Catherine O’Hara, the Emmy-winning actress and comedic force behind some of 90s Hollywood’s most beloved characters, has passed away at the age of 71.
Her passing was confirmed on January 30 by her longtime manager, who did not share further details.
O’Hara is survived by her husband, production designer Bo Welch, and their two sons, Matthew and Luke.
Actress Catherine O’Hara has passed away at 71
Born in Toronto in 1954, Catherine Anne O’Hara was the second youngest of seven children in a working-class Catholic family.
Her first performance was as the Virgin Mary in a Nativity play. After graduating high school, she worked as a waitress at the famed Second City Theater, where she was mentored by comedy legends like Dan Aykroyd and Gilda Radner.
But not everyone believed in her.
“He said, ‘Keep up the good work. Your day job, I mean: waitressing,’” she recalled of Joe Flaherty’s initial reaction when she auditioned. She didn’t give up, and within a year, she had landed a spot in the troupe.
One of her earliest collaborators was Eugene Levy. The two would become comedic soulmates across decades of work, including their portrayal of Moira and Johnny Rose in 2015’s Schitt’s Creek.
“My crutch was, in improvs, when in doubt, play insane,” O’Hara said in 2019. “Because you didn’t have to excuse anything that came out of your mouth.”
O’Hara’s career skyrocketed after she portrayed Kate McCallister in Home Alone
In 1976, Second City launched its own television show: SCTV. O’Hara quickly became one of its defining voices, earning a reputation for her uncanny impressions and offbeat characters.
Her first film roles came in the early 1980s, including Double Negative, After Hours, and Heartburn. In 1988, she made her mark as Delia Deetz in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice.
There, she met Welch, the film’s production designer and the two married in 1992.
Home Alone (1990) ✨
Directed by Chris Columbus pic.twitter.com/eLaINB0OrZ
— Sarah💫🌸 (@mademoisellee_s) January 23, 2026
In 1990, she became a household name playing Kate McCallister in Home Alone, the frantic, guilt-ridden mother who accidentally leaves her son behind on Christmas.
The film became a global phenomenon, earning nearly $500 million and instantly cementing O’Hara as one of the most iconic faces of 90s family cinema. O’Hara reprised the role in 1992’s Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
The bond between Macaulay Culkin, who played Kevin McCallister, and O’Hara was confirmed in a 2024 interview reported by The Express Tribune.
In it, the actor recalled how he still called O’Hara “mom,” recalling that when they reunite, “she opens up her arms — she goes, ‘Son.’”
O’Hara was in the middle of a late-career resurgence, with successful roles in Schitt’s Creek and Netflix productions
Despite her growing fame, O’Hara never chased every role that came her way, taking special care to protect her family-friendly image.
“I read scripts and get a gut feeling about whether I want to be a part of them,” she once said.
“Do I want my parents to see this? I’d just rather stay home than do something I know is bad and have to defend it later.”
Legendary Canadian actress Catherine O’Hara, known for her iconic roles in Home Alone, Schitt’s Creek and a variety of other movies and television shows, has died at the age of 71. pic.twitter.com/kMJkpaoCb8
— Made In Canada (@MadelnCanada) January 30, 2026
In the 1990s and 2000s, she veered into the mockumentary field through her collaborations with Christopher Guest: Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration.
In A Mighty Wind, she and Levy performed a haunting duet, A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow, that earned an Oscar nomination.
But it was in Schitt’s Creek where O’Hara delivered the role that finally competed with Home Alone in terms of pop culture impact.
As Moira Rose, O’Hara reached a new generation and, in the process, redefined how she was recognized in public.
“I used to mostly get people named Kevin who’d come up to me and ask me to yell ‘Kevin!’ in their faces,” she said. “Now it’s mostly about Moira.”
In 2020, that performance earned her an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a SAG Award.
O’Hara’s final screen role came in season 2 of The Last of Us, released shortly before her passing, marking the last chapter of a career that spanned more than five decades.
“Heartbroken.” Fans took to social media to share their thoughts on the beloved actress’ passing
