Looking Back on Catherine O’Hara’s Incredible 50-Year Career

It’s been almost a week since we lost the iconic and timeless actress, Catherine O’Hara. While she’s no longer with us, her work in films and television will be loved and cherished forever. Let’s take a look back at her career and her acting range.

Sketch Comedy Origins

Catherine O'Hara became first widely known as a member of the sketch comedy TV series "SCTV", in which she portrayed a wide variety of memorable characters, like showgirl Lola Heatherton, variety show host Dusty Towne, and impersonations of classic Hollywood movie stars like Katharine Hepburn and Joan Crawford. She was a standout performer on the Canadian series, showcasing her comic timing and diversity, and it quickly launched her amazing career.

Everyone’s Favorite Christmas Mom 

Many millennials were introduced to Catherine O’Hara through the Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost In New York films in which she portrays Kate McCallister, a fashion designer and mom of five with a very chaotic household. In the midst of the craziness of leaving for a Christmas vacation, she forgets her son, Kevin, two years in a row. Even though she forgets Kevin twice, O’Hara brought so much charm and warmth to this character that many viewers still regard Kate as a loving mom. One of the most heartwarming scenes of Home Alone 2 is when she embraces Kevin in a warm hug after searching for him all night in New York City. 

Gothic Queen

One of O’Hara’s most memorable roles is as the eccentric, sculpture-obsessed artist Delia Deetz in Tim Burton’s 1988 classic Beetlejuice. Delia is the wife of a New York real estate developer who buys a house that belonged to the now-deceased Maitland family.  Throughout the film, the Maitlands and the Deetzes family -- Charles, Delia, and their daughter Lydia (played by Winona Ryder) -- learn to work together to overcome the dangerous bio-exorcist, Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton). 

O’Hara’s work in this film is one of her most beloved performances. She was praised for bringing the perfect balance of comedic genius and insecurity to her character. One of the most memorable parts of the film is the dinner scene, where she does a possessed lip-sync performance of Harry Belafonte’s "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)". She was specifically commended for her intense facial expressions and movements. 

Her role in Beetlejuice was so iconic that, decades later, she would reprise that role in the 2024 sequel, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, along with most of the original cast. The film was set three decades later and focused on Lydia and her daughter, Astrid Deetz (Jenna Ortega). While the sequel took place years after the original, O’Hara brought the same charm and talent that she delivered all those years ago. 

Mockumentary Maven

O'Hara was a favorite of filmmaker Christopher Guest, and appeared in a number of his mockumentary films including Best In Show (2000), where she played the promiscuous owner of winning show dog, and For Your Consideration, playing an aging actress desperate for Awards Season glory. Her ability to play it straight in ridiculous scenarios, along with her roots in sketch comedy, elevated these movies to classic status.

Voice Actress 

O’Hara is also the voice behind many beloved animated characters. One of her most known voice-acting projects is as Sally in Tim Burton’s 1993 animated film The Nightmare Before Christmas. Sally is a kind, independent, and smart ragdoll, who lives in Halloweentown as a servant, yearning for freedom. O’Hara also performed all of Sally’s songs, including the famous melancholic "Sally’s Song". She delivered a haunting and emotional performance, making the film the iconic and timeless masterpiece that it is!

Television Treasure 

Starting in 2015, O’Hara returned to her TV roots when she portrayed Moira Rose in the Canadian sitcom "Schitt’s Creek", a satirical, comedy-drama that followed video store magnate Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy) and his family, which includes former soap star wife Moira and two children David (Dan Levy) and Alexis (Annie Murphy), who lose their fortune and are forced to move to a small town they once bought as a joke. O’Hara’s character, Moira, is known for her unique accent, over-the-top personality, and elaborate wigs. In 2020, O’Hara won an Emmy Award for her portrayal of Moira as well as a Golden Globe in 2021. O’Hara clearly brought a lot of heart and soul to this character. 

At the time of her death, O'Hara was co-starring in Apple TV's "The Studio", playing a down-on-her-luck film producer clawing her way back to relevance with the help of studio head Matt Remick (Seth Rogen). Like "Schitt's Creek", the role has earned her tons of acclaim, including yet another Emmy nomination last fall, and a Golden Globe nomination just weeks before her death. She was also nominated for an Actors Award (formerly SAG Award) for the role, which hasn't even taken place yet. Proving that, even at 71, she was still as iconic as ever.

O’Hara will be remembered for her joyful personality and for her timeless acting talents!