Beloved Actress Catherine O'Hara Dead At 71

Hollywood is in mourning as beloved actress Catherine O'Hara has passed away at the age of 71. Known for her roles in works like "Schitt's Creek," "Home Alone," and "Best In Show," O'Hara remained active later in her career, including her appearance in the award-winning "The Studio" on Apple TV+ in 2025.

According to TMZ, O'Hara passed away at the age of 71 on January 30. Two separate sources with direct knowledge of the situation have confirmed that there is not yet a cause of death.

The actress was born and raised in Toronto, Cananda and is the sixth of seven children. She leaves behind her husband, Bo Welch, and two children, Matthew and Luke Welch. O'Hara met her husband in 1988 on the set of "Beetlejuice." They tied the knot in 1992.

According to Page Six, O’Hara’s talent agency, CAA, released a brief statement on her passing. They said, “We are saddened to announce the passing of Catherine O’Hara.” While there is still no cause of death, the outlet was able to confirm that the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call at her home at approximately 4:48 a.m. 

They then transferred the actress to the hospital, and the report noted that her condition was “serious.” It’s also worth noting that Variety reported that she passed away after what they described as “a brief illness.”

O'Hara's career spans decades, with her on-screen acting debut in 1975 on "The Wayne & Shuster Show." Per IMDb, her first big break came in 1974 when she joined the cast of "The Second City." After that, she appeared in several films and shows, but it wasn't until 1988 that she starred in "Beetlejuice."

Some of her other notable works include "Dick Tracy," "Home Alone," and "Tales from the Crypt." As mentioned, she remained active in Hollywood. This includes roles in shows and movies such as "The Last of Us," "The Wild Robot," "Beetlejuice," "Argylle," and, more recently, "The Studio." O'Hara was supposed to return for season two of the hit Apple series.

Following the announcement of her passing, many fans of her O’Hara’s work took to social media to honor her with sweet tributes. One person on X said, “This one really hurts, we're losing legends. Catherine O'Hara was part of my childhood, and in everything she was, she nailed it, she gave us outstanding performances, and I'm gonna miss her so much... RIP Catherine.

Someone else said, “Catherine O'Hara has passed away. Just truly terrible to hear. I knew her from Home Alone, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Beetlejuice, and Schitt's Creek, absolutely love that show. She will be greatly missed.”

Another sad fan said, “The term Greatest of all Time gets thrown around a lot, but Catherine O’Hara was truly the greatest of all time.” Someone else wrote, “Moira Rose is one of the greatest characters of all time and made me cry laughing more times than I can count. Catherine O’Hara being an all-timer legend is not even a big enough description, man I’m gutted."

Finally, a different X user stated, "Catherine O’Hara has passed away at 71. She was so talented & always brought a smile to our faces. From "SCTV" to "The Studio," her career spanned five decades. Our condolences to her family, friends, and fans."

O'Hara starred alongside Macaulay Culkin in "Home Alone," the role that put him on the map as a child actor. According to PEOPLE, the two reunited in 2023 for his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony. She said about him in a speech, "'Home Alone' was, is and always will be a beloved global sensation ... the reason families all over the world can't let a year go by without watching and loving 'Home Alone' together is because of Macaulay Culkin."

She continued, "I know you worked really hard, I know you did, but you made acting look like the most natural thing in the world to do."

He then said, "Thanks for all your kind words and your stories and stuff. You know, you made my kids' dad, their papa, look good. And the most important thing to me is also that their papa understands that he wasn't always his papa; he used to be a kid too, you know?"

She will be missed, but her legacy will live on forever.