Catherine O’Hara was 71 years old.Image: keystone
The death of Canadian actress Catherine O’Hara (“Home Alone”, “Beetlejuice”) at just 71 years old shocked colleagues and fans.
02/10/2026, 04:4402/10/2026, 04:44
The responsible authority in California has now announced the cause of death, as US media consistently reported. According to the death certificate, O’Hara died of a pulmonary embolism on January 30. Colon cancer was cited as the underlying cause. The star’s management had initially only announced that O’Hara had died after a “short illness”.
In the Hollywood hit “Home Alone” (1990), which made Macaulay Culkin a child star, she played the mother of the little title character, who was accidentally forgotten at home by his parents during a Christmas trip. The Canadian has appeared in front of the camera for many comedies – including the role of Delia Deetz in “Beetlejuice” (1988) and in the sequel “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” (2024).
Eugene Levy as film and TV husband
O’Hara often worked with the Canadian actor Eugene Levy. In the social satire “Best in Show” they played a neurotic couple who wanted to win the big prize at a dog show with their four-legged friend. In the award-winning sitcom “Schitt’s Creek” (2015 to 2020) they played a married couple who, after financial bankruptcy, moves their family from a magnificent villa to a motel. The role of the shrill soap opera actress Moira Rose in “Schitt’s Creek” earned O’Hara an Emmy and a Golden Globe.
The actress was most recently seen with Pedro Pascal in the dystopian drama series “The Last of Us” and alongside comedy star Seth Rogen in the comedy series “The Studio”. Last September, O’Hara attended the Emmy Gala in Los Angeles with her husband Bo Welch. According to US media, that was her last public appearance. At the Golden Globes in early January, the actress was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series for “The Studio,” but she was absent from the awards ceremony. (sda/dpa)