Biography

Catherine O'Hara

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Born
March 4, 1954 · Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Died
January 30, 2026 · Los Angeles, California, USA (pulmonary embolism and rectal cancer)
Birth name
Catherine Anne O'Hara
Nickname
- Cath
Height
5′ 4½″ (1.64 m)

Canadian actress, writer and comedian, Catherine O'Hara gained recognition as one of the original cast members on the Canadian television sketch comedy show SCTV (1976). On the series, she impersonated the likes of Lucille Ball, Tammy Faye Bakker, Gilda Radner, Katharine Hepburn, and Brooke Shields. O'Hara stayed with the show for its entirety (1976-1984). She went on to devote her talents to several films directed by Tim Burton, including Beetlejuice (1988), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and later, Frankenweenie (2012). O'Hara also frequently collaborated with director and writer, Christopher Guest, appearing in his mockumentary films, three of which earned her awards and nominations; Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006). Recently, O'Hara can be seen on the Canadian television comedy series Schitt's Creek (2015). Her work in the series earned two Canadian Screen Awards for Best Lead Actress (2016 and 2017).
- IMDb mini biography by: Anthony Ronald Vario

Revealed in 2014 that Macaulay Culkin, her on-screen son from Home Alone (1990) still calls her "Mom".
Gave a tearful eulogy at the funeral for John Candy.
Has a congenital condition called "Situs Inversus" in which the organs of the chest and abdomen are arranged in a perfect mirror image reversal of the normal positioning. Most people with situs inversus have no medical symptoms or complications resulting from the condition and it only occurs in less than 1 in 10,000.
Her acting mentor was comedian Gilda Radner.
Her longtime collaborator John Candy passed away on her 40th birthday.

I'm pretty much a good Catholic girl at heart and I believe in family. I also have a basic belief that God takes care of me. I believe in prayer, even though I'm not that religious. I just have that foundation from my family. I mean when you think that you're just a human being and one of God's creatures, you can't take anything that seriously.
I lived in LA for a few months. It seemed like no one there had parents. Or if they did have parents, they would deny it.
I think the success of my work stems from being truthful.
I know. I'm lazy. But I made myself a New Years resolution that I would write myself something really special. Which means I have 'til December, right?
Night time really is the best time to work. All the ideas are there to be yours because everyone is asleep.

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