Images: from The Randy Report X@randyslovacek
By Open Chronicle News Desk
LOS ANGELES — Catherine O’Hara, the versatile and singular Canadian-American actress whose career spanned decades of iconic comedic and dramatic roles, passed away on Friday, January 30, at the age of 71. Her talent agency, CAA, confirmed the news, stating that she died at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness.
O’Hara’s passing has triggered a global wave of tributes from fans and colleagues who cherished her transformative performances. To millions, she was best known as Kate McCallister, the frantic but devoted mother in the holiday classic Home Alone (1990) and its sequel. Decades later, she achieved a new level of cultural superstardom with her portrayal of the eccentric, high-fashion matriarch Moira Rose in the hit series Schitt’s Creek, a role that earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2020.
This is heartbreaking. Catherine O’Hara brought so much joy and absurdity into our lives from the perfectly frantic panic of Kate McCallister in **Home Alone** to the gloriously over-the-top Moira Rose in **Schitt’s Creek**, where she turned every line into comedy gold. Her… pic.twitter.com/eUWkssVSmI
— Success.ofsnaps (@ThatSuccess_) January 30, 2026
Born in Toronto, O’Hara began her career in the mid-1970s with the influential improv troupe The Second City. She quickly became a standout on the sketch comedy show SCTV, where she developed a gallery of unforgettable characters and won her first Emmy for writing. Her film career was equally illustrious, featuring frequent collaborations with director Tim Burton in Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas, and starring in Christopher Guest’s celebrated mockumentaries such as Best in Show and A Mighty Wind.
In recent years, O’Hara continued to showcase her range with acclaimed roles in HBO’s The Last of Us and Apple TV’s The Studio. Just months before her passing, she was honored with a lifetime achievement award at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Her Home Alone co-star Macaulay Culkin paid an emotional tribute on social media, writing: “Mama… I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you, but I had so much more to say. I love you.”
Catherine O’Hara is survived by her husband of over 30 years, production designer Bo Welch, and their two sons, Matthew and Luke. The family has requested privacy and plans to hold a private celebration of her extraordinary life.