Catherine O'Hara, the comedic actress best known for her starring roles in the Home Alone and Beetlejuice films, as well as her Emmy-winning turn in Schitt's Creek, has died aged 71. The Canadian star rose to fame through Toronto's Second City improvisation troupe and on SCTV, before making a name for herself in the US in 1988's Beetlejuice and as the matriarch in the holiday classic Home Alone.
O'Hara, whose colleagues remembered her as a 'wonderful person, artist and collaborator', most recently appeared in the Emmy-winning comedy The Studio and HBO's The Last of Us. In a statement to the BBC, O'Hara's agent said she died on Friday at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness.
O'Hara made lightning strike twice in her career with indelible cinematic turns. In 1988's spooky satire Beetlejuice, she played Delia Deetz who led her possessed dinner guests in an enthralling song and dance performance of Day-O (the Banana Boat song). Two years later, in Home Alone, her panicked scream of 'Kevin!' became one of the most memorable moments from one of the most successful film comedies ever.
Her young co-star Macaulay Culkin, now 45, paid tribute to his on-screen mother, sharing images from their time together: 'Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you. But I had so much more to say. I love you. I'll see you later.'
The Toronto-born actress got her foot in the door as a waitress at the Toronto Second City theatre franchise in the 1970s and later developed her comedic skills with the cast of SCTV.
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney joined thousands in mourning O'Hara, stating: 'Canada has lost a legend.' Her legacy includes not just her television and film roles, but the profound impact she had on her colleagues and fans alike, often characterized by her brilliant humor and vibrant personality. O'Hara is survived by her husband Bo Welch, her sons Matthew and Luke, and her siblings.
O'Hara, whose colleagues remembered her as a 'wonderful person, artist and collaborator', most recently appeared in the Emmy-winning comedy The Studio and HBO's The Last of Us. In a statement to the BBC, O'Hara's agent said she died on Friday at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness.
O'Hara made lightning strike twice in her career with indelible cinematic turns. In 1988's spooky satire Beetlejuice, she played Delia Deetz who led her possessed dinner guests in an enthralling song and dance performance of Day-O (the Banana Boat song). Two years later, in Home Alone, her panicked scream of 'Kevin!' became one of the most memorable moments from one of the most successful film comedies ever.
Her young co-star Macaulay Culkin, now 45, paid tribute to his on-screen mother, sharing images from their time together: 'Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you. But I had so much more to say. I love you. I'll see you later.'
The Toronto-born actress got her foot in the door as a waitress at the Toronto Second City theatre franchise in the 1970s and later developed her comedic skills with the cast of SCTV.
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney joined thousands in mourning O'Hara, stating: 'Canada has lost a legend.' Her legacy includes not just her television and film roles, but the profound impact she had on her colleagues and fans alike, often characterized by her brilliant humor and vibrant personality. O'Hara is survived by her husband Bo Welch, her sons Matthew and Luke, and her siblings.
