ABOVE VIDEO: After Schitt’s Creek actress Catherine O’Hara died at age 71, her fellow actors paid tribute with heartfelt messages, including her former costars Pedro Pascal and Justin Theroux. Meanwhile, more actors and comedians shared their admiration of her talents on the big screen, including Amy Schumer and Olivia Munn. Catherines’ manager’s office confirmed the news of her death to E! News on Jan. 30.
Catherine O’Hara, the acclaimed Canadian-born comedian and actor whose career spanned decades across television and film, died Friday at the age of 71.
O’Hara, best known to mainstream audiences as the frazzled mother of Kevin McCallister in the “Home Alone” films and as the flamboyant, eccentric Moira Rose on the Emmy-winning series “Schitt’s Creek,” died at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness, according to a statement from her representatives at Creative Artists Agency.
No additional details were immediately released.
A gifted comic performer with remarkable range, O’Hara earned widespread critical acclaim for her portrayal of Moira Rose, a wealthy, self-absorbed matriarch whose exaggerated mannerisms and unforgettable voice helped make “Schitt’s Creek” a cultural phenomenon.
Her performance earned her an Emmy Award and cemented her status as one of comedy’s most distinctive talents.
O’Hara’s career began in the 1970s with Toronto’s Second City comedy troupe, where she first collaborated with Eugene Levy, a partnership that would last more than four decades. Both went on to become original cast members of “SCTV,” short for “Second City Television,” a groundbreaking sketch comedy series that aired in Canada before gaining a U.S. audience on NBC.
“SCTV” produced a legendary ensemble of performers, many of whom would become longtime collaborators and comedy icons, including Martin Short, John Candy, Andrea Martin, Rick Moranis and Joe Flaherty. O’Hara’s sharp wit, fearless character work and improvisational skill quickly made her one of the show’s standout performers.
Over her career, O’Hara appeared in dozens of films and television projects, earning a reputation as a scene-stealer capable of blending warmth, absurdity and emotional depth. She is remembered as a pioneering comedic voice whose influence extended across generations of performers.
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