About Catherine O'Hara

If you have not watched the news lately, one of the legends in Canadian comedy, Catherine O'Hara has passed away.

Catherine O'Hara

She was 71 years-old when she passed away, in her Los Angeles home. Surrounded by family. 

When I first started hearing her name, she was on this classic CBC Television (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, aka TV for Canadian content) and Schitt's Creek was on. 

She played Moira Rose, the mother and a former soap actress to David (played by Dan Levy) and Alexis (Annie Murphy). The dad, played by Dan's father, Eugene. 

In this show, it depicts a family who grew up in a rich, fancy lifestyle in the entertainment business. According to the plot, they lose all their money, their fortune due to being defrauded by their business manager. 

Schitt's Creek ran for six seasons which ended in 2020. 

Back to Catherine O'Hara, she first started as part of SCTV (Second City Television). A famous comedy show that premiered on Global TV, later to CTV. She joined a couple of other talent including, (of course) Eugene Levy, John Candy, Joe Flaherty, and later, Martin Short. You could call this the Canadian version of SNL. 

Also! She played Kevin's mom in 'Home Alone' and 'Home Alone 2: Lost in New York' in the early 90s. Played by her mom, she was the one who was finding him. In Home Alone, she found out this through her mid-flight to Paris. She was worried if she could not find a flight back to the US, but could only go as far as Scranton, Pennsylvania, then she went back to her house in a van full of strangers, from Chicago. 

In Home Alone 2: She finds out Kevin's missing after baggage claim in Miami. She then realizes that Kevin went to New York. Somewhere along the Chicago O'Hare Airport, they ended up splitting up. Their family was trying to catch their flight to Miami. 

So Kate goes back to New York in search of her son. This influences their family to take their vacation to New York City.

Even the ending scene of that movie, it was beautiful. Kate and Kevin started hugging while the Rockefeller Christmas Tree was up. 

She played Delia Deet in Beetlejuice, but to be honest, I don't watch that movie. 

Catherine O'Hara played a lot of movies in her lifetime, and to be gone at such a young age, was saddening. 

She put Canadian comedy to the forefront and was such a positive person. 

Rest in peace, Catherine O'Hara. 

Here are some of her best moments on SCTV. 

This one's my favourite, where Kate meets Kevin at the famous Rockefeller tree. Look at those lights!

And this is her playing Moira Rose on Schitts Creek.