The Truth About The Guy Who Plays Patrick In Schitt's Creek

What's the truth about the guy who plays Patrick in Schitt's Creek? The Canadian comedy series was a bit of a late bloomer, but when it caught on, it took the world by storm. The show follows the journey of a once filthy-rich family washed up on hard times who finds that their only asset is a town called Schitt's Creek. So, there they go, and with it, they embrace all the oddities and warmth that the town has to offer.

Schitt's Creek is hilarious and enduring for a number of reasons, but a lot of viewers will tell you that the relationship between David Rose (played by the show's creator, Dan Levy) and Patrick Brewer (played by Noah Reid) is why they kept watching episode after episode. David and Patrick are truly a match made in heaven — for all of David's eccentricities and for all of Patrick's sensibility, the two of them create a love story that you just want to root for. 

But who is Noah Reid, the actor behind the beloved Patrick? What does his career and personal life look like? Here's the truth about Noah Reid, the guy who plays Patrick in Schitt's Creek.

Noah Reid's character, Patrick Brewer, didn't join the cast of Schitt's Creek at the beginning of the series. In fact, Patrick didn't appear in an episode until season three, and even then he was not introduced as a main character. 

As the relationship between Patrick and David Rose blossomed, Reid joined the cast as a recurring member, but he revealed to Spin1038 in an interview that he hadn't actually watched the show before signing on to the project. "I'm not a huge television watcher... I had seen the first episode and been like, 'oh this is great,'" Reid said, carrying on by explaining that he chose not to watch the show because he didn't want to "psyche" himself out before the audition. 

Reid, of course, got the part as Patrick and came to the show "sort of clean," another result of having not watched the first three seasons. He revealed that he was "completely daunted" at the thought of joining such a storied cast, but told Spin1038 that his fellow actors couldn't have been more welcoming.

One of the most endearing aspects of Schitt's Creek is that David Rose's sexual orientation — and later, Patrick's — is never questioned or judged. The entire town fully accepts Patrick and David's relationship — there isn't a hint of prejudice, judgment, or fear. But even so, the episode where Patrick comes out to his parents was (and is) a big deal, and Noah Reid revealed that he wanted to do the scene justice. 

In an interview with Decider, Reid said that he understood the "weight and importance" of the conversation he was about to be a part of, as it would serve as a message to many viewers. "To see [Patrick] faced with this conundrum of how to handle this conversation with his parents who, presumably ... are the ones who know you the best, but for them to not know something about you that is so true to who you are just felt like it must be a really stressful and anxious moment," he said. For Reid, the feelings surrounding the scene really choked him up — Patrick's coming out is still one of Schitt's Creek's best moments.

Schitt's Creek's Patrick Brewer is known for his steadfastness, his organization, his levelheadedness — he is the perfect counterweight to David Rose. But before Noah Reid stepped into Patrick's shoes, he played a bumbling, awkward character in an ABC Family show called Kevin From Work. 

As noted by the Toronto Sun, Reid brought the kind, funny, but clumsy Kevin to life, and navigated the show as a painfully awkward individual who just can't seem to get it all together. The publication asked Reid what his most "Kevin-ish" moment had been, and Reid completely sold himself out. "Well, today, my flight (from Toronto to Los Angeles) was delayed," Reid explained. "So I was late arriving, and I ran through the LAX airport, with a garment bag carrying this suit (the one he was wearing) over my shoulder." 

Reid explained that he changed in the parking lot, had to Google how to properly tie a bow tie, and tied his shoes in the Park'N Fly located near LAX. "So that's the most recent one. But there will be many to come," he said. So relatable!

One of Patrick Brewer's most enduring moments from Schitt's Creek is his serenade during the open mic episode. Not only did the episode impact Patrick and David's relationship for the better (more on that later), but it exposed Noah Reid's musical talents to the world. He revealed to the Los Angeles Times that the episode "touched [him]" and motivated him to revisit the music career that he had abandoned. 

