Catherine O’Hara, the iconic, flame-haired Canadian actress who won hearts in films such as Home Alone and Beetlejuice, has passed away at the age of 71. From her early days in SCTV to her recent role as Moira Rose on Schitt’s Creek, O’Hara delighted fans for over 50 years, and her death comes as a devastating blow to audiences worldwide.
Her cause of death has not been released, other than she passed away after a brief illness.
A Great Loss to the Entertainment World
Catherine O’Hara was born in Toronto in 1954: the sixth of seven children born to her Irish Catholic family. She got her start in the Second City sketch comedy series (1976–1984), and went on to guest star in shows such as Saturday Night Live and Mad TV. In addition to her appearances in TV series and films such as Home Alone, Beetlejuice, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and Six Feet Under, she also provided the voice for Sally — the beloved rag doll protagonist in The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Her iconic role as Moira Rose earned her six Canadian Screen Awards for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. This role also earned her a Primetime Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, Critic’s Choice Award, and several others.
O’Hara was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2017, and was the honorary mayor of Brentwood, Los Angeles, in 2021. She died earlier today, Friday January 30th, at her home in Los Angeles, after a brief illness. Additional details regarding her death are unknown at this time. She is survived by her husband, Bo Welch, their two sons, Matthew and Luke, and her siblings Mary Margaret O’Hara, Michael O’Hara, Marcus O‘Hara, Maureen Jolley, Tom O’Hara, and Patricia Wallice.
Featured Image by Harald Krichel, CC license 4.0