Catherine O’Hara, the two-time Emmy-winning actor whose career bridged generations through roles in Home Alone, Best in Show and the television phenomenon Schitt’s Creek, has died. She was 71.
O’Hara died Friday at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness, her manager confirmed. According to her agency, CAA, the actor passed away peacefully, bringing to a close a career that spanned more than five decades and left an indelible mark on modern screen comedy.
Born in Toronto, O’Hara rose to prominence in the late 1970s as part of the groundbreaking Canadian sketch comedy series Second City Television (SCTV). Alongside longtime collaborator Eugene Levy, she helped define a new comic language that blended absurdity, character-driven humor and fearless satire. Her work on SCTV earned her an Emmy Award and multiple nominations, and it established her as one of the most versatile comedic performers of her era.
From sketch comedy, O’Hara transitioned seamlessly into film, building a résumé that showcased both her comic precision and dramatic instincts. She appeared in After Hours and delivered a memorable turn in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice, before becoming a regular presence in the ensemble films of Christopher Guest. Movies such as Best in Show cemented her reputation as a master of improvisational comedy, capable of turning the smallest line or gesture into something unforgettable.
For global audiences, however, O’Hara became a household name through Home Alone and its sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, in which she played Kate McCallister, the frantic yet determined mother of Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin. The films went on to become holiday staples, replayed year after year across generations, with O’Hara’s performance grounding the chaos in genuine parental emotion.
She remained closely connected to the Home Alone legacy long after the films’ release, maintaining friendships with several of her co-stars.
O’Hara’s bond with Culkin, in particular, endured. In 2023, she reunited with him to honor the actor at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, delivering a heartfelt speech that reflected both personal affection and shared history. The moment resonated deeply with fans, serving as a reminder of how central Home Alone remained to her life and career.
In a rare and celebrated late-career renaissance, O’Hara reached new heights with Schitt’s Creek, portraying the unforgettable Moira Rose. The role introduced her to a new generation of viewers and earned her two Emmy Awards, along with widespread critical acclaim. As Moira, O’Hara blended theatrical excess with surprising vulnerability, creating a character that quickly entered the pantheon of great television performances. The show’s global success reaffirmed her status not just as a beloved comic actor, but as a cultural icon.
Across five decades, O’Hara built a body of work that defied easy categorization. She was equally at home in sketch comedy, Hollywood studio films, independent mockumentaries and prestige television. Colleagues often spoke of her generosity as a performer and her ability to elevate everyone around her, while audiences embraced characters that felt larger than life yet unmistakably human.
Tributes from across the entertainment industry are expected to pour in, celebrating a performer whose influence extended far beyond awards and box office numbers. From shaping the DNA of modern sketch comedy to anchoring one of cinema’s most beloved holiday films and redefining late-career success on television, Catherine O’Hara leaves behind a legacy few can match.
Her characters will continue to live on—on screens, in reruns, and in the collective memory of audiences worldwide—but her absence will be keenly felt. Catherine O’Hara didn’t just make people laugh; she changed the way comedy could look, sound and feel across generations.
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