Reid released a sweet, touching ballad entitled "Hold On" and spoke to the Times about his life experiences and what motivated him to write such a track. "It's a song I wrote while working in Los Angeles when I was away from my partner," Reid said. "We had just moved into an apartment together [in Toronto] and it was difficult to be away in that time frame. I was concerned I was going to lose this great thing that we were just starting to build and there was so much uncertainty." 

Reid said that the pacing of the song and the overarching message starts in a place of "isolation and confusion," but culminates in "hope."

Can we all just admit that weddings are the best? Unfortunately, a lot of weddings got postponed or extremely altered due to the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic, but Schitt's Creek star Noah Reid and his (now) wife didn't let a small wedding get them down. 

As noted by People, Reid and his then-fiancée, Clare, got married in July of 2020 in a small wedding ceremony on Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada. Only a handful of people attended, but don't think that the small size detracted from the occasion — they both looked enormously happy. The ceremony took place on the sand, and the couple stood under a gorgeous, whimsical-themed altar. The entire ceremony really did look beautiful. 

Reid shared photos of the ceremony on social media, captioning one of the photos, "A Wedding by Clare and Noah." The couple, who had been together for six years before getting married, got engaged in 2018 on New Year's Eve.

A lot of us thought that we weren't familiar with Noah Reid until Schitt's Creek. But the actor has a storied career, and, as noted by Narcity, got his start in the industry at just 9 years old. Reid was born in Toronto, Canada, in 1987 and landed his first acting gig in 1996: starring alongside Sandra Bullock in the film In Love and War. What were you doing at 9 years old? 

Well, if we had to guess, you might have been watching the children's cartoon show Franklin, the enduring journey of Franklin the turtle. What does this have to do with Reid? Reid was the voice of Franklin the turtle for seven years, beginning the gig at 10 years old and leaving when he was 17. Yes, from 1997 until 2004, Reid was the voice behind one of the best kids' cartoons on television, and we had absolutely no idea. He ended up lending his vocal talents to the friendly turtle for 41 episodes and voiced Franklin during different specials, including Franklin's Magic Christmas. Who knew?

Here's an acting credit that really put Schitt's Creek actor Noah Reid on the map. As noted by The Hollywood Reporter, Reid starred alongside famed movie musical icon and Grease alumna Olivia Newton-John in the Canada-based film Score: A Hockey Musical, and the film (despite its fluffy exterior) seemed to do alright. 

Reid starred as Farley Gordon, a 17-year-old who becomes an overnight hockey legend. Despite having the odds stacked against him, Farley goes on to win most valuable player on the Brampton Blades' hockey team, and intertwined in his journey to sports success are choreographed dance numbers — sounds like heaven. The Hollywood Reporter praised both Reid's singing voice and the film's lightheartedness, but, ultimately, the film fell a bit flat, with the publication describing the movie as one where the viewer should "leave any expectations on the sidelines." Ouch.

However, the review pointed out that the film was an "irresistibly goofy love letter to Canada's national pastime," and, honestly, who gets dissuaded by critics when Olivia Newton-John is involved? Count us in.

One of the best episodes of Schitt's Creek is the open mic episode where David Rose and Patrick Brewer host the event to get people into their store — David is highly against the idea, until Patrick serenades him with a rendition of "Simply the Best" by Tina Turner. The episode is excellent, and according to the show's creator, Dan Levy, it served as a turning point for Patrick and David. "We thought, What an interesting scenario to put David in ... and then reveal to the audience Noah's voice and his skills," Levy told GQ. "Because we knew they were there, but no one else did." 

Levy revealed that Noah Reid created a new rendition of the song — a Turner pop track — and transformed it into a beautiful acoustic melody. "The minute I heard it, I knew that the scene was going to work," Levy said. "I actually think it's going to change their relationship in a way that I hadn't even seen coming." The cover really is beautiful, and the episode is a real tearjerker.

Schitt's Creek had a late start, but once the ball got rolling, no one could stop the show's momentum. The cast won a number of awards, including — as you probably guessed — Noah Reid, who plays Patrick. As noted by CBC, Reid won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting or Guest Actor in a Comedy — specifically for his performances in the episodes Open Mic and The Barbecue. 

