.jpg)
15 hours ago
3
What Catherine O'Hara Said About Her Health Before Her Death at 71
New details have come to light about Catherine O’Hara’s final days.
After the Schitt’s Creek alum died on Jan. 30 at the age of 71, Creative Artists Agency—who represented the actress—shared in a statement to Us Weekly that she had passed away at her home “following a brief illness.”
No further details were given about the illness or what the official cause of death was for Catherine, who is survived by her husband Bo Welch and their kids Matthew Welch, 32, and Luke Welch, 28.
Earlier this month, the Studio actress had also been absent from the Golden Globes, despite having been nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series for her role as Patty Leigh on the Seth Rogen-produced show.
While Catherine did not publicly address her absence from the ceremony, she had been candid about her health issues over the years, previously sharing that she had cardiac inversus, or dextrocardia with situs inversus. The rare congenital condition causes a person's heart and other internal organs to be on the other side of the body, creating a mirror image of where most people's organs are.
“I’m a freak, yeah!" Catherine joked in a 2021 interview, explaining she found out she had the condition after she and her husband reluctantly went to the doctor to get tested for tuberculosis before their son started nursery school. "I love Western medicine, I just don't want to be a part of it."
But despite her health issues, the Emmy winner was more often than not focused on her work and the ability she had to make others laugh.
Christopher Polk / Staff / GETTY IMAGES
“There’s no better survival instinct,” Catherine told Variety in March. “You’re so lucky if you’re raised with it. It’s one of God’s greatest gifts, because life is full of the dark and the light.”
“You gotta look for the light,” she added. “My parents were both really funny, and a sense of humor was always appreciated. Laughing and being funny was highly encouraged at our table."
And while she will be remembered as a titan of comedy, it’s not a title Catherine used for herself.
“I don’t think of myself like that,” she shared, “but it’s nice that others do.”
George Pimentel / Contributor / GETTY IMAGES
One such person was her Home Alone costar Macaulay Culkin, who posted a heartbreaking tribute to his onscreen mother, writing, “Mama. I thought we had time.”
"I wanted more," he continued. "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."
For a look at more stars who viewed Catherine as an icon, keep reading.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Michael Keaton
"We go back before the first Beetlejuice. She’s been my pretend wife, my pretend nemesis and my real life, true friend. This one hurts. Man am I gonna miss her. Thinking about Beau as well."
Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock
Macaulay Culkin
"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."
Lisa OConnor/AFF-USA/Shutterstock
Michael Buble
"Heartbroken doesn’t even begin to cover it. Catherine O’Hara was one of a kind. A rare light in this world and her passing hits with a weight I can’t fully put into words.
She wasn’t just a legendary artist, actor and comedian. She was an ambassador for Canada in the truest sense: brilliant, fearless, deeply original, and so full of humanity. She made the world laugh, but she also made people feel seen.
As an artist, she inspired me more than she’ll ever know. She set the bar for what it means to represent your country with excellence and grace and all without ever losing warmth or humility.
My heart is broken for her family, her loved ones, and everyone who adored her, both here in Canada and around the world.
If you’re grieving this loss, you’re not alone. We’re all holding a piece of this sadness together. Rest easy, Catherine. Thank you for everything."
Araya Diaz/WireImage
Melanie Lynskey
"So grateful I got to tell her what she meant to me- how she inspired me, shaped my sense of humour and understanding of the work we do, that she was the pinnacle of greatness to me. I’m sure every actor she met told her similar things. She did not behave as though she’d heard it a million times, she listened and accepted it with grace and wit and tremendous kindness. Thank you to @jasonreitman for inviting me to do the Film Independent LACMA reading where I got to work with my hero and witness her genius first hand. It was incredible to watch her work and be in her presence. I’ll never forget a minute of it. That day, and again on an overlapping shoot day on Away We Go, I saw her be nothing short of wonderful to every single person she encountered, from the director to the PAs. When people say someone 'iit up a room,' this is what they mean. She was radiant; it was kind of otherworldly. Her talent was singular. There’s been nobody like her before and there won’t be again. What a genius. What a beautiful person."
Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock
Lea Thompson
"[Catherine] was the most glorious person. Kind, honest, smart, funny, and beautiful beyond words. She carried the spirit. You could feel her love of humanity in her brilliant work. And she had integrity, clarity and wisdom that made her a unique treasure. I know the greats are with her now trying to pick her wonderful brain as to how she could do it all. Here on earth or hearts are a bit broken. We needed you now more than ever. Rest in peace dear friend."
Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Hammer Museum
Rita Wilson
"Catherine O’Hara - a woman who was authentic and truthful in all she did. You saw it in her work, if you knew her you saw it in her life, and you saw it in her family. Bo, Luke and Matthew, our deepest sympathies. May Catherine rest in peace. May her memory be eternal."
Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank
Andy Cohen
"Catherine O’Hara. The absolute greatest. Only 71. An angel. The funniest. This is shocking."
Eric Charbonneau/Apple TV+ via Getty Images
Ike Barinholtz
"I never in a million years thought I would get to work with Catherine O’Hara let alone become friends with her. So profoundly sad she’s somewhere else now So incredibly grateful I got to spend the time I did with her. Thank you Catherine I love you."
Antonelli/AGF/Shutterstock
Justin Theroux
"Oh Catherine. You will be so so missed."
Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock
Elizabeth Banks
"She was an all-timer. Her memory and work is a blessing. Rest peacefully."
FD Press/SIPA/Shutterstock
Pedro Pascal
"Oh, genius to be near you. Eternally grateful. There is less light in my world, this lucky world that had you, will keep you, always. Always. The one and ONLY #CatherineOHara."
Eric Charbonneau/Apple TV+ via Getty Images
Ron Howard
"This is shattering news. What a wonderful person, artist and collaborator. I was lucky enough to direct, produce and act in projects with her and she was simply growing more brilliant with each year. My heart goes out to Bo & family."
Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
Olivia Munn
"Absolutely heartbreaking. She was the kindest person in our business."
Emma McIntyre/Oscars/Getty Images
Francesca Scorsese and Martin Scorsese
"I have no words," Francesca shared, posting a photo of her dad's reaction on FaceTime. "F--king devastated. Literally in shock."
Todd Williamson/Getty Images for Amazon Studios
Sandra Bernhard
"What a terrible loss she was a class act nuanced humble a total natural she brought buckets of joy to this old planet she will be deeply missed she was an inspiration to anyone who fancies themselves humorous a masterclass every time she stepped in front of a camera."
John Salangsang/Shutterstock
Jamie Lee Curtis
"BEST OF THE BEST IN SHOW!"
Earl Gibson III/Shutterstock
Candace Cameron Bure
"Legend."
Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock
Amy Schumer
"Ugggg legend. No one funnier."
Courtesy of We Do It Together
Sharon Stone
"Nooo my most profound condolences."
Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock for ASTRA Awards
Cheri Oteri
"What an inspiration. She carried a light with her comedy that you took in whenever you saw her. May perpetual light shine upon her beautiful soul."
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
English (US)