Hollywood Mourns: ‘Home Alone’ & ‘Schitt’s Creek’ Icon Catherine O’Hara Passes Away at 71
By Entertainment Desk | Los Angeles Updated: February 1, 2026 – 09:45 AM EST
The world of entertainment is a little less funny and a lot less bright today. Catherine O’Hara, the comedic genius who terrified us as the possessed artist in Beetlejuice, forgot Kevin McCallister in Home Alone, and gave us the singular, accent-defying Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek, has passed away. She was 71.
Her representative confirmed the news early Sunday morning, stating that the Emmy-winning actress died peacefully at her Los Angeles home on January 30th, following a brief illness.
A Legacy of Laughter
From her early days in the improvisation troupe Second City in Toronto to her legendary run on SCTV, O’Hara was a force of nature. But it was her ability to turn eccentric, often unlikable characters into beloved icons that made her a global treasure.
For a generation, she was Kate McCallister, the frantic mother screaming “KEVIN!” in the Home Alone franchise. For others, she was the delightfully unhinged Delia Deetz in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice.
However, her career experienced a massive renaissance with Schitt’s Creek. As Moira Rose, the former soap star with a collection of wigs and an unrecognizable vocabulary, O’Hara won the hearts of millions and finally, a long-overdue Lead Actress Emmy in 2020. Her pronunciation of “bebe” remains one of the most quoted lines in modern TV history.
Tributes Pour In
Hollywood has been quick to react, with co-stars and friends sharing emotional tributes.
Macaulay Culkin, her on-screen son from Home Alone, posted a heartbreaking photo of the two from a 2024 reunion, captioning it:
“Mama, I thought we had time. Thank you for the fake apologies in Chicago and the real hugs in Hollywood. You were the funniest person in any room.”
Her Schitt’s Creek co-star and longtime collaborator Eugene Levy released a statement:
“I have lost a sister, a partner in crime, and the most brilliant scene partner anyone could dream of. The curtain has come down, but the applause will never stop.”
Fans across social media have flooded timelines with GIFs of Moira Rose, creating a digital vigil celebrating her “favorite season”—awards season.
The Final Curtain
O’Hara is survived by her husband, production designer Bo Welch, and their two sons. While Hollywood has lost one of its brightest stars, her work ensures she will never truly be gone. Whether she’s singing Danny Boy or scolding a child for stealing a toothbrush, Catherine O’Hara will always be home with us.
