"Schitt's Creek" Actress Catherine O'Hara 1954-2026 Memorial Video

Catherine Anne O'Hara (March 4, 1954 – January 30, 2026) was a Canadian and American actress, comedian, and screenwriter, whose career spanned over 50 years. 

O'Hara started in sketch and improvisational comedy in film and television before taking dramatic roles to expand her career. She received various accolades including two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Her films have grossed more than US$4.3 billion worldwide. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2017.

O'Hara started her career in the sketch comedy series Second City Television (SCTV; 1976–1984), for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award. She gained acclaim acting in films such as After Hours (1985), Heartburn (1986), Beetlejuice (1988), Home Alone (1990), and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). 

She frequently collaborated with Christopher Guest, acting in his mockumentary films Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006). 

Her voice roles include the films The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Chicken Little (2005), Over the Hedge (2006), Monster House (2006), Where the Wild Things Are (2009), Frankenweenie (2012), Elemental (2023), and The Wild Robot (2024).

Appearing opposite Eugene Levy, a frequent castmate in SCTV and Guest's films, O'Hara gained a career resurgence for her role as Moira Rose in the CBC sitcom Schitt's Creek (2015–2020), earning a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy. 

Her portrayal of Temple Grandin's aunt in the HBO film Temple Grandin (2010) earned an Emmy nomination. 

Other television credits include the HBO drama series Six Feet Under (2003–2005), the Netflix series A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017–2019), the Apple TV+ comedy series The Studio (2025), and the HBO post-apocalyptic drama series The Last of Us (2025).

Death

On January 30, 2026, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department said that the department had received a call from O'Hara's home in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles regarding a woman experiencing difficulty breathing. She was then hospitalized "in serious condition" and died that day at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 71. The cause of death was later revealed to be from a pulmonary embolism, with rectal cancer as the underlying cause. A memorial service will be held privately by the family.