Catherine O’Hara dead at 71
Hollywood legend known was perhaps best known for her roles in ‘Schitt’s Creek,’ ‘Home Alone’ and being the voice of Sally in ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas.’
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Macaulay Culkin is one of the first celebrities to pay tribute to Catherine O’Hara following her death on Friday.
Her “Home Alone” co-star took to Instagram to share a photo featuring the two of them in “Home Alone” alongside a photo of them from when he received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in December 2023.
“Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more,” he wrote. “I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you. But I had so much to say. I love you. I’ll see you later.”
The two starred together as mother and son in the 1990 Christmas classic and its 1992 sequel, “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.”
‘HOME ALONE’ STAR CATHERINE O’HARA DEAD AT 71
Culkin wrote that he thought he would have more time with O’Hara. (Anna Webber/Variety via Getty Images)
Pedro Pascal also shared a tribute on Instagram, sharing a photo of himself with O’Hara on the set of season two of “The Last of Us.”
“Oh, genius to be near you. Eternally grateful,” he wrote. “There is less light in my world, this lucky world that had you, will keep you, always. Always ♥️ The one and ONLY #CatherineOHara.”
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Her “The Studio” co-star, Ike Barinholtz, paid tribute to the actress in a statement to Variety.
“I never in a million years thought I would get to work with Catherine O’Hara let alone become friends with her. So profoundly sad she’s somewhere else now.”
Ike Barinholtz considers himself lucky to have gotten to work with O’Hara. (Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
Creator of “The Studio,” Seth Rogan, penned a lengthy tribute to the actress on Instagram, alongside a photo of the two of them laughing together.
“Really don’t know what to say,” he wrote. “I told O’Hara when I first met her I thought she was the funniest person I’d ever had the pleasure of watching on screen. Home Alone was the movie that made me want to make movies. Getting to work with her was a true honour. 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.”
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O’Hara’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” co-star Justin Theroux took to Instagram to honor the late actress, sharing a photo of a director’s chair with her name on it, writing “🕊️Oh Catherine. You will be so so missed.”
Rita Wilson shared a lengthy tribute on Instagram, alongside a photo of O’Hara smiling.
“Catherine O’Hara – a woman who was authentic and truthful in all she did,” she wrote. “You saw it in her work, if you knew her you saw it in her life, and you saw it in her family. Bo, Luke and Matthew, our deepest sympathies. May Catherine rest in peace. May her memory be eternal.”
Wilson paid tribute to O’Hara on Instagram. (Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Hammer Museum)
Director Ron Howard called hearing about O’Hara’s death, “shattering news,” and commented on her talent as a comedian, calling her a “wonderful person.”
“This is shattering news,” he wrote on X. “What a wonderful person, artist and collaborator. I was lucky enough to direct, produce and act in projects with her and she was simply growing more brilliant with each year. My heart goes out to Bo & family. #RIPCatherineO’Hara.”
Michael Keaton paid tribute to O’Hara on Instagram. (Neil Mockford/FilmMagic)
Her “Beetlejuice” co-star, Michael Keaton, shared a photo of him and O’Hara smiling side by side, writing, “This one hurts.”
“We go back before the first ‘Beetlejuice,’” he wrote. “She’s been my pretend wife, my pretend nemesis and my real life, true friend. This one hurts. Man am I gonna miss her. Thinking about Beau as well.”
Keaton also shared a statement with Fox News Digital, calling O’Hara’s death “a deep loss.”
“Catherine’s knowledge of humanity was always at the center of her comedy, no matter how absurd the character or loopy the material,” he told Fox News Digital. “She could play heartless because she was warm, brainless because she was brilliant, careless because she truly cared. Everyone loved her and everyone learned from her. This is a deep loss.”
The Chicago O’Hare International Airport also honored the actress, posting a photo of her, Culkin and John Heard running through the airport in “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” writing, “Thank you, Catherine O’Hara Forever our legendary Mrs.McCallister. “
Fellow comedian Cheri Oteri took to Instagram to share a photo of O’Hara smiling, calling her an “inspiration.”
