Catherine Anne O'Hara OC (March 4, 1954 – January 30, 2026) was a Canadian and American actress and comedian, whose career spanned over 50 years. O'Hara started in sketch and improvisational comedy in film and television before taking dramatic roles to expand her career. She received various accolades including two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. Her films have grossed more than US$4.3 billion worldwide. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2017.
Catherine O'Hara OC | |
|---|---|
 O'Hara in 2005 | |
| Born | Catherine Anne O'Hara March 4, 1954 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | January 30, 2026 (aged 71) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Citizenship |
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| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1974–2025 |
| Spouse | Bo Welch (m. 1992) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Mary Margaret O'Hara (sister) |
| Awards | Full list |
| Signature | |
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O'Hara began her career in a starring role on the CBC Television children's television sitcom Coming Up Rosie in 1975, and came to prominence in the sketch comedy series Second City Television (SCTV; 1976–1984), for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award. She gained acclaim acting in films such as After Hours (1985), Heartburn (1986), Beetlejuice (1988), Home Alone (1990), and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). She frequently collaborated with Christopher Guest, acting in his mockumentary films Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006). Her voice roles include the films The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Chicken Little (2005), Over the Hedge (2006), Monster House (2006), Where the Wild Things Are (2009), Frankenweenie (2012), Elemental (2023), and The Wild Robot (2024).
Appearing opposite Eugene Levy, a frequent castmate in SCTV and Guest's films, O'Hara gained a career resurgence for her role as Moira Rose in the CBC sitcom Schitt's Creek (2015–2020), earning a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy. Her portrayal of Temple Grandin's aunt in the HBO film Temple Grandin (2010) earned an Emmy nomination. Other television credits include the HBO drama series Six Feet Under (2003–2005), the Netflix series A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017–2019), and the HBO post-apocalyptic drama series The Last of Us (2025). O'Hara's performance in the Apple TV+ comedy series The Studio (2025) posthumously won her the Actor Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series.
Early life
Catherine Anne O'Hara was born on March 4, 1954, in Toronto, and grew up there. Her family is Catholic and of Irish descent. She was the sixth of seven children of Margaret Ann (née Meehan), and Marcus Charles O'Hara, and a sister of musician and actress Mary Margaret O'Hara. She graduated from Burnhamthorpe Collegiate Institute in 1974, where she was taught by future Mississauga mayor Carolyn Parrish.
Career
1974–1987: Breakthrough with SCTV
O'Hara started her comedy career in 1974 as a cast member of The Second City (SC) in her hometown, Toronto. Her brother Marcus was also a performer with the company. She originally worked as an understudy and in the Sunday night cast of alternates which performed when the main company had the night off. She was an understudy for Gilda Radner until Radner left for Saturday Night Live. She then joined the touring company of Second City, and had her big break replacing an ailing Rosemary Radcliffe in the lead female part when this touring group was in Chicago. By 1976 O'Hara was SC's resident leading female comic.
In 1976 SC created the sketch comedy show Second City Television (SCTV), for which O'Hara became a regular performer. In the late 1970s, she provided voice-overs for a number of cartoons, work which would continue throughout her career. During a short period in the early 1980s when SCTV was in between network deals, she was hired to replace Ann Risley as Saturday Night Live was being retooled in 1981. However, she quit the show without appearing on air, choosing to go back to SCTV when the show signed on with NBC. She was long rumoured to have left SNL due to conflicts with volatile writer Michael O'Donoghue, but O'Hara denied these claims and said she had left the show due to her dislike for living in New York City.
O'Hara expanded her career on television in the mid-1970s. She appeared in a small sketch role as a maid in a 1975 Wayne and Shuster special on CBC. She appeared in the 1976 television film The Rimshots, the children's television series Coming Up Rosie for a season (1976–77), and television specials, such as Witch's Night Out and Intergalactic Thanksgiving. Her performances on SCTV, which began airing locally in Southern Ontario in the fall of 1976, earned her fame in Canada. The show gradually built up a national and then an international following in syndication. O'Hara left SCTV for a time, missing the 1980–81 season, but returned to the show in time for its pickup by the NBC television network in the US, when it became known as SCTV Network 90. O'Hara's work as a writer on the show earned her an Emmy Award for outstanding writing and three Emmy Award nominations. She left SCTV again prior to its fifth season in 1982, but did return for occasional guest appearances through the show's end in 1984. O'Hara appeared in a number of television series and television films and continued to work in television until her death.
