Actress Catherine O’Hara, known for her roles in “Home Alone” and “Schitt’s Creek,” has died, her manager confirmed to Variety, with her “Home Alone” co-star Macaulay Culkin writing on Instagram, “Mama. I thought we had time.”
Catherine O’Hara and Macaulay Culkin attend the ceremony honoring Macaulay Culkin with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on December 01, 2023 in Hollywood, California.
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Key Facts
O’Hara, who most recently appeared on the critically acclaimed Apple TV series “The Studio,” was 71.
Her cause of death has not been confirmed, but Page Six reported the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to her home Friday morning and transported O’Hara to a hospital in “serious” condition.
In an Instagram post, Culkin said of his “Home Alone” mother, “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.”
O’Hara won a Golden Globe in 2021 for her role in “Schitt’s Creek,” which also earned her an Emmy in 2020—her second win from the Television Academy, following her 1982 win from the Canadian comedy series “SCTV.”
She starred as Culkin’s mother on “Home Alone,” and the pair continued to have a relationship well into her life, as she spoke on his behalf when he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2024.
O’Hara was a mother of two.
Key Background
After beginning her acting career on “SCTV,” O’Hara propelled that into movie roles, including “Beetlejuice” alongside Alec Baldwin and Michael Keaton. She enjoyed a career resurgence in her 60s when she starred on “Schitt’s Creek” with Eugene Levy, who she worked with early in her career. Her most recent roles—on the Seth Rogen-led “The Studio” and on HBO’s “The Last of Us”—both earned her Emmy nominations.
Hollywood Pays Tribute
Pedro Pascal, who appeared alongside O’Hara on “The Last Of Us,” called O’Hara a “genius” and said he was “eternally grateful” to work with her: “There is less light in my world, this lucky world that had you.” Justin Theroux co-starred with O’Hara in the 2024 film, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and said she “will be so so missed.”
O’Hara was described by actor Paul Walter Hauser as “my Meryl Streep,” writing on Instagram that he “could watch her in anything. Didn’t matter how good or bad the film or show was. I wanted to see what she could do.”
Those thoughts were echoed by Canadian actor Tom Green, who said he grew up being entertained by her work: “Her characters brought so much joy and laughter to the world.” Mike Myers, also from Canada, called it a “sad day for comedy and for Canada” in an interview with
The Hollywood Reporter, describing O’Hara as “one of the greatest comedy artists in history.” Director Ron Howard was involved in several of O’Hara’s acting roles and said in an X post she grew “more brilliant with each year.” Ike Barinholtz said he was “incredibly grateful” to work with O’Hara on “The Studio,” writing on Instagram that he was “profoundly sad” of her death.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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