Comedy Icon Catherine O’Hara Dies at 71 Following Brief Illness
Catherine O’Hara, the Emmy-winning actress and comedy legend known for her defining roles in Schitt’s Creek, Home Alone, and Beetlejuice, died on Friday, January 30, 2026, at her home in Los Angeles. She was 71. Her death was confirmed in a statement by her representative from Creative Artists Agency (CAA), citing a “brief illness.”
O’Hara’s passing has drawn immediate tributes from across the entertainment industry, marking the loss of one of the most versatile and beloved character actors of her generation. While celebrity death hoaxes frequently circulate on social media—including unfounded rumors earlier this week—this report has been officially verified by her management and family. She is survived by her husband, production designer Bo Welch, and their two sons, Matthew and Luke.
Born in Toronto in 1954, O’Hara began her career in the 1970s as a cast member of The Second City in Toronto. She rose to prominence as a key writer and performer on the sketch comedy series SCTV (Second City Television), where she developed her signature style of inhabiting eccentric, larger-than-life characters. Her work on the show earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for writing in 1982.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, O’Hara became a fixture in Hollywood, often collaborating with director Tim Burton and writer/actor Eugene Levy. She delivered a memorable performance as Delia Deetz in Burton’s 1988 classic Beetlejuice, a role she reprised in the 2024 sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. However, she became a household name globally for her role as Kate McCallister, the frantic mother in the blockbuster hits Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992).
In recent years, O’Hara experienced a massive resurgence in popularity for her portrayal of Moira Rose on the hit sitcom Schitt’s Creek (2015–2020). Her performance as the dramatic, vocabulary-obsessed matriarch garnered universal acclaim, sweeping the major television awards. In 2020, she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, alongside a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, and a TCA Award.
Following the news, co-stars shared their grief. Macaulay Culkin, who played her on-screen son in Home Alone, posted a tribute Friday reading, “Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more… I love you.” Pedro Pascal, who worked with O’Hara on the second season of HBO’s The Last of Us, described her as a “genius” and noted the “lesser light” in the world without her.
At the time of her death, O’Hara had recently completed work on the Apple TV+ series The Studio, created by Seth Rogen, which had earned her critical praise earlier this awards season. Her family has requested privacy and announced that a private celebration of life will be held in the coming days.
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