Tributes are pouring in for award-winning actor Catherine O’Hara, who died Friday at her home in Los Angeles after a short illness. She was 71 years old.
O’Hara had a varied career that ranged from comedy to drama. She is best known for her role as Delia Dietz in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice and its 2024 sequel, and provided the voices of Sally and Shock in the 1993 animated classic The Nightmare Before Christmas. Another notable movie role was Kate McAllister, the mother of Kevin McAllister, played by Macaulay Culkin, in the first two “Home Alone” movies.
“Mom, I knew there was still time. I wanted to say more. I wanted to sit in the chair next to you. I listened, but there was so much I wanted to say,” Culkin wrote on Instagram. “I love you. See you again.”
Michael Keaton, who played the role in the movie Beetlejuice, wrote, “We go back even further than the first Beetlejuice.” She is my pretend wife, pretend nemesis, and my real friend in real life. This one hurts more. Oh, I’ll miss her so much. I’m thinking about Beau too. ”
Burton shared a behind-the-scenes photo of himself and O’Hara on the set of Beetlejuice, starring Keaton, Jenna Ortega and Winona Ryder, with the caption: “Katherine, I love you. This photo shows how much light you brought to all of us. You were a special part of my life and the afterlife.”
On television, O’Hara won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her portrayal of the eccentric and extravagantly costumed Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek. She recently appeared on Apple TV’s “The Studio” and the second season of HBO’s “The Last of Us.”
“I really don’t know what to say…When I first met O’Hara, I told her I thought she was the funniest person I’d ever seen on screen. ‘Home Alone’ was the movie that made me want to make movies,” Seth Rogen, co-creator and star of The Studio, wrote on Instagram. “It was an absolute honor to work with her. She was hysterical, kind, intuitive, and generous… She made me want to create a show worthy of her presence. This is truly shocking. We are all lucky to live in a world with her in it.”
Pedro Pascal, who played Joel Miller in The Last of Us, wrote, “Oh, you’re a genius for having me by your side. I’m eternally grateful. There’s not much light in my world, and this one lucky enough to have you will always protect you. Always. The one and only Catherine O’Hara.”
O’Hara frequently collaborated with Christopher Guest and co-writer Eugene Levy, who starred in and co-created Schitt’s Creek. Together, O’Hara, Guest, and Levy worked on the critically acclaimed mockumentary films Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration. Her performance in the latter won her the 2007 National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Guest said in a statement: “I am shocked. We have lost one of the giants of comics of our time.” “I send my love to her family.”
“We are all saddened by the loss of Catherine O’Hara,” a joint statement from Apple TV and Lionsgate TV, which produces “The Studio,” read. “An undeniable legend, an icon, and a unique talent, Kathryn has elevated every project she’s been a part of, including the singular genius she brought to her role on The Studio and every transcendent performance she’s given us. Her artistic accomplishments will forever bring humor, light and love for generations to come, and her brilliance and generous spirit touched those around her. We will always hold her in our hearts and will remember her husband, Beau and her children Matthew and Luke.
O’Hara’s other film credits include “After Hours,” “Heartburn,” “The Life Before This,” “Penelope,” “Away We Go,” “Where the Wild Things Are,” “ACOD,” and “The Right Kind of Wrong.”
See the tribute to O’Hara below.
