How Catherine O’Hara Became One of TV’s Defining Funny Women | Appreciation

The unexpected news of the passing of Catherine O’Hara at the age of 71 hit the world like a ton of bricks. It didn’t seem true, and it certainly didn’t seem fair.

For decades, O’Hara, a proud Canadian who created some of the most memorable scene-stealers in comedy history, had been finding new and surprising ways to be funny. Every generation had their O’Hara moment, from “Sctv” to “Home Alone” to “Schitt’s Creek”, and each version was more hilarious and bananas than the last.

Born in 1954, O’Hara began her career as a cast member of the legendary improv troupe The Second City, working as an understudy to another iconic comedienne,…