Catherine O’Hara, the actress best known for her role in Home Alone, has died at the age of 71.
Her agency, Creative Artists Agency, said O’Hara died on Friday at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness. She is survived by her husband, production designer Bo Welch, and their two sons, Matthew and Luke. The family will hold a private celebration of her life.
O’Hara became a household name as Kate McCallister, the panicked mother in the first two Home Alone films. Her performance remains one of the most memorable parts of the holiday classic.
She later earned widespread praise for playing Moira Rose in the TV series Schitt’s Creek. The role won her the Emmy Award for lead actress in a comedy series in 2020.
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Macaulay Culkin, who played her on-screen son in Home Alone, paid tribute on Instagram, calling her “Mama” and writing: “I love you. I’ll see you later.”
Actor Michael Keaton, her co-star in Beetlejuice, described O’Hara as a close friend, saying: “This one hurts. Man am I gonna miss her.”
Born in Toronto, O’Hara began her career at the Second City theatre before rising to fame on the sketch show SCTV. She later appeared in several acclaimed films, including Beetlejuice, and worked frequently with director Christopher Guest.
In recent years, she appeared in HBO’s The Last of Us and Seth Rogen’s The Studio. Rogen said working with her was “a true honour.”
Canada’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney, described O’Hara as “a legend” who helped shape Canadian comedy.
O’Hara is survived by her husband, her sons and her siblings.