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Catherine O'Hara, Home Alone & Schitt's Creek Star, Dead at 71
Catherine O’Hara had an extraordinary career.
Indeed, throughout her decades-long career the Emmy Winner, who died Jan. 30 at 71, easily cemented herself as one of the most legendary comic actresses across North America.
Catherine got her start on television in her native Canada in the ’70s in a variety of made for TV movies and shows. However, her star began to rise in 1977 when she joined Eugene Levy—with whom she would frequently collaborate—Joe Flaherty and Harold Ramis on the Emmy-winning Canadian sketch comedy series, Second City TV (SCTV) where she flexed her comedic chops for six seasons until 1983.
Shortly after her stint on TV, Catherine landed the role of Delia Deetz in 1988’s Beetlejuice, starring alongside Michael Keaton and Wynonna Ryder. The following decade Catherine became a fixture alongside Macaulay Culkin during the holiday season with her role as Kate McCallister in the Home Alone movies as well as appearing alongside her longtime pal Eugene in several of Christopher Guest’s comedies like Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show and A Mighty Wind.
Catherine’s career hit another stride in her 60s when she teamed up once more with Eugene and his son Daniel Levy for Schitt’s Creek as the forever-quotable soap star-turned-Rose family matriarch.
Even in her final years, her comedy prowess shone through, including her last onscreen role in Seth Rogen’s Apple TV show The Studio. And though others often cited her comedic genius, she often credited her colleagues for their pivotal roles in helping her bring that comedy to life.
Allen J. Schaben / Contributor / GETTY IMAGES
“When you work with collaborative, good and talented people then you do feel safe,” she told Parade in an interview published in September 2024. “You know that nobody is afraid to turn down an idea, and there’s a sincere goal in making the project as good as possible.”
And after decades in the game, Catherine was always happy to land a gig, no matter when it came.
“I love working and then I love not working,” she emphasized. “So if I’m lucky enough to have a job or two every year, sheesh, I should be so lucky.”
Keep reading for a look back at her unmatched onscreen legacy...
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Second City TV (1976 TO 1984)
Catherine’s big break came in 1976 with the debut of NBC Canada’s comedic variety series. It was there Catherine stood out amongst Eugene Levy, Joe Flaherty, Andrea Martin and more stars flexing her comedy chops for six seasons. One of her most iconic SCTV characters to date was Lola Heatherton a melodramatic show girl.
“Everybody had a Vegas character except me,” Catherine said of the reoccurring character in an interview with the New Yorker published in 2019. “I was called Lola Heatherton because I had seen Lola Falana, the singer who used to be on The Tonight Show and Merv Griffin. I stole the stupid lip-quivering thing from her, and the kitten-with-a-whip thing from Joey Heatherton.”
Parisa Taghizadeh/Warner Bros. Entertainment
Beetlejuice (1988)
It was showtime for Catherine as she marked her Hollywood breakout in Tim Burton’s 1988 cult classic. Starring as Delia Deetz, the self-absorbed interior designer and wife to Charles Deetz (Jeffery Jones) and stepmother of Lydia Deetz (Wynonna Ryder), who alongside her husband, tried to outsmart the antics of Lydia and ghosts of their new residence Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) who wanted them out of their home.
Catherine went on to reprise her role in 2024’s Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.
20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock
Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
Starring as Kate McCallister, the mom who went through hoops to get back to her son Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) not once—but twice—after she and husband Peter (John Heard) left him home alone during the holiday season. Of all Catherine’s iconic character catch phrases, fans will remember how she pledged to stop at nothing to get back to KEVIN!
(Photo by Manoli Figetakis/Getty Images)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Lending her voice for another Tim Burton classic, Catherine played Sally the ragdoll of Jack Skellington’s (Danny Elfman) dreams, who followed him as she navigated the alternate worlds of Christmas and Halloween.
Kevin Winter / Staff / GETTY IMAGES
Christopher Guest Mockumentaries
Throughout the ‘90s and early 2000s, Catherine starred alongside Eugene, Jennifer Coolidge, Fred Willard, Parker Posey and more in Guest’s beloved slate of mockumentaries. Just a few of her iconic turns were in 1996’s Waiting for Guffman, 2000’s Best in Show, 2003’s A Mighty Wind and 2006’s award season classic For Your Consideration.
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Glen Martin, DDS (2009)
In the claymation comedy Catherine lent her voice as Jackie Robinson Martin, the wife of Glen (Kevin Nealon) who takes his family—including their teenage daughters—on a road trip after accidentally burning down their home. Ever the supportive wife, Jackie was along for the ride and family’s adventure for the two-season series.
Pop
Schitt’s Creek (2015-2020)
Is there a more iconic role? Catherine starred as Moria Rose, the former Hollywood actress who packed up as many of her wigs, outfits and dramatic phrases as she could, after being left penniless in the titular town with her husband Johnny Rose (longtime pal Eugene) and their adult children David (Dan Levy) and Alexis (Annie Murphy). During the six-season run, Catherine marked Moria’s fav season (awards) with an Emmy for her role.
Michael Ansell / Contributor / GETTY IMAGES
Modern Family (2015)
Catherine was one of the many celebrities to make a cameo in the ABC comedy during its 11-season run appearing in season seven's "Clean Out Your Junk Drawer" as Dr. Debra Radcliffe, an unconventional couple’s therapist who needed a little therapy of her own.
Jamie McCarthy / Staff / GETTY IMAGES
The Last of Us (2025)
Catherine wore her heart on her sleeve as Gail, a character created in season two of the HBO series to help Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) repair their relationship as they settled into a new town, leaving the first season’s death and destruction in the past.
Apple TV
The Studio (2025)
In her final credit before her death, Catherine played Patty Leigh, and eccentric studio executive, based loosely on producer Amy Pascal in Seth Rogen’s Emmy-winning Apple TV comedy. In her role, Catherine traded in her usually structure blonde hair for all over tresses and she made her presence known around town while trying to recover after being ousted by Continental Pictures.
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