Johnny Rose

### Also Known as

John-John, My macho man, The financial powerhouse of the family, Mr. Futuristic, Turkish Saint Nicholas, Dusky charmer, The portrait of self-effacement, Sephardic Mr. Clean, Maestro of a Lebanese orchestra, My handsome proletarian, My ginchi hotelier, Bashful clam (by Moira)
 Mr. Rose (by townies)
 Ebenezer Scrooge (by David)
 Douche-bag, Johnny boy, El Tightwad, Professor Prude, Mr. Worry, Kid, Godfather, Old man (by Roland)
 Snake (by Gwen)
 Freaken douche (by Andy Roberts)
 Jacob (temporary alias)
 Popeye (by his old Rabbi & himself)
 Dad, Lexi’s old man (by Artie Camden)
 The Jazzaguy

### Occupation

Entrepreneur
 Hotelier
 Co-owner, Rosebud Motel
 Author
 CEO, Rose Video (formerly)
 President, Video Retailers Association (formerly)
 Waiter, Café Tropical (volunteer)
 Worker, a button factory (formerly)

### Relationships

Moira Rose (wife)
 David Rose (son)
 Alexis Rose (daughter)
 Patrick Brewer (son-in-law)
 Dee Dee (sister-in-law)

## Appearances

### Portrayed by

Eugene Levy

**Jonathan Michael** **Rose** (primarily referred to as **Johnny**) is the rational patriarch of the Rose family, and a businessman who invests his time helping run the town motel. He is a main character on *Schitt's Creek*.

## Character Description

*As the former CEO of the nation’s second-largest chain of video rental stores, Johnny feels right at home at the helm of the Rosebud Motel with his business partner, Stevie. And as the motel receives increasing recognition and acclaim, Johnny is starting to feel like his old self: filled with purpose and pride. Johnny continues to cherish and support his loved ones in every way, even if it means taking out a line of credit to enable Moira’s spending habits. Of course, Johnny still has his sights set on leaving Schitt’s Creek, but he’s in no rush; as a man of principles, he’s willing to put in the time to build back his business and name.*

## Overview

Johnny Rose is the formerly wealthy CEO of North America's second largest video chain, Rose Video. He and his ex-daytime soap star wife, Moira, share two adult children, David and Alexis Rose. David is a former New York City gallerist and current small business owner, while his former socialite daughter, Alexis, owns her own public relations venture. Johnny also has one known sister-in-law named Dee Dee.

He religiously identifies as Jewish, making minor references to his faith throughout the series, such as the fact that he attended Hebrew school. Outside of these references, little is said about Johnny's upbringing, besides having worked at a button factory as a child. Sometime after his schooling, Johnny invested his entire savings, $2,000, into a video rental business he would call Rose Video, a venture that would eventually expanded to become one of the largest and most successful video rental store companies, leaving Johnny with a sizeable fortune. Sometime during this period, Johnny would also meet his future wife, Moira, at a Rose Video store opening; the two would eventually get married around 1982.

After decades at the helm, Johnny's time as CEO of Rose Video came to an abrupt end when he was informed that his business manager, Eli, had been embezzling money from the company for years instead of paying their taxes, leaving the government with no choice but to repossess all of his assets—save for the town of Schitt's Creek, which Johnny jokingly bought in 1991 as a birthday present for David.

As the head of the Rose family, Johnny projects a sense of leadership as he tries to take charge of a bad situation. Johnny's years as a high-powered CEO have left him largely disconnected from his adult children, yet he maintains a palpable sense of love for his family. He is particularly dedicated to his wife, Moira, whom he patiently supports at every turn, be it a successful debut as a theater director or a meltdown over anonymous trolls on the Internet. Johnny is slightly less patient, albeit still overprotective, with his children, whose lack of urgency and life skills require Johnny to be both a motivator and a reality check, including when he tells David he'll need to get a job to pay for his Parisian moisturiser. This changes as the series progresses, when their personal and professional successes turn Johnny into an enthusiastic "cheerleader" for his children.

Johnny's connections with the townspeople of Schitt's Creek are more complicated. His relationship with the mayor, Roland Schitt, is initially contentious, with the mayor even removing the Rose family's motel room doors in retaliation after a minor spat with Johnny. But as the series progresses, the two continually offer each other assistance and ultimately become unlikely co-workers when Roland takes a side job at the motel. This is also true of his relationship with Stevie, which starts off with him referring to her as the "mouthy kid" manning the motel reception desk. As the Rose family's stay at the motel is extended, their interactions evolve from respectful to appreciative, to the point that Johnny becomes Stevie's business partner. From there, their relationship deepens into genuine caring. By season 5, Johnny feels right at home at the helm of the Rosebud Motel with Stevie. And as the motel receives increasing recognition and acclaim, Johnny is starting to feel like his old self: filled with purpose and pride. Johnny continues to cherish and support his loved ones in every way, even if it means taking out a line of credit to enable Moira’s spending habits. Of course, Johnny still has his sights set on leaving Schitt’s Creek, but he’s in no rush; as a man of principles, he’s willing to put in the time to build back his business and name. In season six, Johnny, using his strong business acumen, leads Roland and Stevie on their mission to land an investor for the Rosebud Motel. After pitching the idea to his former assistant's hedge fund in New York City, Johnny' finds out that his idea has been turned down. However, an alternative investor expresses interest in the franchise and ultimately supplies funding for the group.

