Catherine O'Hara, Beloved BEETLEJUICE, HOME ALONE & THE STUDIO Star, Passes Away At Age 71

Some very sad news to report today, as beloved Canadian actress and comedian Catherine O'Hara has passed away at the age of 71.

Details have not been disclosed, but according to her agency CAA, O’Hara died Friday at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness.

The two-time Emmy winner's career spanned 5 decades, beginning as a member of Toronto's Second City company, where she served as an understudy to Gilda Radner before moving on to become part of the original Saturday Night Live ensemble. In 1976, O'Hara founded the SCTV sketch comedy show with the likes of John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Levy, Andrea Martin, O’Hara, Harold Ramis, and Dave Thomas.

Numerous film roles followed, including memorable turns in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice (she returned as Deelia Deetz for recent sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice), A Nightmare Before Christmas, The Paper, and the Home Alone movies. More recently, O'Hara enjoyed a career resurgence of a sort on the small screen, appearing in The Studio, the second season of The Last of Us, and Schitt’s Creek.

Tributes from those who knew and worked with O'Hara have been pouring in since the news broke last night.

Eugene Levy remembers his #SchittsCreek co-star and longtime friend, Catherine O’Hara.

“Words seem inadequate to express the loss I feel today,” Levy wrote. “I had the honor of knowing and working with the great Catherine O’Hara for over fifty years. From our beginnings on the… pic.twitter.com/k2MtordzKG

— Variety (@Variety) January 31, 2026

#TheStudio cast and crew release a joint statement on the death of cast member Catherine O'Hara:

“We are at a loss for words at the passing of our friend Catherine O’Hara. She was a hero to all of us, and we pinched ourselves every day that we got to work with her on The Studio.… pic.twitter.com/4gIwhaOhrc

— Variety (@Variety) January 30, 2026

Tim Burton pays tribute to Catherine O'Hara:

"Catherine, I love you... [and] how much light you gave to all of us. You were a special part of my life and after life."https://t.co/9Jy0y3Oq4W pic.twitter.com/4vefiL9LwN

— Variety (@Variety) January 30, 2026

Seth Rogen pays tribute to Catherine O'Hara:

"Really don’t know what to say… I told O’Hara when I first met her I thought she was the funniest person I’d ever had the pleasure of watching on screen. Home Alone was the movie that made me want to make movies. Getting to work… pic.twitter.com/46IWjVf1PZ

— Variety (@Variety) January 30, 2026

Michael Keaton pays tribute to Catherine O’Hara:

"We go back before the first Beetlejuice. She’s been my pretend wife, my pretend nemesis and my real life, true friend. This one hurts. Man am I gonna miss her. Thinking about Beau as well."https://t.co/9Jy0y3Oq4W pic.twitter.com/7KWzPxMiBB

— Variety (@Variety) January 30, 2026

Michael Chiklis on Catherine O’Hara’s death:

"Precious few people in this world are universally loved and admired. Catherine O'Hara was not only one of those few... she deserved it. Rest In Eternal Peace 💔"https://t.co/9Jy0y3Oq4W pic.twitter.com/v4A9BB6rMH

— Variety (@Variety) January 30, 2026

Macaulay Culkin pens an emotional tribute to his late "Home Alone" mom Catherine O'Hara:

“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. I love you. I’ll see you later.”https://t.co/3QyGS32HFN pic.twitter.com/xoQSsRuPTD

— Variety (@Variety) January 30, 2026

SAG-AFTRA on Catherine O’Hara’s death:

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Catherine O’Hara. A beloved actor and comedian, Catherine was a two-time SAG-AFTRA Actor Award winner for her unforgettable work on 'Schitt’s Creek.' She's currently a nominee for 'The Studio.' From… pic.twitter.com/mwp9ID74in

— Variety (@Variety) January 30, 2026

O’Hara is survived by her husband, Bo Welch, sons Matthew and Luke, along with siblings Michael O’Hara, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Maureen Jolley, Marcus O‘Hara, Tom O’Hara and Patricia Wallice.

What was your favorite Catherine O'Hara performance? Let us know in the comments section.