What you need to know
The 2026 Westminster Dog Show has honored the late Catherine O’Hara with a touching tribute less than a week after her death.
On Tuesday, February 3, the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, presented by Purina Pro Plan, took time to reflect on the Canadian-American actress, comedian and playwright’s humor and talent, including her role in the 2000 Christopher Guest mockumentary “Best in Show,” which pokes fun at the human personalities on display during professional dog shows.
In Best in Show, O’Hara, who co-stars with Eugene Levy, Fred Willard, Parker Posey, Jennifer Coolidge and Jane Lynch, plays Cookie Fleck, an energetic and once rowdy dog owner from Florida who enters the fictional Mayflower Kennel Club dog show with Winky, a Norwich terrier.
Prior to the judging of the terrier group, Westminster’s tribute to O’Hara appeared on the Jumbotron at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, where the final night of the dog show was held, paying homage to O’Hara’s character who owned a Norwich terrier in Best in Show.
As a tribute, the dog show played a brief video featuring clips from O’Hara’s extensive film and television career, followed by the late star’s name and the text: “A true legend, a timeless talent, an icon.”
Michael Judson Berry/Instagram
O’Hara died at the age of 71 on Friday, January 30, in Los Angeles “after a brief illness,” her rep confirmed to PEOPLE.
Just before she was taken to the hospital, the Los Angeles Fire Department received a call at 4:48 a.m. that same day that a woman “approximately 70 years old” was in “serious condition” at her home address.
Dispatch audio revealed a person in distress at the address was having “difficulty breathing.”
Following the news of O’Hara’s death, many fans and colleagues expressed their condolences, including her longtime acting partner Eugene Levy, who played her husband on Best in Show.
The Emmy Award-winning actress appeared on Beetlejuice, Schitt’s Creek, and Wyatt Earp throughout her long career. She also provided the voice of Sally in The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Doan Gregory/Castle Rock/Warner Bros./Koval/Shutterstock
Never miss a news. Sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to human interest stories.
O’Hara is survived by her husband of 33 years, production designer Beau Welch, and two grown sons, Luke and Matthew.
Penny, a 4-year-old Doberman Pinscher, beat out more than 2,500 other dogs to win the Best in Show award at Tuesday’s event.