Kevin Nealon credited O’Hara for changing the way comedy is viewed. (Kate Green/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pictures)
“She carried a light with her comedy that you took in whenever you saw her. May perpetual light shine upon her beautiful soul. 💔”
Actor and comedian Kevin Nealon also paid tribute to O’Hara on X.
“Catherine O’Hara changed how so many of us understand comedy and humanity,” he wrote. “From the chaos and heart of Home Alone to the unforgettable precision of Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek, she created characters we’ll rewatch again and again.”
“The Hunger Games” star Elizabeth Banks shared a clip of O’Hara and Fred Willard from the 1996 mockumentary film “Waiting for Guffman,” writing, “She was an all-timer. Her memory and work is a blessing. Rest peacefully.”
John Stamos shared the same scene as Banks, writing in the caption: “One of my all-time favorite scenes. Catherine was an artist in every sense of the word and a true comedic genius. She will be so missed.”
Ellen DeGeneres shared a photo of O’Hara on her talk show, writing, “Catherine O’Hara was a brilliant comedian. Sending love to all who adored her, which might just be everyone.”
DeGeneres called O’Hara “a brilliant comedian.” (MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Brooke Shields also paid tribute to the comedic icon, sharing a clip of O’Hara parodying her on an episode of “Second City Television.”
“What an honor it was to be spoofed by Catherine O’Hara,” she wrote. “What an unfathomable loss. We love you, Catherine. Comedy won’t be the same without her. Sending love to Catherine’s family, friends, castmates, and fans today. Truly beloved.”
Actor Paul Walter Hauser wrote a lengthy tribute to O’Hara on his Instagram alongside a photo of her at the Toronto International Film Festival, writing, “She was my Meryl Streep.”
Brooke Shields shared a photo of O’Hara parodying her on “Second City Television.” (Stefanie Keenan/VF25/WireImage for Vanity Fair)
“I could watch her in anything,” he began. “Didn’t matter how good or bad the film or show was. I wanted to see what she would do.”
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He went on to list some of her projects, old and new, before adding “Not sure I can process or fathom that she’s gone but I am so grateful for the work she did and how she kept such a flawless reputation in a very sketchy and checkered business.”
“A freaking angel just went home to Heaven. And she’s not home alone. #CatherineOHara #RIP #ThisSucks,” he concluded.
O’Hara passed away in her home after a brief illness. (Unique Nicole/WireImage/Getty Images)
Her “A Mighty Wind” co-star Michael McKean paid tribute to her on X, writing: “Only one Catherine O’Hara, and now none. Heartbreaking.”
“Yellowjackets” star Melanie Lynskey shared a lengthy tribute to the comedy legend on Instagram, expressing she was “So grateful I got to tell her what she meant to me,” and “how she inspired me, shaped my sense of humour and understanding of the work we do, that she was the pinnacle of greatness to me.”
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“I’m sure every actor she met told her similar things. She did not behave as though she’d heard it a million times, she listened and accepted it with grace and wit and tremendous kindness,” she said, later adding she was thankful to have gotten to work with her “hero and witness her genius first hand.”
Lynskey said she was thankful to have gotten to work with O’Hara in 2013. (Araya Diaz/WireImage)
“It was incredible to watch her work and be in her presence. I’ll never forget a minute of it,” she continued. “That day, and again on an overlapping shoot day on Away We Go, I saw her be nothing short of wonderful to every single person she encountered, from the director to the PAs. When people say someone “lit up a room”, this is what they mean. She was radiant; it was kind of otherworldly. Her talent was singular. There’s been nobody like her before and there won’t be again. What a genius. What a beautiful person.💔”
Actor Josh Gad reposted the announcement of O’Hara’s death on Instagram, writing, “I don’t understand what I’m seeing.”
“I can’t bring myself to believe she is gone,” he added. “Why is the world such a heartbreaking place right now? I truly cannot process how to say goodbye to someone so full of life who seemed to just be hitting her prime. Goodbye legend. Thank you for making us laugh until we hurt… which is why right now we are all hurting so damned much knowing we will never again get those laughs. RIP. My love and deepest condolences go out to her entire family.”
