Catherine O’Hara, the beloved actor known for her iconic roles in Home Alone, Beetlejuice, and Schitt’s Creek, has died at age 71.
Variety confirmed on Friday that her agency, CAA, confirmed her death following a brief illness.
News of O’Hara’s passing prompted an immediate outpouring of grief from fellow actors and fans alike, many of whom credited her with shaping generations of comedy and film.
The legacy of Catherine O'Hara
O'Hara began her career in the 1970s with sketch comedy, winning a Primetime Emmy Award for her work in Second City Television. In the 1980s, her celebrity status was cemented with Beetlejuice and Home Alone, playing bold and determined career women alongside child stars in family favorites.
She wasn't seen as much in the 2000s and 2010s, but revived her career with lead roles in the comedy shows Schitt's Creek and The Studio.
Her fellow comedians were some of the first to put out statements on O'Hara's passing. Tom Green, who appeared in Road Trip and Charlie's Angels, posted his grief on X.
"I’m so sorry to hear the news that Canadian comedy legend Catherine O’Hara has passed away at 71," he wrote.
"Her characters brought so much joy and laughter to the world."
Weeds star Kevin Nealon was next.
"Catherine O’Hara changed how so many of us understand comedy and humanity," he said. "From the chaos and heart of Home Alone to the unforgettable precision of Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek, she created characters we’ll rewatch again and again."
Michael McKean of Better Call Saul also felt the loss.
"Only one Catherine O'Hara, and now none," he wrote. "Heartbreaking."
Fellow The Last of Us actor Pedro Pascal responded on Instagram.
"Oh, genius to be near you. Eternally grateful. There is less light in my world, this lucky world that had you, will keep you, always. Always."
Perhaps the most heartbreaking reaction came from the man who once played her son, Macaulay Culkin.
"Mama. I thought we had time," he said. "I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you but I had so much more to say. I love you. I’ll see you later."
"Cinema’s mother"
Soon after the news broke, O'Hara's less famous fans were flooding the platform with grief.
"Catherine O’Hara felt like Cinema’s mother," said @CinemaTweets1. "How could you grow up in the early to mid ‘90s and not have some sort of personal connection to her? The power of O’Hara’s work can be seen by the fact that someone like me never met her. But her loss hits me so incredibly hard. RIP."
"Catherine O’Hara didn’t steal scenes she just showed up and ownership automatically defaulted to her," @BrandyLJensen tweeted.
"Heading downtown in a couple of hours to protest the death of Catherine O’Hara," joked @NoahGarfinkel
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