Canadian actress, writer and renowned comedian, Catherine O’Hara, had died. She was just 71 years old.
Her agency released a brief statement confirming that she died following a brief illness at her home in Los Angeles.
“Prolific multi-award-winning actress, writer, and comedian Catherine O’Hara died today at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness,” the statement reads. It also states that the family will hold a private celebration of life.
Catherine first became a household name in the late 1970s and 80s as part of the legendary Second City and SCTV comedy scene, where she worked alongside Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis and John Candy.
From there, she became a staple of classic films, including Beetlejuice, Home Alone, After Hours, and Waiting for Guffman.
In Home Alone, Catherine played Kate McAllister, the frazzled mum of many who accidentally left her son, Kevin, played by Macaulay Culkin, at home.
Macaulay invited Catherine to his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in December 2023 and spoke about how “proud” she was of him.
“Thank you”, she said, “for including me, your fake mom, who left you home alone not once but twice, to share in this happy occasion. I’m so proud of you.”
In recent years, Catherine had a massive cultural renaissance thanks to Schitt’s Creek, playing the delightfully unhinged, fabulously (and monochromatically) attired, wig-wearing former soap star Moira Rose, whose fluctuating accent and bemusing one-liners endeared her to fans around the globe. This role earned her an Emmy Award and introduced her to a whole new generation of fans, while cementing her status as a comedy great.
It was a role that she initially turned down.
“You never know how long it’d go and to lock into one character – that’s kind of scary. But I obviously love and respect Eugene, and his son is really talented too because his son Daniel is running the show,” Catherine said.
Catherine also portrayed a therapist in season two of HBO’s The Last of Us. Her most recent role was as Patty Leigh, a studio executive working alongside Seth Rogen in the award-winning show, The Studio.
In 2024, she also reprised her Beetlejuice character in the sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Catherine’s husband is Bo Welch (full name Robert W. “Bo” Welch III). He is a production designer, art director and occasional director in Hollywood. They met on the set of Beetlejuice in 1988, began dating, and later married on 25 April 1992. They have two sons, Matthew Welch, born in 1994, and Luke Welch, born in 1997.
Catherine is survived by her husband, Bo Welch, and sons, Matthew and Luke, along with her siblings, Michael O’Hara, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Maureen Jolley, Marcus O‘Hara, Tom O’Hara, and Patricia Wallice.