Lea Thompson called O’Hara a “dear friend.” (John Sciulli/WireImage)
“Back to the Future” star, Lea Thompson, called O’Hara a “dear friend” and “the most glorious person” in her Instagram tribute, sharing a red carpet photo of the actress.
“Kind, honest, smart, funny, and beautiful beyond words,” Thompson wrote. “She carried the spirit. You could feel her love of humanity in her brilliant work. And she had integrity, clarity and wisdom that made her a unique treasure. I know the greats are with her now trying to pick her wonderful brain as to how she could do it all. Here on earth or hearts are a bit broken. We needed you now more than ever. Rest in peace dear friend.”
Director Tim Burton, who worked with O’Hara on a number of films, including “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and the two “Beetlejuice” movies, posted a behind the scenes photo from the making of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” noting, “Catherine, I love you.”
Burton shared a photo from the set of the second “Beetlejuice” movie. (David Becker/Getty Images)
“This picture shows how much light you gave to all of us,” he wrote. “You were a special part of my life and after life.”
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Singer Michael Bublé shared a lengthy post on Instagram, writing “Heartbroken doesn’t even begin to cover it,” and calling the “Best In Show” star “one of a kind.”
“A rare light in this world and her passing hits with a weight I can’t fully put into words,” he added. “She wasn’t just a legendary artist, actor and comedian. She was an ambassador for Canada in the truest sense: brilliant, fearless, deeply original, and so full of humanity.”
He wrote that while “she made the world laugh…she also made people feel seen.”
Michael Bublé called O’Hara “a rare light in this world.” (Getty Images)
“As an artist, she inspired me more than she’ll ever know. She set the bar for what it means to represent your country with excellence and grace and all without ever losing warmth or humility,” he continued. “My heart is broken for her family, her loved ones, and everyone who adored her, both here in Canada and around the world.”
He concluded: “If you’re grieving this loss, you’re not alone. We’re all holding a piece of this sadness together. Rest easy, Catherine. Thank you for everything.”
Sarah Paulson shared a video of her and O’Hara dancing together at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party in 2025. (Stefanie Keenan/VF25/WireImage for Vanity Fair)
Sarah Paulson shared a video of her and O’Hara dancing at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in March 2025 on her Instagram stories, with the words, “How lucky was I…” written over the video.
Singer Leann Rimes also posted on her Instagram stories, sharing a photo of the announcement of her death, writing, “BEYOND HEARTBROKEN! THANK YOU FOR THE LAUGHS!”
Leann Rimes shared a tribute to O’Hara on Instagram stories. (Leann Rimes Instagram)
Her “A Series of Unfortunate Events” co-star, Niel Patrick Harris, shared a photo of them from the show writing, “I’m stunned and so sad. Catherine O’Hara was truly one of the greats,” he wrote. “Classy, kind, warm, and hilarious. A singular talent. May she rest in peace. 😢”
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Candace Cameron Bure shared the news on her Instagram story, with the words: “I just loved her. Who didn’t? What a legend,” adding two broken heart emojis.
Christina Ricci, who worked with the actress on the 2006 movie, “Penelope,” shared a photo of her and O’Hara, calling her a “brilliant actress” in the caption.
“Was so lucky to work with this icon, one of my hero’s, the great Catherine O’Hara,” she said. “So sad she’s gone. She was the most wonderful, warmest, kind, hilarious human being and the most talented and brilliant actress. What a loss. Rest in peace, Catherine. ♥️”
Christina Ricci called O’Hara “the most wonderful, warmest, kind, hilarious human being.” (Evan Agostini/Getty Images)
Actor Richard E. Grant posted a collage of photos of him and O’Hara smiling and making silly faces at the camera while out to dinner together, saying “the death of my great friend Catherine O’Hara is an incalculable loss.”
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“We played a couple in PENELOPE (2006)& instantly bonded,” he wrote. “She & her husband Bo were the first people we called when we were in LA, stayed with us in the Cotswolds shared dinners in London & never stopped yakking & laughing. My heart goes out to Bo, Matthew & Luke. “
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