I was scrolling Facebook yesterday when I saw the news that Catherine O’Hara had died. I figured it was just another spam account that I had followed by accident. That felt easier to believe. I guess it was wishful thinking. I then went to Google, where I saw countless news publications sharing the same news. And then came the tributes from those close to her.
Macaulay Culkin, Dan Levy, Pedro Pascal—so many people talked about what a joy it was to work with her.
O’Hara got her start in Canadian comedy. She worked alongside so many talents, including Eugene Levy and John Candy, on SCTV. She was also a cast member on Saturday Night Live. She went on to become everyone’s favorite mother in the Home Alone films. She dominated the mockumentary world in Christopher Guest films and worked alongside Tim Burton, including the famous dance scene in Beetlejuice.
More recently, O’Hara co-starred in Seth Rogen’s The Studio as a former executive pushed out because of her age. And, of course, we loved her as the once-affluent Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek.
Roses bloopers for the fruit wine commercial is one of my favorite performances of hers. https://youtu.be/jVojhvifruk?si=flhNOEywcGGjoteh
Her role as the struggle mother in the 2002 comedy Orange County was one of the first things I saw her in and will always be one of my favorites. Her character tries to keep it together as a trophy wife and mother to a slacker played by Jack Black and an over achiever played by Colin Hanks.
https://youtu.be/DnwnDFr9kOs?si=GGFNAfMPgkkHx-Sj
And everyone loves Best in Show. Which is fair. It’s fantastic. But A Mighty Wind is just as good, if not better. O’Hara’s relationships with longtime screen partner Eugene Levy is so good in this movie. https://youtu.be/QwLZfPPM7GQ?si=WyymHHW9Ax9o_MJf
Rest in peace to an absolute comedy legend.