The Canadian Screen Awards was not the only award show that honored Schitt's Creek. As noted by Spin1038, the comedy series won seven Emmy awards in 2020. It did "the sweep," winning all major categories. Reid told Spin1038 in an interview that even though the 2020 Emmy Awards looked very different due to the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic, he wouldn't have wanted it any other way. "We would not have been able to be so exuberant in the company of anyone else," he said, before adding that it was "such a perfect way to end the show." Give Schitt's Creek all of the awards.

Noah Reid might be best known for his role as Patrick Brewer on Schitt's Creek, but his performative chops were harnessed at an early age. As noted by Hot Press, Reid was raised in Toronto, Canada, where he attended an arts school in the city. He told the publication that his upbringing and education had a huge impact on his career and, ultimately, gave him the tools to return to his musical career later in life. "It really had an impact on my ability to take myself seriously, and find my own creative path," Reid said. "Not everyone is built the same, and for creatives, sometimes the public school system just doesn't cater to those strengths." 

Reid released his first album, Songs From A Broken Chair, and recalled that the album came about as the result of a "side-hobby." He recorded the entire album in just two days at the Woodshed Studios in Toronto. "It was very quick and dirty," he said. "But I kind of love the feel of that — it was sort of ramshackle."

As the coronavirus pandemic forced us all indoors in 2020, we became isolated, and to make situations far worse, the killings of innocent Black people in the United States — including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor — reached new heights. Schitt's Creek's Noah Reid became an ally, taking to social media with a message during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of Floyd's death. "America is burning and honestly, rightly so. It should be burning. Injustice and prejudice and hatred are flammable," he wrote. "It doesn't feel like a coincidence that this is happening during a pandemic either. The pressure can only build for so long." 

Reid continued by saying that he was "furious and confused and sad," and would do everything he could to become a better ally and a "more engaged anti-racist citizen." In addition to racial injustice, Reid has also been outspoken about other social injustices, specifically homelessness, on his Instagram page.

The coronavirus pandemic put a wrench in a lot of plans, and Schitt's Creek star Noah Reid felt the impact firsthand. As noted by Hot Press, Reid was about eight shows in to a 25-show tour in North America when the pandemic halted everything. 

"We were headed from Chicago to Boston. I knew a few musicians who continued to tour for a couple weeks, but we didn't want to be endangering people, so we called it off and headed home," Reid said. "And I've been in my basement ever since." 

The extra time on his hands may have been helpful for Reid's musical creativity. Unlike his first album, Reid said that he took more time to make his second album, Gemini. "Gemini wasn't written during a pandemic, but a lot of the songs are about love and connection, versus isolation and doubt," Reid said. "That's the game we've all been playing in this pandemic. Your close relationships are probably closer than ever, and your alone time and doubts about yourself and the world are at an all-time high as well." Couldn't have said it better ourselves.

Schitt's Creek stood out on television for a number of reasons — it was funny, joyous, touching, and devoid of judgment and cruelty — and this sentiment was not lost on Noah Reid, who told Decider that the show was a major source of positivity in his life. "I can't tell you, as an actor it's very rare to be on a show that hits in this way for so many people. Particularly people who haven't seen themselves on television in this way," he said. "It's incredibly meaningful. I didn't expect this when I joined the show." 

Reid shared that fans of the show would come to tours dressed up as their favorite characters. They would give fan art and meaningful gifts that just made the experience that much better. "It really is incredible," Reid said. "I feel very lucky to be a part of something like that."

It came as a blow when it was announced that Schitt's Creek would be coming to an end — the show's audience was growing rapidly, and there seemed to be so much more story to be told. But, as noted by Spin1038, Noah Reid and the rest of the cast failed to convince the show's creators, who decided to end a good thing while they were on top — after all, when can end a show and then win seven Emmy awards? 

Reid dropped that he would be more than happy to reunite with the cast of Schitt's Creek, and we, for one, would be all for it. "Hopefully, maybe, one of these days we can get back together and do something," he said. 

So let's get the ball rolling. Someone call Dan Levy and tell him that we need at least ten more seasons. Someone else get Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy on board for a spinoff show about Moira and her wigs. We need to see A Little Bit Alexis as an actual television reality show. We can dream.