1988–2014: Prominence in film
During the 1990s, she made guest appearances on Tales from the Crypt, Oh Baby, Morton & Hayes, and The Larry Sanders Show. She acted in and directed episodes of Dream On and The Outer Limits, the revival of the 1960s series of the same name. O'Hara guest-starred on top-rated television series including Six Feet Under and Curb Your Enthusiasm. In May 2008, it was announced that she had signed on to star in the upcoming ABC dramedy Good Behavior. Her role in the 2010 television film Temple Grandin earned her three award nominations: a Primetime Emmy Award, a Satellite Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
O'Hara had a successful career in film. She made her feature debut in the 1980 film Double Negative, which also starred her SCTV co-stars John Candy, Eugene Levy, and Joe Flaherty. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, O'Hara appeared in many supporting roles, including Martin Scorsese's After Hours (1985) and Heartburn (1986). She appeared as Delia Deetz in the horror-comedy film Beetlejuice (1988). In 1990, O'Hara had roles in the films Dick Tracy and Betsy's Wedding. She starred as Kate McCallister in the blockbuster comedy film Home Alone (1990) and its sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). That same year, O'Hara appeared in the comedy There Goes the Neighborhood.
O'Hara continued to appear in many films during the 1990s and the beginning of the 21st century. In 1994, she appeared in the comedy-drama film The Paper and the Western film Wyatt Earp. She received roles in four of Christopher Guest's mockumentary films, three of which earned her awards and nominations: Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006). Her role in 1999's The Life Before This won her a Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. She appeared in the tenth series of the British version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? In 2004, she appeared with Jim Carrey in the black comedy film Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, and in 2006, she starred with Christina Ricci in the fantasy film Penelope. O'Hara served as a voice artist in a number of animated films, including Sally in The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Bartok the Magnificent (1999), Chicken Little (2005), Over the Hedge (2006), Monster House (2006), Brother Bear 2 (2006), Where the Wild Things Are (2009), and Frankenweenie (2012).
2015–2025: Schitt's Creek and other roles
From 2015 to 2020, O'Hara co-starred as Moira Rose in the CBC sitcom Schitt's Creek, alongside Eugene Levy, with whom she had previously worked on TV, in films, and as a Second City cast member on stage in 1974. Her performance in Schitt's Creek earned her six Canadian Screen Awards for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She swept the five major TV awards for the sixth and final season, winning a TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy, a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy, a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series. During this time she also starred in The Addams Family (2019), Extinct (2021), Elemental (2023), and The Wild Robot (2024).
She appeared as Dr. Georgina Orwell in the first season of the Netflix black comedy drama series A Series of Unfortunate Events, which premiered in 2017. Two of her episodes were directed by her husband Bo Welch, who served as production designer for the series. She was the only cast member from the 2004 film adaptation to be re-cast in the TV series as well. She appeared on the revival of another Canadian sketch comedy staple, The Kids in the Hall, in its second episode as Charlene, a friend of the Kids in the Hall. O'Hara reprised her role as Delia Deetz in the Beetlejuice sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, in 2024.
In 2025, O'Hara had a main role in the Apple TV+ satirical comedy series The Studio, for which she won both the Actor Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series and the Actor Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, at the Actor Awards' March 2026 ceremony; show co-creator Seth Rogen accepted the awards on O'Hara's behalf. She was the first woman to win any individual Actor Awards (or, as previously called, Screen Actors Guild Awards) trophy posthumously. She guest-starred as Gail Lynden in the second season of the HBO post-apocalyptic drama series The Last of Us. She received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for both roles. O'Hara's film appearances contributed to a cumulative worldwide box‑office gross of more than US$4.3 billion.
Honours
O'Hara was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2017 and was invested the following year. For 2021, O'Hara was named honorary mayor of Brentwood, Los Angeles.
On March 1, 2026, O'Hara won a posthumous award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Comedy Series at the 32nd Actor Awards for her performance on The Studio. Seth Rogen, co-creator of The Studio, accepted the award on her behalf. In his remarks, he described her as a dedicated collaborator who frequently sent thoughtful emails the night before filming, offering suggested revisions to scenes. Rogen stated that O’Hara “showed that you could be a genius and you could be kind.”
Personal life
O'Hara told Rolling Stone in 1983 that she was "pretty much a good Catholic girl at heart". She met production designer and director Bo Welch on the set of Beetlejuice in 1988, and the two married in 1992. They had two sons, born in 1994 and 1997.
O'Hara held dual Canadian and American citizenship. She had dextrocardia with situs inversus, a condition in which the heart and other major internal organs are reversed from their normal positions.
O'Hara contracted COVID-19 while filming The Studio. She admitted to not getting tested so the crew could finish shooting on location, and she did not inform her coworkers of her condition.
