Catherine O’Hara’s Sudden Passing
Renowned actress Catherine O’Hara passed away at the age of 71 on Friday following a medical emergency at her Los Angeles home. Paramedics responded to reports of difficulty breathing at her Brentwood residence early that morning. Emergency services transported her to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead within hours. The exact cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.
Audio from the 911 dispatch captured the urgency of the situation, highlighting her struggle with breathing before first responders arrived at 4:48 a.m. A Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson confirmed the details, stating that crews attended to an approximately 70-year-old female in serious condition at the address.
Resurfaced Reflections on Death
In a poignant contrast, a 2013 interview response from O’Hara has gained renewed attention. During the Proust questionnaire, she shared her envisioned final moments: “Laughing, surrounded by my old grandchildren, who are telling me to ‘let go, already, Grandma!’” This lighthearted vision stands in stark opposition to the circumstances of her actual passing.
The same questionnaire prompted her to name the greatest love of her life, to which she replied simply: “My family.”
Illustrious Career Highlights
O’Hara built a celebrated career spanning decades, earning acclaim for roles in films like Home Alone and After Hours, as well as television series such as SCTV and Schitt’s Creek. Her comedic talent and versatility made her a beloved figure in entertainment.
Leading up to her death, O’Hara appeared somewhat frail at the Emmy Awards in September. She had also been absent from the Golden Globes on January 11, despite a nomination for Best Supporting Actress in Television for her role in the satirical series The Studio, co-created by Seth Rogen.
Family and Legacy
O’Hara is survived by her husband of nearly 34 years, production designer Bo Welch, whom she met while working on the 1988 film Beetlejuice. The couple shared two sons: Matthew, 31, who works as a set dresser, and Luke, 28, involved in set construction.
She also leaves behind siblings including Michael O’Hara, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Maureen Jolley, Marcus O’Hara, Tom O’Hara, and Patricia Wallice.
Tributes from Hollywood Peers
News of her death prompted heartfelt responses from colleagues and co-stars. Macaulay Culkin, who shared the screen with her in Home Alone, and Brooke Shields, whom O’Hara impersonated on SCTV, expressed their grief. Seth Rogen and Ike Barinholtz from The Studio, Dan Levy from Schitt’s Creek, and Michael Keaton from Beetlejuice all shared tributes.
Director Martin Scorsese, who directed her in the 1985 comedy After Hours, appeared visibly distraught in a social media screenshot shared by his daughter Francesca during a FaceTime call.
Personal Health Insights
Throughout her life, O’Hara managed a rare condition known as situs inversus, where internal organs are ed from their typical positions. Her heart, for instance, was situated on the right side of her body. This was discovered during tuberculosis testing required for one of her sons’ nursery school enrollment.
In a 2021 interview, O’Hara addressed the condition with her signature humor: “I’m a freak, yeah!” She elaborated, “I love Western medicine but I just don’t want to be a part of it.” Further, she noted, “I don’t even know the name because I don’t want to know the name. Something cardi-inversa and then dexter-cardia and something-inversa.” She added, “People are going to think I’m so ignorant not to know this, but I kind of don’t want to know because I didn’t know before that.”
There were no prior public signs of serious health issues, underscoring the unexpected nature of her passing.
