The entertainment world mourns the loss of Catherine O'Hara, who passed away at age 71, but her remarkable Hollywood love story with husband Bo Welch remains an inspiring testament to enduring romance. The Canadian actress, celebrated for her comedic brilliance, found lasting love in the most cinematic of settings during the late 1980s.
A Beetlejuice Beginning
Their romance blossomed on the set of Tim Burton's iconic supernatural comedy Beetlejuice, where O'Hara starred alongside Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton. Welch, an Oscar-nominated production designer, was creating the film's distinctive visual landscapes. The strawberry-blonde actress and the talented designer connected through numerous conversations during production, though O'Hara initially grew frustrated when Welch didn't make the first move.
Tim Burton's Matchmaking Role
In a charming twist of Hollywood fate, director Tim Burton played cupid for the pair. O'Hara recalled complaining to Burton about Welch's constant conversation without romantic follow-through. "I was grouching to Tim Burton about how this guy was talking to me all the time and never asking me out," she told InStyle in 2018. Burton took matters into his own hands during a break between Los Angeles and location shooting, encouraging Welch to finally ask O'Hara out.
The director facilitated their first proper outing by organizing a trip to a swap meet with the film's art department. This casual beginning soon evolved into romantic dinners at cozy restaurants, where their connection deepened substantially. Welch officially asked O'Hara out while they were filming exterior scenes in Vermont, and from that moment, they became virtually inseparable.
Building a Life Together
By the time Beetlejuice premiered in 1988, O'Hara and Welch were already established as a serious couple. Their commitment led O'Hara to make a significant life change when she relocated to California to be with Welch. "I moved to L.A. to be with him," she confessed to The New Yorker in 2019. "Yeah, I moved for love."
The couple formalized their relationship in April 1992, tying the knot in a ceremony that marked the beginning of their decades-long marriage. Their union was blessed with two sons: Matthew, born in 1994, and Luke, born in 1997. O'Hara described both children as exceptionally funny, with Matthew specializing in Warner Brothers cartoon impressions and Luke excelling at clever wordplay.
Unique Shared Humor
Throughout their marriage, O'Hara and Welch maintained a distinctive shared sense of humor that became a hallmark of their relationship. This was particularly evident during the 2021 Golden Globes, when O'Hara won Best Actress for Schitt's Creek. With the ceremony conducted virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions, Welch provided improvised sound effects during her acceptance speech, playing audience applause and eventually music to signal she should wrap up her remarks.
Their playful dynamic extended to memorable experiences like the private Vatican tour Burton gifted them as a wedding present. O'Hara recounted the surreal experience of being shown through the pope's closet by a priest who faced reprimand from colleagues for their exclusive access. "We were in the pope's closet, like, looking at garments and stuff," she remembered with amusement.
A Lasting Legacy
O'Hara and Welch remained devoted partners until her passing at their Brentwood, Los Angeles home. Their relationship spanned nearly four decades, beginning with that fateful meeting on a film set and growing into a deep partnership that withstood Hollywood's pressures. From their early days dining in intimate restaurants to raising two sons and supporting each other's careers, their love story represents one of Hollywood's most genuine and enduring romances.
The couple was last seen together publicly at the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, hand in hand at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. Their journey from Beetlejuice colleagues to life partners serves as a poignant reminder that sometimes the most extraordinary love stories begin in the most unexpected places.
