Canadian-American actress Catherine O’Hara has died at the age of 71. Her death was officially confirmed by her agent. Her passing marks a profound loss for world cinema and television.
For millions of viewers around the globe, Catherine O’Hara will forever be remembered as Kevin’s mother in the iconic holiday classic Home Alone. Her portrayal of Kate McCallister — a mother who realizes her son has been accidentally left behind only after boarding a plane on Christmas Eve — became one of the most recognizable roles in the history of family films. She reprised the role in the sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
O’Hara began her professional career in Canada in the mid-1970s, working in comedy television. She quickly established herself not only as a gifted actress but also as a writer, earning her first Emmy Award in 1982 for her work on television projects.
Her early film success came with Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice (1988), which brought her wider critical attention. However, it was Home Alone that cemented her international fame and secured her place in popular culture.
A new generation of viewers rediscovered Catherine O’Hara in the mid-2010s thanks to the television series Schitt’s Creek. The show followed a once-wealthy billionaire family forced to rebuild their lives in a small provincial town after losing everything. O’Hara’s performance as Moira Rose — a former soap opera star, eccentric, theatrical, and deeply human — earned her widespread acclaim and an Emmy Award in 2019. The series was created by Eugene Levy and his son Dan Levy.
Although Schitt’s Creek did not achieve instant success, it gained massive global popularity in 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdowns, when audiences around the world discovered the show on streaming platforms.
In recent years, O’Hara remained actively involved in acting. She appeared in the second season of The Last of Us and, in 2025, starred in Seth Rogen’s series The Studio, where she played a seasoned film executive facing dismissal.
Catherine O’Hara leaves behind an extraordinary legacy — unforgettable roles that have become part of global cultural memory and the enduring love of audiences across generations.
