Schitt's Creek actress Emily Hampshire has revealed that the show helped her to define her own sexuality. Schitt's Creek ran for six seasons on Canada's CBC and was praised for its LGBTQ+ representation. The show saw a huge boost in viewership after the first three seasons landed on Netflix, garnering both critical acclaim and a cult following. Developed by father-and-son team Eugene and Dan Levy, who also played Johnny and David Rose, the series followed the Rose family, who are forced to relocate to the titular town after their fortune is stolen. Alongside mother Moira (Catherine O'Hara) and daughter Alexis (Annie Murphy), the Roses find themselves struggling to adjust to small town rural life, but eventually learn to embrace their new home.
Hampshire, who identifies as pansexual (an attraction to individuals regardless of biological sex, gender, or gender identity), was a regular on the show, playing Stevie Budd and appearing in all but two of its 80 episodes. Stevie was the best friend of David, and later a business partner to Johnny. She also served as the sarcastic clerk and eventual owner of the motel that the Rose family lived in, eventually learning to leave her comfort zone with the aid of the Rose family.
Speaking with Demi Lovato on her 4D with Demi Lovato podcast, Hampshire revealed that the show's famous wine scene apparently helped the actress better define her own sexuality. She told Lovato that before the show she had never heard the term pansexual before, despite considering herself "super knowledgeable about LGBTQ+ stuff." She added that years later, when speaking with Levy, she realised that she herself was pansexual and it had simply never occurred to her. You can read Hampshire's full statement below:
“[David Rose] says, ultimately he likes the wine, not the label and that he’s pansexual. I had never heard the word pansexual before. I’ve always considered myself super knowledgeable about LGBTQ+ stuff just because everybody in my life, my friends, are all mostly LGBTQ+ people, but I didn’t know this. Cut to about five years later. I was dating someone and I saw on these message boards people being like, ‘Is Stevie a lesbian?’ ‘Is Emily gay?’ ‘Who’s Emily?' I said to Dan, I was like, ‘This is so weird. What am I?’ Because I truly just fell in love with a person and where they were on the gender spectrum did not matter to me. And since then it really doesn’t matter to me. I have to like the person. I’m really attracted to a person’s vibe. He was like, ‘You’re pansexual. Don’t you watch our show?'”
The scene that Hamsphire refers to occurs in the tenth episode of season 1, "Honeymoon," which takes place after Stevie and David sleep together. Seeking clarification on what happened between them amidst her own confusion, Stevie tells David: "I only drink red wine … and up until last night, I was under the impression that you too only drank red wine" (referring to an attraction to men). David brushes this off by explaining that ultimately, "I like the wine and not the label," revealing that he is pansexual. David explains pansexuality in a manner very similar to Hampshire herself, as being "attracted to a person's vibe."
Schitt's Creek as a series carried with it a strong message of inclusivity and acceptance, especially in regards to its LGBTQ+ characters, going on to be nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy Series and winning once. Given that, it's good to hear that the show also helped one of its primary stars better understand her own identity. While the shift may not have been immediate, such things can take time. Regardless, it's an important step both for representation, and for Hampshire as well, that she feels comfortable enough to be open about who she is.
Source: 4D with Demi Lovato
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