Originally planning to have the group's headquarters in New York City, Johnny ultimately decides to move the office to Los Angeles, California to be with his wife Moira.

## Character

In contrast to his wife, Moira's, often over-the-top black and white wardrobe, Johnny's sense of style is more subdued. He is frequently clad in a "well-tailored" gray or black suit from designers like Hugo Boss and Ermenegildo Zegna. This serves as a reminder to the audience of Johnny's business background, as well as the wealth from which he came.

### Personality

Johnny presents himself as the most dependable, realistic, and easy-going member of the Rose family. He approaches the family's current predicament with a business-like mentality and often provides logical advice to alleviate their various woes. His loyalty and affirming devotion also anchors the family, as things frequently threaten to spin out of control. Despite this, however, Johnny still "loses it himself all the time." Whether it's his incredulous reaction to Alexis over-ordering his shipment of raw milk, or his exasperation at David misunderstanding what constitutes a tax write-off, Johnny maintains an underlying sense of "panic" over his family's lack of basic skills.

Johnny is also frequently flummoxed by technology and new business techniques. These struggles include basic computer skills, such as navigating the Internet, and the use of social media to help grow one's business. He frequently falls back on his experience running Rose Video to help him navigate business dealings, even if those approaches are not the most up-to-date.

### Character Development

When Johnny arrives in Schitt's Creek, he displays a sense of entitlement and is quick to use his well-honed business skills to make his family's stay in Schitt's Creek as short as possible. His entitlement slowly recedes as he settles into the town and begins to recognize the generosity and hospitality of his new community. Despite this growing appreciation, Johnny maintains his business instincts, continually (and urgently) looking for ways in which to rebuild his reputation and return to his old life. He eventually finds his footing as the series progresses when he partners with the owner of his current home, the Rosebud Motel, to help revive the largely dormant establishment. Through it all, Johnny remains committed to his family, for as Kelly Connolly notes for TV Guide, "Johnny visibly uncoils when his family is happy."

## Appearances

### Season 1

* **Our Cup Runneth Over**
* **The Drip**
* **Don't Worry, It's His Sister**
* **Bad Parents**
* **The Cabin**
* **Wine and Roses**
* **Turkey Shoot**
* **Allez-Vous**
* **Carl's Funeral**
* **Honeymoon**
* **Little Sister**
* **Surprise Party**
* **Town for Sale**

### Season 2

* **Finding David**
* **Family Dinner**
* **Jazzagals**
* **Estate Sale**
* **Bob's Bagels**
* **Moira vs. Town Council**
* **The Candidate**
* **Milk Money**
* **Moira's Nudes**
* **Ronnie's Party**
* **The Motel Guest**
* **Lawn Signs**
* **Happy Anniversary**

### Season 3

* **Opening Night**
* **The Throuple**
* **New Car**
* **Driving Test**
* **Rooms by the Hour**
* **Murder Mystery**
* **General Store**
* **Motel Review**
* **The Affair**
* **Sebastien Raine**
* **Stop Saying Lice!**
* **Friends & Family**
* **Grad Night**

### Season 4

* **Dead Guy in Room 4**
* **Pregnancy Test**
* **Asbestos Fest**
* **Girls' Night**
* **RIP Moira Rose**
* **Open Mic**
* **The Barbecue**
* **The Jazzaguy**
* **The Gesture**
* **Baby Sprinkle**
* **The Rollout**
* **Singles Week**
* **Merry Christmas, Johnny Rose**

### Season 5

* **The Crowening**
* **Love Letters**
* **The Plant**
* **The Dress**
* **Housewarming**
* **Rock On!**
* **A Whisper of Desire**
* **The Hospies**
* **The M.V.P.**
* **Roadkill**
* **Meet the Parents**
* **The Roast**
* **The Hike**
* **Life is a Cabaret**

### Season 6

* **Smoke Signals**
* **The Incident**
* **The Job Interview**
* **Maid of Honour**
* **The Premiere**
* **The Wingman**
* **Moira Rosé**
* **The Presidential Suite**
* **Rebound**
* **Sunrise, Sunset**
* **The Bachelor Party**
* **The Pitch**
* **Start Spreading the News**
* **Happy Ending**

## Trivia

* Johnny is a published author, having written *Fast Forward to Success: Business the Johnny Rose Way*.
* Speaks the last line in the series: *“Driver, we’re ready.”*

## Gallery

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