Death
On January 30, 2026, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department said that the department had received a call from O'Hara's home in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles regarding a woman experiencing difficulty breathing. She was then hospitalized "in serious condition", and died that day at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 71. The cause of death was later revealed to be from a pulmonary embolism, with rectal cancer as the underlying cause. She was cremated and her ashes were given to her husband.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Nothing Personal | Audrey | ||
| Deadly Companion | Judith | |||
| 1983 | Rock & Rule | Aunt Edith (voice) | ||
| 1985 | After Hours | Gail | ||
| 1986 | Heartburn | Betty | ||
| 1988 | Beetlejuice | Delia Deetz | ||
| 1990 | Dick Tracy | Texie Garcia | ||
| Betsy's Wedding | Gloria Henner | |||
| Home Alone | Kate McCallister | |||
| Little Vegas | Lexie | |||
| 1992 | There Goes the Neighborhood | Jessica Lodge | ||
| Home Alone 2: Lost in New York | Kate McCallister | |||
| 1993 | The Nightmare Before Christmas | Sally / Shock (voice) | ||
| 1994 | The Paper | Susan | ||
| Wyatt Earp | Allie Earp | |||
| A Simple Twist of Fate | April Simon | |||
| 1995 | Tall Tale | Calamity Jane | ||
| 1996 | Waiting for Guffman | Sheila Albertson | ||
| The Last of the High Kings | Cathleen | |||
| 1997 | Pippi Longstocking | Mrs. Prysselius (voice) | ||
| 1998 | Home Fries | Beatrice Lever | ||
| 1999 | The Life Before This | Sheena | ||
| Bartok the Magnificent | Ludmilla (voice) | |||
| 2000 | Best in Show | Cookie Fleck | ||
| Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big | Lorna Mae Loon (voice) | Short film | ||
| 2001 | Speaking of Sex | Connie Barker | ||
| 2002 | Orange County | Cindy Beugler | ||
| Searching for Debra Winger | Herself | Documentary | ||
| 2003 | A Mighty Wind | Mickey Crabbe | ||
| 2004 | Surviving Christmas | Christine Valco | ||
| Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events | Justice Strauss | |||
| 2005 | Game 6 | Lillian Rogan | ||
| Chicken Little | Tina (voice) | |||
| 2006 | Over the Hedge | Penny (voice) | ||
| Monster House | Mrs. Walters (voice) | |||
| Brother Bear 2 | Kata (voice) | |||
| Penelope | Jessica Wilhern | |||
| For Your Consideration | Marilyn Heck | |||
| Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses | Rowena (voice) | |||
| 2009 | Away We Go | Gloria Farlander | ||
| Where the Wild Things Are | Judith (voice) | |||
| 2010 | Killers | Mrs. Kornfeldt | ||
| 2011 | A Monster in Paris | Madame Carlotta (voice) | ||
| 2012 | Frankenweenie | Susan Frankenstein / Gym Teacher / Weird Girl (voices) | ||
| 2013 | A.C.O.D. | Melissa | ||
| The Right Kind of Wrong | Tess | |||
| 2014 | When Marnie Was There | Old Marnie (voice) | English-language dub | |
| 2015 | Being Canadian | Herself | Documentary | |
| 2019 | The Addams Family | Grandma Frump (voice) | ||
| 2020 | Canada Far and Wide | Narrator (voice) | Movie attraction for World Showcase at Epcot at Disneyworld | |
| 2021 | Extinct | Alma (voice) | ||
| Back Home Again | Mayor Owl (voice) | Short film | ||
| 2023 | Elemental | Brook Ripple (voice) | ||
| Pain Hustlers | Jackie Drake | |||
| 2024 | Argylle | Ruth | ||
| Beetlejuice Beetlejuice | Delia Deetz | |||
| The Wild Robot | Pinktail (voice) | Final film role | ||
| 2025 | John Candy: I Like Me | Herself | Documentary |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Wayne and Shuster | Various | Episode: "1975 Show #2" | |
| 1975–1977 | Coming Up Rosie | Marna Wallbacker | Main role | |
| 1976 | The Rimshots | Maggie | Retooled as Custard Pie with a different cast | |
| 1976–1984 | SCTV | Various | Main cast (Seasons 1, 2 & 4), guest (Seasons 5 & 6); Also writer; seasons 1, 2, 4 & 6, and The Best of SCTV | |
| 1977 | Fit To Print | Television film | ||
| 1978 | Witch's Night Out | Malicious (voice) | Television special | |
| 1979 | Intergalactic Thanksgiving | Ma Spademinder (voice) | Television short | |
| 1980 | Easter Fever | Scarlett O'Hare (voice) | Television special | |
| From Cleveland | Various | Television pilot; Also writer | ||
| You've Come a Long Way, Katie | Chris Dougherty | Miniseries | ||
