Saturday Night Live paid tribute to Catherine O’Hara, who tragically passed away at the age of 71.
On the sketch comedy show, a tribute card for O’Hara was shown on screen before the curtain call at the end of Saturday’s episode, hosted by Alexander Skarsgard.
The card featured an old photo of the beloved actress and her name.
The NBC series also posted a photo in memory of X, writing “Catherine O’Hara” along with a heart emoji.
O’Hara died Friday at her home in Los Angeles after a “brief illness,” Creative Artists Agency confirmed to Page Six.
According to audio from the 911 call, the “Schitt’s Creek” alum experienced “difficulty breathing” and was taken to a hospital in “serious” condition, where he died several hours later.
O’Hara wasn’t an official cast member of “SNL,” but he was close to it.
In 2024, she was recalled for appearing on the show’s sixth season in 1981, but dropped out after a week due to the success of the Canadian sketch comedy series Second City Television.
“Our producers sign a contract with a network, do a show for a season or two, and then the contract is terminated. There’s a hiatus, and then we do another show,” she told People. “I was asked to be on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ and of course I said, ‘Yes.’ Who wouldn’t want to do that? ”
But when “SCTV” was scheduled to air for the next season, O’Hara told the “SNL” producers, “Oh, sorry, I have to go with my (comedy) family.”
“Well, it’s not cool to take a job and then quit,” she added to People. “you know what i mean?”
O’Hara appeared on SCTV from 1976 to 1984 and won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety Series in 1982. Co-stars include John Candy, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Robin Duke, Rick Moranis, Joe Flaherty, and Andrea Martin.
The “Beetlejuice” actress ultimately hosted “SNL” twice, once with REM in April 1991 and once with musical guest 10,000 Maniacs in October 1992.
Since O’Hara’s death, tributes have flooded social media from former co-stars, including Macaulay Culkin of “Home Alone” and the cast of “Schitt’s Creek.”
O’Hara made her last public appearance on September 14th at Apple TV+’s Primetime Emmy Party at a restaurant in Los Angeles. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in “The Studio.”
The late star is survived by her husband Beau Welch, 74, and two sons Matthew, 31, and Luke, 29.
