Conan O'Brien Says Catherine O'Hara Didn't Love His Paul McCartney Joke: 'Catherine Like Punched Me'

Actor Dan Levy recently appeared on Conan O'Brien's podcast, Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend, wherein he remembered his late Schitt's Creek co-star and family friend, Catherine O'Hara.

During the April 2026 podcast episode, Dan referenced that O'Hara, who died in January 2026 at the age of 71, was his father, Eugene Levy's longtime comedy partner. The pair played husband-and-wife, Moira and Johnny Rose, on Schitt's Creek, which had a six-season run until 2020. Dan, who co-created Schitt's Creek with his father, said that O'Hara's death is something he "still can't quite fit into [his] head" and is "an unimaginable loss."

O'Brien, who offered his condolences to Dan, shared that he got the chance to sit next to O'Hara at the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special, held in February 2025.

"I had the time of my life with her," said O'Brien.

O'Brien said that he and O'Hara were chatting and making jokes "in between sketches" throughout the show. He said, however, that she didn't love a joke he made about Paul McCartney before he performed for SNL50.

"At the end of the show, Paul McCartney comes out. It's like a surprise, but he comes out to sing like the end of Abbey Road. And I just next to Catherine went, 'Ugh' and she said, 'What?' And I said, 'This guy's never good.' And Catherine like punched me. She was like, 'Oh, shut up.' You know, I'm like, I know her, but I didn't know her well enough to get punched by her. But yes, I did," said O'Brien during the podcast episode.

Dan quipped that O'Hara, given her comedy expertise, "knew when something was not funny."

"Hence your Paul McCartney joke. She knew when to bring it back to reality," said Dan with a laugh.

A laughing O'Brien then explained that he "wanted to be the one person who ever said that when Paul McCartney came out."

"I thought no one's ever done it. I'm going to do it," continued O'Brien.

When Dan said, "I'm sure that was the reaction you were looking for," O'Brien replied, "I wanted to get punched by Catherine O'Hara and my dream came true."

Dan Levy Paid Tribute to Catherine O'Hara Following Her Death

Dan, who played Moira and Johnny's son, David, shared a tribute to his on-screen mother in a January 30 Instagram post.

In the caption of the post, Dan noted that he and O'Hara had a close bond because of her friendship with his father.

"What a gift to have gotten to dance in the warm glow of Catherine O'Hara's brilliance for all those years. Having spent over fifty years collaborating with my Dad, Catherine was extended family before she ever played my family. It's hard to imagine a world without her in it. I will cherish every funny memory I was fortunate enough to make with her," wrote Dan in the caption.

He also shared he was thinking of O'Hara's husband, Bo Welch, and her children, Matthew and Luke.

"My heart goes out to Bo, Matthew, Luke and every member of her big, beautiful family," wrote the actor.

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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 4:32 PM.