| 1984 | The New Show | Various | 3 episodes | |
| 1985 | The Last Polka | Lemon Twin | Television film | |
| George Burns Comedy Week | Sally | Episode: "The Dynamite Girl" | ||
| 1986 | Dave Thomas: The Incredible Time Travels of Henry Osgood | Marie Antoinette | Television film | |
| Really Weird Tales | Theresa Sharpe | Episode: "I'll Die Loving"; Also writer | ||
| 1987 | Trying Times | Rebecca | Episode: "Get a Job" | |
| 1988 | The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley | Miss Malone (voice) | Main role | |
| Saturday Night Live | Herself | Episode: "Matthew Broderick / The Sugarcubes" | ||
| 1989 | I, Martin Short, Goes Hollywood | Nancy Mae | Television special | |
| Andrea Martin... Together Again | Various | Television special; Also writer; special material | ||
| 1990 | The Dave Thomas Comedy Show | Various | Episode: "#1.5" | |
| Dream On | Irma | Episode: "555-HELL"; Also director; episode: "And Your Little Dog, Too" | ||
| 1991 | Morton & Hayes | Amelia von Astor | Episode: "Daffy Dicks" | |
| Married... with Children | Female Dog | Episode: "Look Who's Barking" | ||
| 1991, 1992 | Saturday Night Live | Herself / Host | Episodes: "Catherine O'Hara / R.E.M.", "Catherine O'Hara / 10,000 Maniacs" | |
| 1992 | The Larry Sanders Show | Herself | Episode: "The Talk Show Episode" | |
| 1993 | The Hidden Room | Laurel Brody | Episode: "The First Battle" | |
| 1994 | Tales from the Crypt | Geraldine Ferrett | Episode: "Let the Punishment Fit the Crime" | |
| 1997 | The Outer Limits | Becka Paulson | Episode: "The Revelations of Becka Paulson"; Also director; episode: "Glyphic" | |
| Hope | Muriel Macswain | Television film | ||
| 1998 | Whose Line Is It Anyway? | Herself | 3 episodes | |
| 1999 | Late Last Night | Shrink | Television film | |
| Oh Baby | Roberta Hunter | Episode: "Discrimination" | ||
| 2000 | Mad TV | Woman on Blind Date | Episode: "24" | |
| 2001 | Committed | Liz Larsen (voice) | Main role | |
| 2002 | Bram & Alice | Ms. O'Connor | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist | Catherine (voice) | Episode: "Bakery Ben" | ||
| 2003 | Odd Job Jack | Claudia Johnson | Episode: "Broke & Broker" | |
| 2003–2005 | Six Feet Under | Carol Ward | 4 episodes | |
| 2004 | The Wool Cap | Gloria | Television film | |
| 2008 | Good Behavior | Jackie West | ||
| 2009 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Bam Bam | Episode: "Funkhouser's Crazy Sister" | |
| 2009–2011 | Glenn Martin, DDS | Jackie Martin (voice) | Main role | |
| 2010 | Temple Grandin | Aunt Ann | Television film | |
| 2012 | Leslie | Leslie | 2 episodes | |
| 30 Rock | Pearline | Episode: "Governor Dunston" | ||
| 2013 | The Greatest Event in Television History | Muriel Rush | Episode: "Too Close for Comfort" | |
| To My Future Assistant | Magda | Television film | ||
| 2015 | What Lives Inside | Sarah Delaney | Miniseries | |
| 2015–2020 | Schitt's Creek | Moira Rose | Main role; Also consulting producer; seasons 2–6 | |
| 2015 | Modern Family | Dr. Debra Radcliffe | Episode: "Clean Out Your Junk Drawer" | |
| 2016 | Sofia the First | Morgana (voice) | Episode: "Gone with the Wand" | |
| Harvey Beaks | Miley (voice) | Episode: "The New Bugaboo / The Case of the Missing Pancake" | ||
| 2016–2018 | Skylanders Academy | Kaossandra (voice) | Main role | |
| 2017–2018 | A Series of Unfortunate Events | Dr. Georgina Orwell | 3 episodes | |
| 2018 | The Magic School Bus Rides Again | Aunt Tennelli / Teresina Tennelli (voices) | 2 episodes | |
| 2019–2020 | The Last Kids on Earth | Skaelka (voice) | 6 episodes | |
| 2020 | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? | Herself | 2 episodes | |
| 2022 | Central Park | Gwendolyn Swish (voice) | Episode: "The Paige-riarchy!" | |
| The Kids in the Hall | Charlene | Episode 6.2 | ||
| 2025 | The Studio | Patty Leigh | Main role | |
| The Last of Us | Gail Lynden | 3 episodes; season 2 |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Artist(s) | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | "Electric Energy" | Ariana DeBose, Boy George, Nile Rodgers | Herself |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Disney Speedstorm | Sally (voice) | |
| 2024 | Disney Dreamlight Valley | Sally (voice) |