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The actress and comedian has died at the age of 71, her manager has confirmed.
No further details were shared.
In 2024, O’Hara spoke to ELLE Canada about her career and approaching her 70s.
Legendary Canadian actress Catherine O’Hara has died at the age of 71, the star’s manager confirmed to People magazine. No further details were shared.
Ms. O’Hara is survived by her husband, Bo Welch, and two sons.
The star has played many standout roles throughout her decades-long career, from Kate McAllister in Home Alone to Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek. She appeared in The Studio, The Last of Us, Beetlejuice (and its 2024 sequel, Beetlejuice), The Nightmare Before Christmas, and many other TV and film projects. She is also known for collaborating with Christopher Guest on some of his most famous mockumentaries, including Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, and A Mighty Wind.
O’Hara was born on March 4, 1954 and grew up in the suburbs of Toronto. She was one of seven children in a large Irish Catholic family. Her older brother, Marcus, dated original Saturday Night Live cast member Gilda Radner, who introduced O’Hara to the world of professional improvisation at Toronto’s Second City Theater.
O’Hara first worked there as a waitress after graduating high school, then auditioned and was selected to join the theater company in 1974. “Improvisation is really freeing,” she said in ELLE Canada’s September 2024 issue. “And when you let go, every person, every character, and everything you’ve ever experienced in your life feeds you. I love being surrounded by really talented people and getting nourished by them.”
Her role as Delia Dietz in Tim Burton’s 1988 film Beetlejuice was a turning point in her career. “You never know how something will be received,” she said in an interview with ELLE Canada. “I mean, that’s the magic. That’s the scariest thing. But if you’re lucky enough to work with people who make every day exciting and creative and inspiring, that’s the best thing, because you never really know what’s going to happen from there. It’s mostly luck and timing.”
O’Hara worked closely with Eugene Levy, who was also a member of the Canadian theater scene, for many years. When O’Hara and her son Dan Levy came to develop Schitt’s Creek, which aired from 2015 to 2020, O’Hara never expected the 2020 Emmy Award-winning TV series to become so big. “You know what I said about not being able to predict how something will be received?” she asked ELLE Canada. “Schitt’s Creek is a strange example of that, because we did this little show for ourselves.”
During the interview, the then 70-year-old star reflected on what’s next for him. “When you’re 70 years old, this is advice (I read) for people who are going to be senior citizens: Imagine you have at least another 20 years to live,” she said. “What are you going to do with those few years? When you think about it that way, you look at it as a challenge. For example, instead of saying, ‘Oh, downsize,’ or ‘slowing down,’ imagine yourself living to be 90. What are you going to do? Looking forward.”
