Catherine O'Hara was a Canadian and American actress, comedian, screenwriter, and singer whose career spanned over 50 years. She was born on March 4, 1954, in Toronto, Ontario where she grew up.
O'Hara started in sketch and improvisational comedy in film and television before taking dramatic roles to expand her career. She received several accolades including two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Films in which O'Hara appeared grossed more than $4.3 billion worldwide. She was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2017.
O'Hara started her career in the sketch comedy series Second City Television (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, Monster House (2006), Where the Wild Things Are (2009), Frankenweenie (2012), Elemental (2023), and The Wild Robot (2024).
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 (2017–2018), the Apple TV+ comedy series The Studio (2025), and the HBO post-apocalyptic drama series The Last of Us (2025).
O'Hara died on January 30, 2026, at her home in Los Angeles, California at the age of 71.
