Catherine Anne O'Hara OC (March 4, 1954 - January 30, 2026) was a Canadian-American actress and comedian whose career stretched over five decades, beginning at Second City in Toronto. She rose to prominence on the sketch series SCTV and went on to iconic film roles in Beetlejuice, Home Alone, and Christopher Guest's mockumentaries. A late-career resurgence came with Schitt's Creek (2015-2020), earning her an Emmy and a Golden Globe; her final major role was in the Apple TV+ satire The Studio (2025).
O'Hara became the first woman ever to receive an individual Actor Award (formerly SAG Award) posthumously - for her role in the series The Studio.
Catherine O'Hara died at the age of 71 in Santa Monica from a pulmonary embolism following a private battle with cancer.
At the 2025 Emmy Awards ceremony, O'Hara received two nominations - for her role in The Studio and for a guest role in the series The Last of Us (HBO).
At the TIFF 2025 festival, O'Hara received the Norman Jewison Career Achievement Award for her lifetime contribution to cinema; the award was presented to her by longtime collaborator Eugene Levy.
In the series The Studio (Apple TV+), O'Hara played the head of a film studio Patty Leigh - a role that brought her Emmy, Golden Globe nominations and a posthumous Actor Award.
