Celebrity
Catherine O’Hara Cause of Death Confirmed: The Comedy Legend Was a Private Rectal Cancer Patient
Catherine O’Hara’s Cause of Death Confirmed as Pulmonary Embolism and Rectal Cancer
The well-loved actress Catherine O’Hara, known for her roles in Schitt’s Creek and Home Alone, passed away at the age of 71 on January 30. Initially reported as a “brief illness,” new information has now emerged. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed on February 9, through a death certificate obtained by PEOPLE, that Catherine O’Hara’s cause of death was a pulmonary embolism, with rectal cancer listed as the underlying cause. The certificate also reveals that O’Hara was cremated following her passing.
Catherine O’Hara’s Cause of Death Confirmed: Early Life and Career Highlights Remembered
The news about the late Catherine O’Hara’s cause of death was first shared by TMZ. Catherine O’Hara, the loving “Schitt’s Creek” star, passed away due to the reasons given by TMZ first.
O’Hara, who was born in Toronto in 1954, was the second youngest of seven siblings. One of her parents was a railway worker with Canadian Pacific and the other one was a real estate agent. Her first play was at a Christmas play where she had a role of the Virgin Mary. Later, as a high school graduate, she took up a waitress job at Toronto’s Second City Theater and it was from here that her professional life began to unfold.
Her movie career really blossomed with Christopher Guest’s 1996 mockumentary, Waiting for Guffman. In addition to this, she took part in the movies Best in Show (2000) and A Mighty Wind (2003), where she shared the screen with Eugene Levy. PEOPLE commended O’Hara as the “gifted queen of the bittersweet” for her performance in Guest’s 2006 movie For Your Consideration, thus reinforcing her image as a multi-talented and skilful actress.
Catherine O’Hara’s Iconic Role in Schitt’s Creek and Awards Recognition
Back in 2015, Catherine O’Hara got together with her longtime co-star Eugene Levy to work on the comedy Schitt’s Creek which was created by Dan Levy, Eugene’s son. It was not the first time that they played the roles of a romantic couple, which was a reflection of their working relationship that goes back for decades. Talking about their partnership, O’Hara once said to PEOPLE, “I would love to think that we keep on pushing each other, like a good partners would do.”
Her performance as Moira Rose brought her great acclaim not only in 2020 but also later on, when she won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. “I owe a big thank you to Eugene and Daniel Levy for allowing me to play a woman of a certain age, my age, who gets to be completely herself,” she said while giving her speech of thanks. The actress was also honored with a Golden Globe and a SAG Award for her role in the series.
Catherine O’Hara’s Diverse TV and Film Career and Family Legacy
Among the various television shows Catherine O’Hara has been part of, she appeared as a guest on Six Feet Under, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and 30 Rock. Besides, she was nominated for an Emmy because of her performance in the TV movie Temple Grandin, which was broadcast in 2010.
As far as animated films are concerned, O’Hara performed in the voice casts of such popular films as Frankenweenie, The Addams Family, and Elemental. Besides, she made a cameo in the 2024 action film Argylle and played a leading character in The Last of Us season 2.
O’Hara’s husband, Bo Welch, and their two sons survived her. The family has, thus, left a wonderful entertainment legacy behind them.
