Catherine O’Hara Hospitalized in ‘Serious’ Condition Hours Before Death

Catherine O’Hara was rushed to the hospital hours before she died at the age of 71.

A Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson told Us Weekly that paramedics arrived at O’Hara’s home in the Brentwood neighborhood of L.A. at 4:48 a.m. on Friday, January 30, in response to a call for medical aid.

O’Hara was then transported to a nearby hospital in “serious” condition.

Us confirmed O’Hara’s death on Friday. TMZ was first to report the news.

The actress was known for her roles on TV shows such as Schitt’s Creek, The Last of Us and The Studio, as well as in movies including Beetlejuice, Home Alone, Best in Show and more.

Months before her death, O’Hara attended the 2025 Emmy Awards, where she was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance on The Studio.

“I am thrilled for all the lovely people on the show and honored to be in their company,” she said in a statement while celebrating her nomination. “And I’m so happy Ron Howard and Martin Scorsese are finally getting some much deserved attention thanks to The Studio!”

O’Hara lost the award to Hacks star Hannah Einbinder, but The Studio picked up a total of four Primetime Emmys, including Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Seth Rogen.

The show’s awards season success continued at the Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes earlier this month, but O’Hara did not attend either ceremony with her costars.

While reflecting on her impressive career in an interview with Variety, O’Hara admitted she didn’t necessarily view herself as a Hollywood icon.

“I don’t think of myself like that, but it’s nice that others do,” she said in 2025. “There’s no better survival instinct [than a sense of humor]. You’re so lucky if you’re raised with it. It’s one of God’s greatest gifts, because life is full of the dark and the light. You gotta look for the light. My parents were both really funny, and a sense of humor was always appreciated. Laughing and being funny was highly encouraged at our table.”

O’Hara also looked back on her penchant for playing “delusional” characters, adding that “it’s really fun” to embrace their quirks.

“I think maybe I am drawn to that because — it’s a fact — we’re all delusional. We’re gonna die someday, and every day we pretend we’re not,” O’Hara said with a laugh. “And thinking you can control what others think of you is a joke. You’ll never be able to control that, and that’s just the way it is. I guess I like tapping into that — how we try to control ourselves.”

The actress also gave credit to her collaborators for allowing her to take big swings on screen. “Working off of each other and supporting each other, building each other up, and being honest with each other — I’ve been lucky and careful about with whom I work,” she said. “And you can’t always choose these things; it depends on what opportunities are there. But I have been really fortunate in working with lovely, talented people, who make the day-to-day job good, hard work, but fun.”