Comedy legend Catherine O’Hara, perhaps best known for her role as Macaulay Culkin’s mother in the first two Home Alone movies, has died.
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The 71-year-old actress passed away on Jan. 30, according to two sources with direct knowledge who spoke to TMZ.
Her cause of death remains unknown. However, her reps told The Hollywood Reporter that she died at her Los Angeles home “after a brief illness.”
O’Hara was beloved by film lovers for playing Macaulay Culkin’s mother in the first two Home Alone movies. A new generation was introduced to her for her role as Moira Rose in all 80 episodes of Schitt’s Creek. Her other notable movie credits include the Christopher Guest mockumentaries Best in Show (2000) and A Mighty Wind (2003), as well as Beetlejuice.
Meanwhile, O’Hara began her prolific career as a member of the SCTV ensemble. She starred alongside comedy legends such as Eugene Levy, John Candy, and Martin Short.
Catherine O’Hara Recently Earned Two Emmy Nominations
O’Hara recently reprised her role as Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. She also appeared in the critically acclaimed second season of HBO Max’s The Last of Us. She also starred in the hit comedy series The Studio from Point Grey Pictures on Apple TV. Her performances in The Last of Us and The Studio earned her Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
According to IMDb, her film credits include lead and supporting roles in After Hours, Heartburn, The Life Before This, Penelope, Away We Go, Where the Wild Things Are, A.C.O.D., The Right Kind of Wrong, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and more.
O’Hara has also made guest appearances on TV shows like Six Feet Under and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Her role in the HBO film Temple Grandin earned her Primetime Emmy, Satellite, and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.
During the final two seasons of the hit CBC series Schitt’s Creek, O’Hara won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, along with a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, a Critics’ Choice Award, and a TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy. She also earned multiple Canadian Screen Awards for her performance.
Additionally, O’Hara secured Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG awards in the Best Ensemble categories alongside her castmates Eugene Levy, Dan Levy, and Annie Murphy.
O’Hara is survived by her husband, Bo Welch, her sons, Matthew and Luke, and her siblings: Michael O’Hara, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Maureen Jolley, Marcus O’Hara, Tom O’Hara, and Patricia Wallice.