Catherine O’Hara, the Canadian actress beloved for her roles in Schitt’s Creek, Home Alone and Beetlejuice, has died at the age of 71. Her manager confirmed the news to Variety, stating that she died after a brief illness.
O’Hara began her comedy career in the 1970s, co-creating the Canadian sketch show SCTV. She made her film debut in 1980 with Nothing Personal, and later appeared in Martin Scorsese’s black comedy After Hours in 1985.
In 1988, she starred in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice, a role she reprised in the 2024 sequel. On that set, she met her husband, production designer Bo Welch. She played Macaulay Culkin’s mother in the 1990 smash hit Home Alone and its 1992 sequel, a role she called “perfect”.
O’Hara worked extensively with Christopher Guest, starring in Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind and For Your Consideration. Guest praised her ability to master both comedy and drama. She later reunited with Eugene Levy for the sitcom Schitt’s Creek, winning an Emmy for her performance.
Tributes poured in from co-stars including Culkin, who wrote on Instagram: “Mama. I thought we had time.” Pedro Pascal called her a “genius”, and Mike Myers said it was “a very sad day for comedy and for Canada”.
