Beloved Icon and Home Alone Star, Catherine O’Hara, Dies at 71

Image Courtesy of CNN

By Luis Zonenberg

One month into the new year and Hollywood has already lost another iconic star! On January 30, 2026, it was reported that legendary actress Catherine O’Hara had tragically passed away at the age of 71. While it is currently unclear what her exact cause of death was, her agency did reveal that she had battled “a brief illness” shortly beforehand. In light of this event, I thought it would be best to honor her by reflecting on her illustrious career and the impact she made on the industry as a whole.  

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, O’Hara was the sixth of seven children born to Margaret Ann and Marcus Charles O’Hara. Not much is known about her formative years in Canada, but she did attend the Burnanthorpe Collegiate Institute in Ontario. She was actually taught by future Mississauga mayor Carolyn Parrish and graduated from the university in 1974, kickstarting her comedy career as a cast member of The Second City in her hometown of Toronto. 

O’Hara worked as a waitress in the show, serving as an understudy for comedian Gilda Radner. Shortly after Radner left the show to work on SNL in New York, O”Hara had successfully replaced her in the show as the company played in Chicago. Just two years later, the same theatre troupe created a new sketch-comedy series called Second City Television (SCTV), which O’Hara became a regular performer for. She delivered a wide variety of impressions, ranging from Brooke Shields to Meryl Streep! She even received an Emmy for her work on writing for the program in 1982. 

O’Hara expanded her career on television in the mid 1970s, starring in numerous TV specials like Intergalactic Thanksgiving and Witch’s Night Out. She had left SCTV for some time, missing the entire 1980-81 season but eventually returned when the show began broadcasting on NBC in the U.S. Around this time O’Hara had made her film debut in the Canadian thriller Deadly Companion, which also featured many of her SCTV co-stars such as Joe Flaherty, John Candy, and Eugene Levy! 

Throughout the 1980s and into 1990s, O’Hara appeared in many supporting roles for films such as Heartburn and Martin Scorsese’s After Hours. Because of her growing popularity and massive success on SCTV, producer David Geffen approached her to star in then newcomer, Tim Burton’s upcoming film, Beetlejuice. She flew from her home in Toronto to meet Burton personally in Los Angeles, but ended up missing him entirely and wound up in the wrong studio lot. 

After the chaotic audition process, O’Hara was hesitant to star in the project, joking that she couldn’t see anybody but Ned Beatty in the title role. Due to Burton’s insistence, she ultimately signed on for the project and met her future husband on set, production designer Bo Welch. By the time the film was released, she was heavily praised for her comedic timing and witty demeanor. It was largely due in part to her comedic background that she actually landed the role of Kate McCallister in Home Alone! 

She would continue to star in numerous films and TV shows throughout her career, even lending her voice to two of Tim Burton’s stop-motion features, Frankenweenie and The Nightmare Before Christmas. She went on to voice act in numerous animated films, eventually landing one of leading roles in the sitcom Schitt’s Creek which reunited her with SCTV co-star Eugene Levy. O’Hara would receive numerous accolades for her performance in the show, including both an Emmy and a  Golden Globe! 

Over the last two years, O’Hara received a bit of a resurgence with her starring in many high-profile films and series. In 2024, O’Hara would reunite with Tim Burton to star in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, serving as one of three returning cast members from the original! She would also lend her voice to Dreamworks’ The Wild Robot, which was released about a month after the Beetlejuice sequel. The following year, O’Hara landed a supporting role in HBO’s The Last of Us as well as a recurring role in Seth Rogen’s Apple TV comedy, The Studio! 

Since her untimely death, many celebrities have expressed their condolences with others reminiscing on their time working with her. In a very touching Instagram post, Home Alone star Makaulay Culkin wrote, “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.” 

Other actors like Eugene Levy reflected on their time working alongside O’Hara. In an interview with People Magazine, Levy said, “I had the honor of knowing and working with the great Catherine O’Hara for over fifty years. From our beginnings on the Second City stage, to SCTV, to the movies we did with Chris Guest, to our six glorious years on ‘Schitt’s Creek,’ I cherished our working relationship, but most of all our friendship.” Levy also added that, “I will miss her. My heart goes out to Bo, Matthew, Luke, and the entire O’Hara family.” 

Following her sudden death, the actress’ family opted to have an intimate gathering that celebrated her life as opposed to a public funeral. While it might be for the better, there is no denying the impact the star had not only on the general public but the people around her. O’Hara’s witty demeanor and genuine heart made her an incredible person for people to look up to and it’s likely that people will continue to watch her films and shows for many years to come!