Canadian-American actress, comedian and screenwriter Catherine O’Hara always grounded her characters in humanity, helping her create unforgettable roles, a film expert says.
O’Hara, who starred in Home Alone, Beetlejuice and Schitt’s Creek, among many other projects, died at the age of 71 on Friday, following a brief illness, Creative Artists Agency said.
“These characters were unique and interesting,” film critic Richard Crouse told CTV News Channel on Saturday.
“(Her characters) are so interesting and layered, because while many of them are kind of over the top, they are grounded in a real humanity that made her characters, no matter how outrageous they may have been, believable and authentic,” Crouse said.
Catherine’s knowledge of humanity was always at the center of her comedy, no matter how absurd the character or loopy the material. She could play heartless because she was warm, brainless because she was brilliant, careless because she truly cared. Everyone loved her and…
— Michael McKean (@MJMcKean) January 30, 2026
Born in Toronto, the critically acclaimed, award-winning actress began her career as a core cast member of the Canadian sketch comedy show Second City Television (SCTV), where she collaborated with fellow Canadian comedians like Eugene Levy, John Candy, Martin Short and Rick Moranis.
Crouse says O’Hara’s time at SCTV set the tone for a successful acting career.
“They created a new kind of comedy, certainty in Canada, we weren’t doing anything much like that,” Crouse said. “What SCTV did was new, it was fresh and it was young and it was invigorating a whole generation of comedians to be fearless.”
“I think Catherine O’Hara stood out amongst this ensemble because of her ability to embody the characters that she was playing,” he added.
O’Hara is also known for her roles on Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration alongside actor McKean.
Her role in The Studio, an Apple TV+ series, and the sequel to Beetlejuice, is among her most recent work.
Crouse says the outpour of social media tributes from those who have worked alongside her or enjoyed her work speaks to her legacy.
“Her legacy is not only 50 years of entertaining us, but I think it’s also in the inspiration that she provided to a new generation of comedians and comedic actors who came after her, who learned from her, who watched her,” he said.
“She really was one of the best to ever do it.”
