Catherine O'Hara, the actress known for her role as Kevin's mother in Home Alone, has just passed away at the age of 71.
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TMZ confirmed the passing of the Hollywood icon.
According to a statement given by her agency, CAA, to the Associated Press, O'Hara passed away in her Los Angeles home after suffering from a "brief illness." No further details have been provided so far.
Although O'Hara is known for appearing in iconic films like Home Alone and Beetlejuice, she also gained recognition for her work in sketch comedy. She first became known for the time she spent on the Canadian sketch comedy show, Second City Television.
O'Hara was also invited to join the sixth season of Saturday Night Live in the 80s. This was when SCTV was on a break. Ultimately, she chose to return to her old show before filming with SNL. O'Hara told People that she wanted to be with her "comedy family."
In the 80s, she had a breakthrough role as Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice. Her work on the Home Alone franchise would follow this in the 90s. In her later years, she would reprise her role as Delia in the 2026 rendition of Beetlejuice, and also star as Moira Rose on Schitt's Creek.
Catherine O'Hara: Actress, Writer, and Comedian
O'Hara was born in Toronto in 1954, and was the second youngest of seven children. After high school, she took on a job waitressing at the Second City Theatre. It was there that O'Hara was initially rejected upon auditioning for the first time. Apparently, she was told that she was a great waitress, but that was it. However, she refused to heed the advice, and made the group when she auditioned a second time.
She would go on to receive five Emmy nominations during her time as a writer on SCTV, one of which she would win in 1982. Her time as Moira on Schitt's Creek would also earn her a second Emmy. That one was in 2020, for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
O'Hara was well known for her abilities as an actress, but also as a comedian and writer.
She is survived by her husband, Bo Welch, and their sons, Matthew and Luke.
