Catherine O'Hara Dies at 71; Stars and Colleagues Pay Tribute
The Emmy-winning actor died at her Los Angeles home after a brief illness; her representatives said funeral arrangements were pending and no cause was disclosed.
The GuardianCatherine O’Hara obituary
The Atlantic‘She Works on Levels That People Don’t Even Know’
SlateA Comic Genius Has Died, at a Moment When She Had So Many More Laughs to Give
Daily Caller'Mama I Thought We Had Time': Macaulay Culkin Makes Heart-Wrenching Post Memorializing Catherine O'Hara
Overview
Catherine O'Hara died Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, at her Los Angeles home at age 71 after a brief illness, her representatives at CAA confirmed, while her manager said the cause and exact time were not disclosed.
O'Hara rose to international fame as Kate McCallister in the $477 million 1990 film Home Alone and later won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her role as Moira Rose on Schitt's Creek, making her a defining comic actor across film and television.
Macaulay Culkin posted an Instagram tribute calling O'Hara "Mama" and writing, "I thought we had time... I love you. I'll see you later," reflecting their decades-long friendship since Home Alone, according to his post.
Her career spanned roughly four decades and included work on SCTV (earning an Emmy in 1982 with the sketch troupe), major film roles in Beetlejuice (1988) and Waiting for Guffman (1996), and Emmy nominations in 2025 for The Studio and The Last of Us, industry records show.
Her representatives at CAA said funeral arrangements were pending and they declined further comment, and numerous co-stars including Eugene Levy and Pedro Pascal posted social media remembrances in the hours after the announcement.
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FAQ
Catherine O'Hara was famous for Kate McCallister in Home Alone, Moira Rose in Schitt's Creek (Emmy and Golden Globe winner), Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice, and roles in SCTV, Waiting for Guffman, and voice work in The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Her representatives confirmed she died at age 71 after a brief illness at her Los Angeles home on January 30, 2026, but the exact cause and time were not disclosed.
Macaulay Culkin posted an Instagram tribute calling her 'Mama' and writing, 'I thought we had time... I love you. I'll see you later,' reflecting their friendship from Home Alone.
She received Emmy nominations in 2025 for The Studio and a dramatic role in The Last of Us.
Her representatives at CAA stated that funeral arrangements are pending and declined further comment.
