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Updated 31 January 2026 - Tributes pour in for the beloved Canadian star, known for her roles in Home Alone, Beetlejuice, and Schitt's Creek.
Actress passes after brief illness
Catherine O'Hara, the celebrated comedic actress renowned for her roles in Home Alone, Beetlejuice, and the Emmy-winning series Schitt's Creek, has died at the age of 71. Her agent confirmed to the BBC that she passed away on Friday at her Los Angeles home following a short illness.
A career defined by unforgettable roles
O'Hara first captivated audiences in 1988 as Delia Deetz in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice, delivering a show-stopping rendition of Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) with possessed dinner guests. Two years later, her frantic scream of "Kevin!" in Home Alone became one of cinema's most iconic moments, cementing her status as a comedic force.
Her young co-star Macaulay Culkin, now 45, paid an emotional tribute on social media, sharing photos from their time together on and off set. "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," he wrote.
From Toronto's Second City to global fame
Born in Toronto, O'Hara began her career as a waitress at the city's Second City theatre before joining the legendary improvisational troupe in the 1970s. She honed her craft alongside comedy icons like Eugene Levy and the late John Candy on the sketch show Second City Television (SCTV), one of Canada's most successful television programs.
O'Hara often credited her Canadian upbringing for shaping her humor. In a 2020 interview with Rolling Stone, she reflected on the lack of intense nationalism in Canada, saying, "It does make you look outside of yourself and be aware of the world and not take yourself seriously. Canadians have a sense of humor about others-and about themselves."
Late-career triumphs and industry tributes
O'Hara's later years were marked by critical acclaim and a resurgence in popularity. Her portrayal of the eccentric Moira Rose in Schitt's Creek earned her an Emmy Award in 2020. She thanked her co-stars Eugene Levy and Dan Levy for allowing her to play "a woman of a certain age-my age-who gets to fully be her ridiculous self."
Dan Levy, who played her on-screen son, called it a "gift" to work with her. "Having spent over 50 years collaborating with my dad, Catherine was extended family before she ever played my family," he wrote. "It's hard to imagine a world without her in it. I will cherish every funny memory I was fortunate enough to make with her."
Christopher Guest, with whom she collaborated on mockumentaries like Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show, described her as "one of the comic giants of our age" in a statement to Variety.
Final roles and legacy
O'Hara remained active in her final years, starring in HBO's The Last of Us as a therapist and in Seth Rogen's The Studio as an ousted movie executive. She won a Golden Globe for Schitt's Creek in 2021 and received a nomination for The Studio at this year's awards. She was also nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for her role in the latter, set to be presented in March.
Rogen, who worked with O'Hara on The Studio, shared his grief on Instagram, calling her "hysterical, kind, intuitive, generous" and saying she inspired him to create work worthy of her talent. "This is just devastating. We're all lucky we got to live in a world with her in it," he wrote. Director Judd Apatow echoed the sentiment, calling her "brilliant and kind" and "riotously funny for 50 years."
Canada mourns a national treasure
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney led tributes, calling O'Hara a legend who "earned her place in the canon of Canadian comedy-from the iconic Toronto production of Godspell to SCTV to Schitt's Creek." Fans and colleagues worldwide joined in mourning the loss of a performer who left an indelible mark on comedy and film.
O'Hara is survived by her husband, production designer Bo Welch, their sons Matthew and Luke, and her siblings Michael O'Hara, Mary Margaret O'Hara, Maureen Jolley, Marcus O'Hara, Tom O'Hara, and Patricia Wallice.
