Steve Martin and Martin Short paid tribute to the late Catherine O’Hara by raising a glass to her Friday night at the comedy show “The Best of Steve Martin and Martin Short” in Austin, Texas.
“Catherine O’Hara, I met her when she was 18 years old, and all these years later, she was the greatest, brightest, kindest, sweetest angel any of us had ever worked with,” Short said alongside Martin. “God bless you Catherine,” he added, toasting.
When the two took the stage, a large image of the actress was displayed on the screen behind them. The memorial came just hours after O’Hara’s death was announced on Friday. Her agency CAA confirmed that she passed away at her home in Los Angeles after a short illness. She was 71 years old.
A longtime friend and collaborator, Short first met O’Hara on the Canadian sketch comedy series Second City Television, which aired from 1976 to 1984. Martin previously worked with the “Best in Show” and “Schitt’s Creek” actors in the 1994 film “A Simple Twist of Fate,” directed by Gillies McKinnon.
Since O’Hara’s death, many stars have shared heartfelt messages. O’Hara’s “Home Alone” co-star Macaulay Culkin wrote on Instagram: “Mom, I thought I had time. I wanted more. I wanted to sit in the chair next to you. I could hear you and I had so much to say.” “I love you. See you again.”
Seth Rogan, who co-starred with O’Hara on The Studio, also shared his thoughts on Instagram. “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,” Rogen wrote. “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.”
