Tributes pour in for ‘Schitt’s Creek’ and ‘Home Alone’ star Catherine O’Hara

The entertainment world is mourning the death of a “Home Alone” and “Schitt's Creek” star Catherine O'Hara who died at the age of 71 on Friday, January  30.

The award-winning actress’s agency, CAA, conveyed the news by saying she died at her home in Los Angeles's Bentwood area “following a brief illness." The cause of death is unclear.

The Emmy-winning star, whose career spanned over five decades, is survived by her husband Bo Welch, whom she met on the set of 1988's "Beetlejuice." They got married  in 1992 and had two sons, Matthew and Luke.

Following the news of her death, O’Hara’s “Home Alone” co-star Macaulay Culkin paid tribute to his on-screen mother by taking to Instagram to share images of the two of them from the 90s movies as well as in later years. He captioned the post: "Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more. 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."

Meanwhile, Dan Levy who played O'Hara’s son in the hit series “Schitt's Creek” which earned the actress an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2021, also took to social media to mourn her death.

Explaining that O’Hara it was a gift "to have gotten to dance in the warm glow of Catherine O'Hara's brilliance", he added: "Having spent over fifty years collaborating with my Dad, Catherine was extended family before she ever played my family," he wrote. "It's hard to imagine a world without her in it. I will cherish every funny memory I was fortunate enough to make with her."

Dan’s father, Eugene Levy frequently worked with the actress,including in “Waiting for Guffman”, “Best in Show”, “A Mighty Wind” and “For Your Consideration”. 

In addition, Seth Rogen, who worked with O’Hara in recent years in “The Studio”said on Instagram that when he first met O'Hara, he told her she "was the funniest person I'd ever had the pleasure of watching on screen" and that Home Alone was the film that made him want to make movies.

"Getting to work with her was a true honour," he posted. "She was hysterical, kind, intuitive, generous… she made me want to make our show good enough to be worthy of her presence in it. This is just devastating. We're all lucky we got to live in a world with her in it."

Film director Judd Apatow, replying to Rogen's post, added: "Brilliant and kind. Riotously funny for fifty years. A really special person."

O'Hara, who was born in Toronto on  March 4 1954.She broke into the industry through Toronto's Second City improvisation troupe and on SCTV, before making a name for herself in the US in 1988's “Beetlejuice” and as the in the “Home Alone” movies.

One of her biggest career stints was portraying the role of the eccentric Moira Rose on  “Schitt's Creek.

O'Hara had continued working until very close to her death, playing a therapist in HBO's sci-fi drama “The Last of Us” and an ousted movie executive in Seth Rogen's “The Studio” in 2025.