Hollywood In Mourning: Home Alone and Schitt’s Creek Star Catherine O’Hara Dies At 71, Fans Say ‘A Twinkle And Sparkle Has Left The World’

Catherine O’Hara, the beloved actor who made millions laugh, has died at the age of 71. She passed away at her home in Los Angeles “following a brief illness,” her agency Creative Artists Agency said. Her family and team have not shared many more details yet, but fans around the world are heartbroken.

Catherine O’Hara was born in Canada and got her start in comedy at the Second City theatre in Toronto in the 1970s. As per reports, that’s where she met Eugene Levy, who would become a lifelong friend and colleague. Together, they were part of the original cast of the sketch show “SCTV,” which helped launch Catherine O’Hara’s career and introduced other great comics too.

Catherine O’Hara: The face of holiday classics

She became famous in movies and TV for her sharp, funny performances. Many people first knew her as Kate McAllister, Kevin’s mom in Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. She brought joyful chaos and warmth to those films that became holiday classics.

Reports say that Catherine O’Hara’s breakthrough in movies came earlier with Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice, and she kept working in many films, including Christopher Guest comedies like Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, and A Mighty Wind. She also did voices in animated films like The Nightmare Before Christmas and Frankenweenie.

On TV, Catherine O’Hara reached a new generation with her unforgettable role as Moira Rose on Schitt’s Creek. Her wild wigs, crazy fashion, and heartfelt moments won her Emmy Awards and made her a fan favorite. In recent years, she earned Emmy nominations for her work on The Last of Us and The Studio.

Tributes pour in on social media for Catherine O’Hara

As soon as the news about her death broke out, tributes started pouring in for the veteran actor. One user on X wrote that, “Rest in Peace Catherine O’ Hara. Forever ‘Kevin’s Mom’”. 

Another user while expressing grief said that, “Catherine o hara shaped such a massive part of my childhood and adulthood with these characters, i will forever be grateful that she was a part of my comfort movies and shows,” while another one wrote that ‘a twinkle and sparkle that has left the world.”

Catherine O’Hara is survived by her husband Bo Welch and their two sons, Matthew and Luke. She leaves behind a huge legacy of laughter and unforgettable characters that will live on forever.

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