The Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor leaves a five decade legacy spanning SCTV, Hollywood blockbusters and one of television’s most beloved comedy performances.
by Paul Cashmere
Catherine O’Hara, the Canadian born actor whose career reshaped screen comedy across five decades, has died aged 71. Her representatives confirmed she passed away at her Los Angeles home following a brief illness. Further details have not been released.
Born in Toronto on March 4, 1954, O’Hara was raised in a large Irish Catholic family and emerged from the city’s thriving comedy scene in the 1970s. Her professional breakthrough came at The Second City, where she quickly distinguished herself as a fearless improviser with an instinct for character rather than punchline. That work led directly to SCTV, the sketch series that would define Canadian comedy exports of the era and introduce O’Hara to an international audience alongside Eugene Levy, Martin Short and Andrea Martin.
At SCTV, O’Hara was not only a performer but also a writer, earning an Emmy Award and cementing her reputation as a creative force behind the scenes. The show’s influence on American and Canadian comedy cannot be overstated, and O’Hara’s characters remain reference points for performers who followed.
Her transition to film in the 1980s broadened her profile without diluting her comic intelligence. Roles in After Hours and Heartburn demonstrated range, before Tim Burton cast her as Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice, a performance that combined absurdity with emotional grounding. She would reprise the role decades later in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, underlining the durability of both the character and her appeal.
Global fame arrived with Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, where O’Hara’s Kate McCallister became the emotional anchor of the franchise. As the frantic mother crossing continents to reach her son, O’Hara delivered sincerity inside spectacle, a
balance that helped elevate the films beyond standard family comedy.
O’Hara’s death has prompted an international wave of tributes from co stars, collaborators and political leaders, reflecting a career that moved effortlessly between broad comedy, character driven satire and late career dramatic depth. From the chaos of SCTV to the global success of Home Alone and the cultural phenomenon of Schitt’s Creek, O’Hara’s work reached audiences across generations and continents.
Macaulay Culkin, her on screen son in the films, led tributes with a deeply personal message, writing that he wished he had more time and calling her simply “Mama”. His words captured the affection that defined many of the responses following her death.
O’Hara’s career entered a remarkable second act with Schitt’s Creek, where her portrayal of Moira Rose became one of the most celebrated television performances of the past decade. Draped in wigs, couture and vocabulary untethered from reality, Moira could easily have tipped into caricature. Instead, O’Hara infused the character with vulnerability and self belief, earning an Emmy, a Golden Globe and a sweep of major television awards in the show’s final season. The role introduced her to a new generation and confirmed her status as a comedy icon.
In recent years, O’Hara continued to expand her range. She earned Emmy nominations for dramatic work in The Last Of Us and for satire in The Studio, where colleagues described her as the emotional and creative centre of the production. Pedro Pascal, her co star on The Last Of Us, wrote that there was “less light in my world” following her passing, while Michael Keaton reflected on a friendship stretching back to their earliest collaborations, calling her a true friend as well as a creative partner.
Canadian leaders also acknowledged her cultural impact. Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canadians and fans around the world were mourning her loss, while former prime minister Justin Trudeau described her as a beloved national icon who made people laugh across generations.
Beyond awards and box office success, O’Hara’s influence lay in her generosity as a collaborator and her commitment to character driven storytelling. Appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2017, she remained closely connected to her roots while holding dual Canadian and American citizenship.
Catherine O’Hara is survived by her husband, production designer Bo Welch, and their sons Matthew and Luke. Her work, spanning comedy, drama, film and television, leaves a body of performances that continue to resonate, inspire and entertain.
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