On January 30 (local time), Catherine O’Hara’s agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) announced, “Award-winning actress, writer, and comedian Catherine O’Hara passed away at her Los Angeles home after a brief illness.” According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, emergency responders were dispatched to her residence in the early morning and transported her to a hospital, where her condition was described as critical. The exact cause of death has not been disclosed.

Born in 1954 in Toronto, Canada, O’Hara began her career at the legendary improvisational comedy stage Second City. She soon became a core member of SCTV, playing a pivotal role in what is widely considered the golden age of Canadian comedy alongside Eugene Levy, John Candy, and Martin Short. Her work on SCTV earned her an Emmy Award in 1982, firmly establishing her as both a gifted performer and writer.

In film, O’Hara left an unforgettable mark as Delia Deetz in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice, and as Kate McCallister, the frantic yet loving mother in the iconic Home Alone franchise a role that cemented her place in pop culture history. She also showcased her exceptional improvisational talent in Christopher Guest’s mockumentaries such as Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman.

Her career reached a renewed peak with Schitt’s Creek, where she portrayed the eccentric and unforgettable Moira Rose. The role earned her the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2020. In her acceptance speech, O’Hara movingly thanked Eugene and Dan Levy “for giving me the chance to play a woman my age, exactly as I am,” a line that resonated deeply with audiences worldwide.

She is survived by her husband of 33 years, production designer Bo Welch, and their two sons, Matthew and Luke. Tributes have poured in from colleagues and fans alike, remembering her as “an artist who transcended generations” and “a performer who erased the line between comedy and drama with elegance and heart.”

O’Hara once said, “Being able to laugh is a beautiful gift especially if you can laugh at yourself.” The laughter she shared over more than five decades will continue to live on through her timeless performances, forever etched into the history of film and television.

Sources: Daum