Catherine O’Hara has died at the age of 71, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy that shaped decades of film, television, and comedy.
The Canadian actress’s manager confirmed to PEOPLE on Friday, Jan. 30, that the beloved performer passed away. No further details were initially shared. TMZ was the first outlet to report the news of the Schitt’s Creek star’s death.
Hours later, her representative confirmed to PEOPLE that Catherine O’Hara passed away “after a brief illness.”
Shortly after her death was announced, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department told PEOPLE that they received a call at 4:48 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 30, for an “approximately 70-year-old” unnamed female at O’Hara’s home address. The woman was transported to the hospital “in serious condition.” According to LAFD dispatch audio, the individual was experiencing “breathing difficulty.”
O’Hara was one of comedy’s most versatile and revered talents, known for seamlessly moving between absurd humor and emotional depth. Her filmography includes iconic roles in Beetlejuice, Home Alone, and Christopher Guest’s mockumentaries such as Best in Show — projects that helped define modern comedic performance.
On television, she reached new heights as Moira Rose on Schitt’s Creek, starring opposite Annie Murphy, Dan Levy, and Eugene Levy. In 2020, O’Hara won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, as well as a Golden Globe and a SAG Award for the role.
Tributes poured in from colleagues, collaborators, and friends across the industry.
Macaulay Culkin, who portrayed her son in Home Alone, shared an emotional message on Instagram: “Mama. I thought we had time.”
“I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you but I had so much more to say,” he added. “I love you. I’ll see you later.”
Pedro Pascal, her The Last of Us co-star, wrote, “Oh, genius to be near you. Eternally grateful. There is less light in my world, this lucky world that had you, will keep you, always. Always ♥️.”
Michael McKean shared a succinct tribute on X: “Only one Catherine O’Hara, and now none. Heartbreaking.”
Eugene Levy, her longtime collaborator, released a statement to PEOPLE: “Words seem inadequate to express the loss I feel today… From our beginnings on the Second City stage, to SCTV, to the movies we did with Chris Guest, to our six glorious years on ‘Schitt’s Creek,’ I cherished our working relationship, but most of all our friendship.”
Dan Levy wrote, “What a gift to have gotten to dance in the warm glow of Catherine O’Hara’s brilliance for all those years… It’s hard to imagine a world without her in it.”
Annie Murphy reflected, “Ha-ha-HAAAA?!?! Her laugh was a perpetual Yes, And… Gosh, were we ever lucky to have her.”
Emily Hampshire described her death as “impossible to believe,” adding, “There was no one more alive than Catherine.”
O’Hara is survived by her husband of 33 years, Bo Welch, and their sons, Luke and Matthew.
