Catherine O’Hara was one of Hollywood’s most beloved and influential comedic actresses, celebrated for a career that spanned more than five decades. She first rose to prominence on the sketch comedy series SCTV, where her sharp wit and fearless performances helped define a generation of comedy and earned her an early Primetime Emmy Award for writing.
O’Hara went on to build an iconic film career, memorably portraying Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice alongside Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder — one of her earliest collaborations with director Tim Burton. She also became a pop-culture staple as Kate McCallister, Kevin’s frazzled but devoted mother in Home Alone and its sequel, a role that remains instantly recognizable decades later.
In the later years of her career, O’Hara reached new heights with her Emmy-winning performance as Moira Rose on Schitt’s Creek, a role that cemented her status as one of television’s all-time great comedic performers. She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2020 and also took home a Golden Globe, a Critics Choice Award, and multiple Screen Actors Guild Awards for the series.Most recently, O’Hara continued to earn critical acclaim with her role as Patty Leigh, a sharp-tongued Hollywood executive, in the Apple TV+ comedy The Studio, receiving additional awards recognition late in her career.
O’Hara died on January 30, 2026, at age 71, prompting an outpouring of tributes from fans, colleagues and fellow performers who remembered her unforgettable characters and singular voice in comedy. See more of Catherine’s notable roles then and now in our gallery.
