Catherine O’Hara, the beloved actress known for her roles in Schitt’s Creek, Home Alone, and Best in Show, has passed away at the age of 71. Her manager confirmed the news to Variety, reporting that she died following a brief illness, according to The Guardian.
O’Hara began her comedy career in the 1970s as a co-creator of the Canadian sketch show SCTV. She transitioned to film in the 1980s, with her first role in the romantic drama Nothing Personal alongside Donald Sutherland.
In 1985, she appeared in Martin Scorsese’s dark comedy After Hours, and in 1988 starred in Tim Burton’s cult classic Beetlejuice, reprising her role in the 2024 sequel. On the set of the original Beetlejuice, she met her future husband, production designer Bo Welch, whom she married in 1992.
O’Hara is perhaps best known for her role as Macaulay Culkin’s caring yet frazzled mother in the hit comedy Home Alone (1990), a role she reprised in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). Reflecting on the film in 2024, she told People: “It was wonderful. All the kids were just amazing.”
In 1996, she began a collaboration with director Christopher Guest, starring in Waiting for Guffman and later in Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration (2006). Guest praised O’Hara’s versatility, saying:
“Catherine is one of the very few actors who can do both comedy and drama. She’s incredibly funny, but can move into an emotional space that surprises people—it’s remarkable.”
O’Hara also lent her voice to numerous animated films, including Chicken Little, Over the Hedge, Monster House, Frankenweenie, and most recently The Wild Robot.
