Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Dustin Rowles | Celebrity | January 30, 2026
Catherine O’Hara, the brilliant comedic actress best known for her roles in Schitt’s Creek, Home Alone, and Beetlejuice, has passed away, according to People. She was 71. No cause of death has been released.
O’Hara grew up in Canada and began her career at The Second City in Toronto in 1974, where she was initially an understudy for Gilda Radner. Within a few years, she became a cast member on SCTV, where her sharp comic instincts and gift for character work quickly set her apart. She eventually won an Emmy for her writing on the series. O’Hara was also cast on SNL in 1981 but famously backed out at the last minute because she did not want to leave Toronto.
Beyond her iconic turns in Beetlejuice, Home Alone, and its sequel, O’Hara enjoyed a long collaboration with Christopher Guest, appearing in Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration. She frequently worked alongside Eugene Levy, with whom she would find even greater late career success as Moira Rose on the beloved comedy series Schitt’s Creek, a performance that earned her widespread acclaim and cemented her status as quietly one of the best comedic actresses of her generation. More recently, she appeared in The Last of Us and as a lead character in the first season of Seth Rogen’s The Studio.
O’Hara is survived by her husband, Bo Welch, and their two sons, and lived a private life.
God, what a loss. May her memory be a blessing.
