O'Hara died in Los Angeles on Friday, Jan. 30 at the age of 71
People
By Toria Shefield, Sandra Mandell
January 30, 2026
Hours after the news that comedy icon Catherine O’Hara had died at 71 on Jan. 30, her rep confirms to PEOPLE that she passed away “after a brief illness."
Shortly after her death was announced, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department told PEOPLE that they received a call at 4:48 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 30 for an “approximately 70-year-old” unnamed female at O'Hara's home address. The woman, presumed to be the Schitt’s Creek alum, was transported to the hospital “in serious condition.”
According to LAFD dispatch audio, the person in distress at the address was having "breathing difficulty."
The comedy icon was well-known for her roles in films like Beetlejuice, Home Alone and Christopher Guest mockumentaries like Best in Show.
She also starred in several TV shows, including Schitt’s Creek, in which she played Moira Rose opposite Annie Murphy and Dan and Eugene Levy. In 2020, she won an Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for her role in the beloved series. She also won a Golden Globe and a SAG Award for the show.
Friends and colleagues have been sharing their shock and sadness over the news of O’Hara’s death.
Macaulay Culkin, who played her onscreen son in the holiday classic Home Alone, shared a heart-felt tribute on Instagram, writing, “Mama. I thought we had time.”
"I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you but I had so much more to say," he added, along with side-by-side photos of himself and O'Hara in Home Alone and in 2023.
"I love you. I’ll see you later," he wrote at the end of the post.
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"Oh, genius to be near you. Eternally grateful. There is less light in my world, this lucky world that had you, will keep you, always. Always ♥️," Pedro Pascal, her Last of Us costar, wrote in a tribute on Instagram, along with a photo of the two of them on set.
Michael McKean, who along with O'Hara was a regular in many Christopher Guest comedies, summed up the loss simply on X: "Only one Catherine O'Hara, and now none. Heartbreaking."
O’Hara is survived by her husband of 33 years, production designer Bo Welch, and their two grown sons, Luke and Matthew.
O’HARA, Catherine (Catherine Anne O’Hara)
Born: 3/4/1954, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Died: 1/30/2026, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
Catherine O’Hara’s westerns – actress:
Wyatt Earp – 1994 (Allie Earp)
Tall Tale – 1995 (Calamity Jane)
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