A beloved Canadian icon has passed away, leading to a storm of tributes on social media.
Catherine O’Hara, an actress best known for roles in Schitt’s Creek, Home Alone and Beetlejuice, has died at the age of 71.
It was first reported by TMZ on Friday then confirmed by her representatives who said she died “following a brief illness.”
Canada tips its hat (and an extravagant wig) to Catherine O’Hara. From Moira Rose’s dramatic diction to Delia Deetz’s chaotic chic and Kate McAllister’s iconic “KEVIN!”, her characters lit up our screens. Thanks for the magic, Catherine. 🇨🇦❤️ pic.twitter.com/x60Df1SJ8J
— Canada (@Canada) January 30, 2026
The Toronto native began her acting career in her hometown at the age of 20 and started to gain fame as a cast member on the sketch comedy show Second City Television.
Two of her most famous movie roles came in 1988’s Beetlejuice as Delia Deetz and 1990’s Home Alone as Kate McCallister, Kevin’s mom, which she reprised in the 1992 sequel.
“Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more,” Macaulay Culkin, who played Kevin, wrote in a tribute, one of many shared by prominent stars today. “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.”
Arguably her most famous role came later in her career, however, as she reunited with Second City Television co-star Eugene Levy for Schitt’s Creek.
The Canadian show, produced by Levy and his son Daniel, was a smash hit well beyond the country’s borders, largely due to O’Hara’s portrayal of Moira Rose, an eccentric and dramatic former soap opera star who’s out of touch with reality.
O’Hara earned a Primetime Emmy Award in 2020 and a Golden Globe in 2021 for her work on Schitt’s Creek. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada and inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame for her contributions to film and television.
