Catherine O’Hara passes away leaving behind comedy legacy at 71
'Home Alone' star Catherine O’Hara is survived by her husband and children
Catharine O'Hara is no more among us.
The Canadian actress was known for her roles in films like, Home Alone, Beetlejuice, and Christopher Guest mockumentaries like Best in Show.
According to the People magazine, the Emmy-winning actress passed away at age of 71 confirmed by her manager on January 30.
O'Hara was rushed to hospital in serious condition early in the morning at 5 am.
While cause of death has not been shared, but previously the star did confirm that she had cardiac inversus, or dextrocardia with situs inversus.
A rare congenital condition in which a person's heart and other internal organs are on the other side of the body, creating a mirror image of where most people's organs are.
The actress was born in Toronto in 1954 and her first acting gig was portraying the Virgin Mary in a Nativity play. After graduating high school, she got a job as a waitress at the Second City Theatre in Toronto.
Her film debut was 1980's Double Negative. Next she starred in Martin Scorsese’s 1985 black comedy After Hours and 1986's Heatburn.
She also played Delia Deetz, stepmother of Winona Ryder in 1988 Beetlejuice and reprised her role in 2024 sequel.
O'Hara then gained a wider audience with her role in 1990s Home Alone playing Macaulay Culkin's mother and reprised her role in its sequel Lost in New York.
In 2015 she appeared in Schitt's Creek. The show had a small start in Canada and US until it gained popularity and began streaming on Netflix.
In 2020 she won Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for the role. She even won a Golden Globe and a SAG Award for the series.
She was nominated again in 2026 Golden Globes for Best Performance by Female Actor in a Supporting role on Television for comedy series The Studio.
Her last public appearance was at Apple TV+'s Primetime Emmy Party red carpet on September 14, 2025.
O'Hara is survived by her husband Bo Welch, whom she married in 1992, and their two sons Matthew and Luke.