt's Creek (2016-03-09), Schitt's Creek - Two Truths and a Lie, retrieved 2019-06-20
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  18. ^ Fremont, Maggie (2019-04-10). "Schitt's Creek Season Finale Recap: Curtain Call". www.vulture.com. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  19. ^ Schitt's Creek (2016-03-09), Schitt's Creek - "They're Anonymous. OMINOUS.", retrieved 2019-06-20
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  21. ^ "Don't Worry, It's His Sister". Schitt's Creek. Season 1. Episode 3. February 18, 2015. Pop TV.
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  23. ^ Martinelli, Marissa (2019-06-08). "The Schitt's Creek Episode That Explains Why People Love This Show So Freaking Much". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  24. ^ Schitt's Creek (2016-03-09), Schitt's Creek - Recruiting Roland, retrieved 2019-06-20
  25. ^ Newman-Bremang, Kathleen. "Know Your Schitt! A Guide To The Cast & Characters Of "Schitt's Creek"". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  26. ^ Schitt's Creek (2016-03-09), Schitt's Creek - The Drip, retrieved 2019-06-20
  27. ^ a b Newman-Bremang, Kathleen. "Know Your Schitt! A Guide To The Cast & Characters Of "Schitt's Creek"". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  28. ^ Liszewski, Bridget (2017-01-31). "Schitt's Creek: Emily Hampshire On Delving Into Stevie's Backstory". The TV Junkies. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  29. ^ Fremont, Maggie (2019-04-03). "Schitt's Creek Recap: A Bashful Clam and a Backpack of Cheese". www.vulture.com. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  30. ^ Jung, E. Alex (2019-01-16). "Dan Levy Made Schitt's Creek With His Dad. But It's His Weird Little Baby. Scouting for clothes with the creator of TV's funniest town". www.vulture.com. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  31. ^ Blyth, Antonia (2018-01-14). "'Schitt's Creek' Was Inspired By The Kardashians & 'Real Housewives'". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  32. ^ a b c d Turchiano, Danielle (2015-02-11). "Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara on Evolving Their Long (and Funny) Working Relationship for 'Schitt's Creek'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  33. ^ Yotka, Steff (2018-12-20). "Schitt's Creek Is Giving the Gift of Fashion This Holiday Season—And All 2019 Long". Vogue. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  34. ^ Ivie, Devon (2018-03-28). "Schitt's Creek Is a Master Class in Aspirational Fashion". www.vulture.com. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  35. ^ a b c d Connolly, Kelly (2019-06-19). "Everyone on Schitt's Creek Deserves an Emmy, Like, Yesterday | TV Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  36. ^ Schitt's Creek (2016-05-02), Schitt's Creek - The Dairy Dilemma, retrieved 2019-06-20
  37. ^ Rae, David. "Up 'Schitt's Creek': A Hilarious Lesson On Tax Deductions". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  38. ^ Schitt's Creek (2017-02-28), Schitt's Creek - "Tweet Us on Facebook!", retrieved 2019-06-20
  39. ^ Fremont, Maggie (2019-02-13). "Schitt's Creek Recap: Was It the Lack of Ground Rules?". www.vulture.com. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  40. ^ a b Matheson, Whitney (2019-02-11). "'Schitt's Creek': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  41. ^ Liszewski, Bridget (2016-01-11). "Schitt's Creek stars preview changing relationships in Season 2". The TV Junkies. Retrieved 2019-06-21. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  42. ^ a b Moylan, Brian (2015-02-10). "Schitt's Creek: Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy's fine take on Green Acres". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  43. ^ Moze, Halperin (2015-02-11). "Eugene Levy's 'Schitt's Creek' Is Just as Broad and Hopeless as Its Title Suggests". Flavorwire. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  44. ^ Fremont, Maggie (2018-04-09). "Why Aren't You Watching Schitt's Creek Yet?". www.vulture.com. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  45. ^ Framke, Caroline; Framke, Caroline (2018-12-19). "How 'Schitt's Creek' Became Such a Reliable Source of TV Joy". Variety. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  46. ^ Lawson, Richard (2019-01-16). "Yes, Schitt's Creek Really Is That Good". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  47. ^ Furdyk, Brent (2016-01-19). "2016 Canadian Screen Awards Nominees Announced". ET Canada. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
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  49. ^ "Canadian Screen Awards 2018: All the winners". ca.hellomagazine.com. 2018-03-12. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  50. ^ "Canadian Screen Awards Nominees". Academy.ca. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  51. ^ a b "2016 Canadian Screen Awards: All the winners and highlights". ca.hellomagazine.com. 2016-03-14. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  52. ^ "Anne with an E, Schitt's Creek win big at 2019 Canadian Screen Awards". ca.hellomagazine.com. 2019-04-01. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
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  56. ^ Kilkenny, Katie (2019-01-03). "TV Comedy of the Year - 'The Favourite,' 'Pose,' 'Killing Eve' Lead Dorian Award Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
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  59. ^ Ausiello, Michael (2019-06-19). "TCA Awards: Pose, Russian Doll, Fleabag, Good Fight, Schitt's Creek Score Multiple Nominations". TVLine. Retrieved 2019-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
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