'Home Alone' and 'Schitt's Creek' star Catherine O'Hara dead at 71

Catherine O’Hara, the comedic actress known for a variety of roles including Kevin McCallister’s mom in the “Home Alone” films, improvisational comedies like “Best in Show,” and the sitcom “Schitt’s Creek,” has died at 71.

The Canadian-born O’Hara died at her home in Los Angeles “following a brief illness,” according to a statement from her agency, Creative Artists Agency. Further details were not immediately available.

O’Hara had a prolific and varied career starring in several iconic comedies, beginning with her work on “SCTV,” the Canadian sketch show that also introduced audiences to the likes of John Candy, Andrea Martin, Harold Ramis, Martin Short, Rick Moranis, and O’Hara’s frequent co-star, Eugene Levy.

She landed her first iconic comedy role in Tim Burton’s 1988 film “Beetlejuice,” playing the kooky and artistic Delia Deetz, stepmom to Winona Ryder, facing off with the titular ghoul played by Michael Keaton.

Her next memorable role came in 1990’s “Home Alone,” as mom to Macaulay Culkin’s mischievous Kevin McAllister. Who can forget her shrieking “KEVIN!” when she realizes he’s been left behind for Christmas.

She teamed up with Burton again for “The Nightmare Before Christmas” to voice the patchwork doll Sally and also appeared in the “Home Alone” sequel, “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.”

In 1996, she starred in Christopher Guest’s “Waiting for Guffman,” a faux documentary, improvisational comedy that marked the beginning of regular collaborations between O’Hara, Guest, and her former “SCTV” co-star Eugene Levy. They went on to work together on “Best in Show,” “A Mighty Wind,” and “For Your Consideration.”

On television, O’Hara made appearances in a wide variety of TV shows before starring in one of her most memorable roles on “Schitt’s Creek.”

The sitcom paired her again with Levy, his son Dan Levy, and Annie Murphy as the formerly wealthy Rose family that has to relocate to a town they owned, Schitt’s Creek. O’Hara earned an Emmy for Outstanding Leading Actress in a Comedy Series in 2020 for her work on the show and was nominated the year prior as well.

In addition to her comedy work, O’Hara was just as adept at drama, earning Emmy nominations for her roles in the miniseries “Temple Grandin” and most recently “The Last of Us,” where she played a therapist advising Pedro Pascal’s character in the apocalyptic wasteland.

Most recently, O’Hara appeared in the AppleTV+ series “The Studio,” which earned her an Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy nomination, the same year she was nominated for “The Last of Us."

Her last completed work was her appearance in the documentary about her “SCTV” co-star John Candy, titled “John Candy: I Like Me.”

O’Hara married production designer Bo Welch, who she met on the set of “Beetlejuice” in 1992 and welcomed two sons, Matthew and Luke.

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.