The entertainment world is mourning the loss of Catherine O’Hara, the celebrated Canadian comedic actress who passed away at 71 following a brief illness. Her death at her Los Angeles home on Friday was confirmed by her representative in an official statement to the BBC.
O’Hara’s remarkable career spanned over five decades, beginning at Toronto’s Second City improvisation theatre where she first worked as a waitress before joining the legendary acting troupe. Her breakthrough came through the groundbreaking sketch comedy series Second City Television (SCTV), one of Canada’s most successful television exports, where she performed alongside comedy greats including Eugene Levy and John Candy.
The actress achieved cinematic immortality through two iconic performances that became embedded in popular culture. In Tim Burton’s 1988 supernatural comedy Beetlejuice, O’Hara delivered a mesmerizing musical performance leading her possessed dinner guests in the unforgettable ‘Day-O’ sequence. Two years later, as Kate McCallister in the holiday classic Home Alone, her panicked scream of “Kevin!” became one of the most recognizable moments in film history.
O’Hara experienced a career renaissance through the critically acclaimed comedy series Schitt’s Creek, where her portrayal of the eccentric Moira Rose earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Her character’s fluctuating accent, extravagant wardrobe, and brilliantly delivered one-liners made Moira one of television’s most memorable comic creations.
Tributes poured in from colleagues and admirers worldwide. Macaulay Culkin, her on-screen son from Home Alone, shared an emotional tribute: “Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you. But I had so much more to say. I love you. I’ll see you later.”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney issued a statement honoring O’Hara’s legacy: “Over 5 decades of work, Catherine earned her place in the canon of Canadian comedy — from the iconic Toronto production of Godspell to SCTV to Schitt’s Creek. Canada has lost a legend.”
O’Hara frequently credited her Canadian upbringing with shaping her distinctive comedic perspective, noting in a 2020 Rolling Stone interview that Canadian humor embraced both self-awareness and international perspective without excessive nationalism.
The actress is survived by her husband, production designer Bo Welch, their sons Matthew and Luke, and her siblings Michael, Mary Margaret, Maureen, Marcus, Tom, and Patricia.