“Schitt's Creek” star Annie Murphy has been married to musician Menno Versteeg for almost a decade, but they have dealt with many difficulties, including a burnt-down apartment.
Born in December 1986, Annie Murphy grew up in Ottawa, Canada, and moved to Toronto after finishing college. She has been involved in the entertainment industry since 2007 when she landed small parts in “Lethal Obsession” and “The Business.”
Murphy’s career skyrocketed in 2015 when she was cast in Daniel and Eugene Levy’s hit sitcom “Schitt's Creek.” The actress went through many hardships that she almost quit acting.
Annie Murphy at Barker Hangar on January 12, 2020 in Santa Monica, California | Photo: Getty Images
ALMOST GIVING UP
She once confessed that before booking the part of Alexis Rose in “Schitt's Creek,” she had not worked in two years and only had about $3 in her bank account.
If that wasn’t enough, Annie Murphy’s house in downtown Toronto had just burnt down, and she also blew her first screen test. For all those reasons, she decided that acting was not the right career choice for her.
One day, Murphy “sort of screamed out into the universe” that she was giving up on acting and ready to go to “secretarial school.” The following day, she got the audition for “Schitt's Creek.”
That didn’t mean much at the time as she still had to book the part. She initially thought she wouldn’t get it as Daniel and Eugene didn’t contact her for a long time.
She explained that Daniel sent Eugene her audition, completely sure that they had finally found the perfect person to portray Alexis. Still, Eugene was not convinced because he had pictured Alexis as a blonde woman, and Murphy is a brunette.
LIFE-CHANGING ROLE
Daniel eventually asked Murphy to audition for Stevie Budd, a brunette played by Emily Hampshire. After testing for Stevie and Alexis, Murphy flew back to Los Angeles for pilot season and didn’t hear back from Daniel or Eugene for about three weeks.
Fortunately, she got a call from Eugene but was too scared to pick up. She then called back, and Daniel picked up. He told her they loved what she did and left her hanging for “like 45 years.”
When Murphy and Versteeg began dating, she was still a struggling actress with a lot of time off.
Almost in tears, Murphy thanked Daniel for the opportunity, but he interrupted her and asked, “How would you like to play my sister on the show?” Annie Murphy admitted that moment changed her whole life.
“Schitt's Creek” had a modest start, but things improved over time as they signed a deal with Netflix in 2017 and got an Emmy nomination for Best Comedy in 2019.
The show also made Murphy a star. Some of her character’s catchphrases became so popular that they have been sold on T-shirts and stickers. She is currently one of the main actresses in “Kevin Can F**K Himself” and “Russian Doll.”
ANNIE MURPHY’S HUSBAND
Murphy certainly went through a lot before making it big in the entertainment industry, but she has had her husband, Menno Versteeg, supporting her along the way.
The couple prefers to keep the details of their romance away from the spotlight, but we still found some information about them. Versteeg was the frontman of Canadian indie rock band Hollerado before they called it quits in 2019.
When Murphy and Versteeg began dating, she was still a struggling actress with a lot of time off, so she would often go on tours with the band.
Murphy even helped with the lyrics of one of the band’s most popular songs, “Good Day at the Races.” In turn, Versteeg helped Murphy with the “Schitt's Creek” original song “A Little Bit Alexis.”
While Murphy wrote the lyrics, Versteeg and one of his friends created the melody. He admitted he wanted to rip off the feel of Britney Spears’ “Work B***h” and make “A Little Bit Alexis” a song people wanted to use in spin class.
Menno Versteeg, a mental health advocate, married Annie Murphy on August 20, 2011, and they’ve been together ever since. What a beautiful couple!
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