Actress and comedy legend Catherine O’Hara has died at the age of 71. The Emmy Award–winning performer was best known for her memorable roles in beloved films and television series including Schitt’s Creek, Beetlejuice, and Home Alone.
Her manager confirmed her death on Friday. While the official cause of death has not yet been released, the Los Angeles Fire Department told ABC News it responded to a medical emergency call at 4:48 a.m. at an address associated with O’Hara. She was transported to a hospital in serious condition.
Following the news, tributes poured in from across Hollywood, honoring a performer whose career spanned more than four decades and over 100 roles in film and television. O’Hara was most recently celebrated for her portrayal of Moira Rose on Schitt’s Creek, a flamboyant and self-absorbed former soap star. The role earned her a Primetime Emmy Award in 2020 and a Golden Globe in 2021. The series also starred Eugene Levy, Dan Levy, and Annie Murphy.
O’Hara first gained widespread recognition in 1988 for her role as Delia Deetz, the dramatic and meticulous artist in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice, alongside Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder. She later endeared herself to audiences as Kate McCallister, the devoted and frantic mother in the 1990 holiday classic Home Alone, offering a heartfelt portrayal of motherhood that resonated with viewers.
Born Catherine Anne O’Hara on March 4, 1954, in Toronto, Ontario, she was the sixth of seven children and the older sister of Canadian singer Mary Margaret O’Hara. Her career began in 1974 when she joined the Canadian sketch comedy series Second City Television (SCTV), replacing Gilda Radner. On the show, she demonstrated remarkable versatility, impersonating stars such as Meryl Streep, Brooke Shields, and Lucille Ball, while also creating original characters like Lola Heatherton and Dusty Towne. O’Hara also contributed as a writer and won her first Primetime Emmy in 1982 for outstanding writing in a variety or music program.
During her time on SCTV, she worked alongside comedy greats John Candy and Joe Flaherty and began her long-standing creative partnership with Eugene Levy. After leaving the show, her career expanded rapidly with film roles including Heartburn (1986) and I, Martin Short, Goes Hollywood (1989).
O’Hara also made a lasting impact as a voice actor, lending her voice to iconic animated characters such as Sally in The Nightmare Before Christmas, Tina in Chicken Little, Mrs. Walters in Monster House, and Mrs. Frankenstein in Frankenweenie. Her later work included appearances in Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, 30 Rock, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
In her final years, O’Hara continued to earn acclaim, receiving Emmy nominations for her roles in HBO’s The Last of Us and Apple TV+’s The Studio. In 2024, she reprised her role as Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and was expected to return for a second season of The Studio.
Reflecting on aging and creativity in a 2024 interview, O’Hara spoke about embracing the future with curiosity rather than slowing down. She described feeling grateful to continue working and exploring new opportunities later in life.
Catherine O’Hara is survived by her husband, Oscar-nominated production designer Bo Welch, whom she married in 1992 after meeting on the set of Beetlejuice, and their two sons, Matthew and Luke.
