Comedy Legend Catherine O’Hara Has Passed Away

Catherine O’Hara, the prolific Canadian-American actress and comedian who is perhaps most famous for her roles in Home Alone, Beetlejuice, SCTV and Schitt’s Creek, died this week at the age of 71, according to an early report from TMZ.

The two-time Emmy-winner was a mainstay of both TV and movie comedy for decades, having been a principal cast member in several of Christopher Guest’s mockumentary movies alongside other SCTV alumni. O’Hara honed her comedy skills at the legendary Second City improvisational and sketch comedy theater in her native Toronto under original Saturday Night Live cast member Gilda Radner before launching one of her generation’s most impressive and influential TV and movie careers that spanned 50 years.

O’Hara is survived by her husband, production designer Bo Welch, and their two sons.

At the time of publication, the cause of O’Hara’s death is not yet publicly known. More information about her passing will undoubtedly come forward in the next few hours, as will tributes and eulogies from the entire world of entertainment as they mourn one of the industry’s greatest titans.

Throughout her storied career, O’Hara worked with many of the most influential directors in film, including the aforementioned collaboration with Guest on the films Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind and For Your Consideration and the legendary Martin Scorsese, with whom she worked on the film After Hours.

As one of the most prominent and successful Canadian comedic actors in the country’s history, the entire country of Canada will feel her loss strongly, especially her close friend and long-time collaborator Eugene Levy.

O’Hara leaves behind a body of work that spanned six decades and defined comedic acting on stage, on TV and on film for her entire era.

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