Eugene Levy has paid a heartfelt tribute to his longtime collaborator, Catherine O'Hara

In a statement given to Us Weekly, he said: "Words seem inadequate to express the loss I feel today. I had the honour of knowing and working with the great Catherine O'Hara for over fifty years.

"From our beginnings on the Second City stage, to SCTV, to the movies we did with Chris Guest, to our six glorious years on Schitt's Creek, I cherished our working relationship, but most of all our friendship."

He concluded: "And I will miss her. My heart goes out to Bo, Matthew, Luke, and the entire O'Hara family."

Their collaboration began in the 1970s as part of the legendary Toronto troupe Second City, where they quickly developed a shared rhythm built on sharp improvisation and character driven humour. The pair had such great chemistry that they dated. That chemistry carried into the groundbreaking sketch series SCTV, where they created a parade of eccentric, unforgettable characters and helped shape a new era of Canadian comedy.

Over the decades, the pair reunited repeatedly, most notably in Christopher Guest's ensemble mockumentaries, including Best in Show and A Mighty Wind. Their partnership reached a new generation with Schitt's Creek, in which Levy played the steady, warm hearted Johnny Rose opposite O'Hara's iconic, wildly theatrical Moira.

Commenting on their natural chemistry, Eugene told The Hollywood Reporter: "We've known each other for such a long time that it's just a comfortable relationship.

"And when you're doing comedy, number one, you do want to work with the best people. It's hard when you're not working with the best people, so the bottom line is you want really good people who are quite skilled at this particular kind of comedy."

Eugene's children, Dan and Sarah Levy, who also starred in Schitt's Creek as their on-screen children, have both paid their respects.

Dan, 42, penned on Instagram: "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."

He added: "My heart goes out to Bo, Matthew, Luke and every member of her big, beautiful family."

Sarah, 39, wrote: "This one cuts deep. What an honor it has been to know and work with and love Catherine O'Hara.

"Cheers to all that you brought to this world - you will be so, so missed."