Catherine O’Hara, one of the most distinct comedy stars and screen performers, has died. She was 71. The Toronto-born O’Hara died Friday at her home in Los Angeles after a brief illness, according to her reps.
Across more than five decades of film and television, she built a body of work dominated by fearless characters – blending razor-sharp timing with moments that could be quite profound.
A Second City veteran, she first came to many people’s notice in the late 1980s and 1990s for her work as Delia Deetz in Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice” and as Kate McCallister in Chris Columbus’ “Home Alone”.
She was involved in numerous collaborations on mockumentaries with Christopher Guest, including “Waiting for Guffman,” “Best in Show,” “A Mighty Wind”, and “For Your Consideration”. Her film career was vast and included movies like “After Hours,” “Dick Tracy,” “Betsy’s Wedding,” “The Paper,” “Wyatt Earp,” “The Last of the High Kings,” “Home Fries,” “Where the Wild Things Are,” “When Marnie Was There,” “Elemental,” “Argylle” and “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”.
Other notable film work included animated features like “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Over the Hedge,” “Chicken Little,” “Monster House,” “Frankenweenie” and “The Wild Robot”.
To a whole other generation, she was known for her work on television. After decades of guest appearances on various series, she took on a regular role in the smash hit “Schitt’s Creek”, where her Moira Rose character became an icon. Her last on-screen appearance was in the second season of HBO’s “The Last of Us” in several episodes, earning an Emmy nomination for her work.
Our sincerest condolences go out to her family, friends and fans.
