Holy Schitt! This Moira Rose Impression Will Blow Your Mind
Irene Martinko
Grab a glass of your favorite fruit wine, hire a sitter for your precious bébé, and pull up a chair. It’s time for us to talk about the Moira Rose impression that has taken the internet by storm.
Michael Judson Berry is an actor, comedian, and Schitt’s Creek enthusiast, but you may know him better from his collection of wigs and his wacky accent as Moira Rose, the host of QuaranTeaTime on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube. What began as a silly impersonation of the iconic character of TV’s Schitt’s Creek has now skyrocketed into a viral internet sensation. But how did it all begin?
“I always do goofy voices,” says Berry about his impersonation journey. “I grew up watching Robin Williams and Carol Burnett and trying to imitate them.”
As a big fan of Schitt’s Creek, he used to casually imitate the iconic Moira Rose accent to the delight of his friends. But when he spontaneously brought the character onstage while performing in an improv show, pretending to be Moira if she were working at a Sephora, the audience knew he was onto something.
Then COVID-19 hit, and suddenly, actors found themselves with a lot more free time on their hands. Looking for a way to continue performing, Berry put his Moira Rose impression on camera for the first time, resulting in the inaugural QuaranTeaTime.
“I just decided to post it because, why not?” Continued Berry. “And then I did a couple more.”
Just four months later, these Schitt’s Creek-inspired videos have gone from silly jokes to fan favorites. And he couldn’t be more stunned by the reaction.
“I am the worst at social media!” He exclaimed. “I get made fun of all the time for being the little old man friend. I live my life in cardigans and can barely turn my phone on, let alone use it.”
Still, he has managed to capture the attention of thousands of viewers and has almost inadvertently built a massive following. Berry has fans all over the world who love his impressions, his message, and his homage to a beautiful and hilarious TV show.
“That’s the best part for me. From all over the world!” Berry said. “I just had someone reach out from Turkey, someone from Australia, someone from the UK, someone from New Jersey…I’ve gotten a lot of people that see me an extension of the series.”
And his impression goes beyond humor. He recalls when he first began creating his videos, his mother told him that in these difficult times, he should use his platform to spread positivity. What’s at the heart of his videos are messages of love, kindness, self-care, and joy.
“That seems to be what people have latched onto,” Berry said. “She’s got a heart as big as her vocabulary. We all just sometimes need a little reminder to look in the mirror and love each other.”
And as it turns out, Berry has reached a wider audience than he ever expected to. The great Catherine O’Hara, the famous actress behind Moira Rose, has not only seen Michael’s videos, but has publicly praised his impression.
“I nearly fell on the floor. Actually I did fall on the floor. It was crazy!” Berry said, describing the moment he learned of O’Hara’s reaction. “I was nervous that maybe they’d seen them and didn’t like them, so when she said that she’d not just watched them but that she thought they were really good and that the writing was really good… That just felt like the ultimate compliment! That would be like Einstein telling you you’re good at math. I spent the entire day smiling.”
So what’s next for QuaranTeaTime?
“I really want to bring in more of these where she interviews people,” Berry confided. “It’ll be more bringing in celebrity impressions and original characters. I’m just trying to think, how can I bring in more people?”
In his back pocket are impressions of Katharine Hepburn, Liza Minelli, Tonya Harding, Britney Spears and Cher, and he’s recently introduced his version of David and Alexis Rose. We can look forward to a Moira Rose surrounded by a whole slew of wacky characters as he continues to create and play.
At the end of the day, what does Berry hope that people take away from his experience? The message he offers is one of creativity and encouragement.
“You want to make a difference in some way, along with entertain people. Try and make a difference. It’s so rare that you get to that,” He said. “I would just tell anyone reading this to keep looking for other people like me cause there’s loads of us. Loads of actors are creating tons of content all over TikTok and Instagram.”
Berry hopes that in this age of digital creation, we expand our horizons and find other actors who are sharing their talents with the world. And he encourages other artists sitting at home with an idea in their head to give it a try. You never know what might happen!
Find Michael Judson Berry’s work at:
Instagram: @mjudsonberry
TikTok: @mjudsonberry
Or binge the entire QuaranTeaTime series as a playlist on his Youtube channel by searching for Michael Judson Berry!