Catherine O’Hara: Stars pay tribute after Home Alone actor dies aged 71

Macaulay Culkin has led tributes to comedy legend Catherine O’Hara following her death at home in Los Angeles.

The 71-year-old, best known for her roles in Home Alone, Beetlejuice and Schitt’s Creek is said to have died after a “brief illness”.

Culkin, who played O’Hara’s son in the 1990 movie Home Alone, shared a photo of them together on social media.

“Mama. I thought we had time,” he wrote.

“I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you but I had so much more to say.

“I love you. I’ll see you later.”

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O’Hara started out in Toronto’s Second City Theatre, creating the sketch comedy show SCTV and winning an Emmy for her writing.

Her career only grew, often playing memorable mothers.

She starred in hit films like Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas, Home Alone and its sequel Home Alone II: Lost in New York.

Catherine O'Hara in comedy series Schitt's Creek.

In 2020, she completed six seasons of Netflix comedy series Schitt’s Creek, playing an eccentric and melodramatic mother in a small town.

O’Hara was married for over three decades to Bo Welch, a production designer on the set of 80s classic Beetlejuice.

Two children, Matthew and Luke, followed, who now work behind the scenes in Hollywood in set dressing and construction like their father.

Actor Pedro Pascal, O’Hara’s co-star in The Last of Us, shared a picture embracing the late actress.

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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.

“The one and ONLY #CatherineOHara,” Pascal wrote.

Actor’s union Sag-Aftra also paid tribute to O’Hara in a statement, noting she is currently nominated for an Emmy for her performance in The Studio.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Catherine O’Hara. A beloved actor and comedian, Catherine was a two-time Sag-Aftra actor award winner for her unforgettable work on Schitt’s Creek.”

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“From comedy to drama, her brilliance, generosity and originality has left an indelible mark on film and television.”

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice co-star Justin Theroux wrote on Instagram, “oh Catherine. You will be so so missed”, alongside a picture of a director’s chair with O’Hara’s name.

Sammy Carter is a journalist for the New Zealand Herald covering news in the Wellington region. She has previously worked at the Rotorua Daily Post.