There are legends, and then there’s Catherine O’Hara — a comedic genius whose presence on screen generates endless warmth, even when she’s playing an egocentric diva or a neglectful mother. She died Friday at 71, but her onscreen legacy is eternal.
In 2024, she told TMZ that the role she most wanted to be remembered for was “mother” — and she certainly will be, even as a fictional one. The Canadian actress is perhaps best known for playing Moira Rose, the eccentric matriarch and wig enthusiast across the six seasons of Schitt’s Creek, for which she won both a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. Her presence also looms large over each holiday season, as she played Kevin McCallister’s mother in the beloved classic Home Alone.
This is by no means an exhaustive list — and please share your picks in the comments — but these are some of our favorite O’Hara performances across film and television.
Heartburn (1986)
Though Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson star in this fictionalization of the dissolution of Nora Ephron’s marriage to Carl Bernstein, O’Hara steals scenes left and right as Betty, the main character’s best friend who delivers hard truths (in a Southern accent!) about what marital troubles can do to one’s reputation.
How to watch: Heartburn is available to rent or buy via Amazon and more VOD platforms.
Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
She might have forgotten about her own son twice, but O’Hara’s performance as Kate McCallister makes the inadvertently neglectful mother endearing and relatable. Her delivery of a single word — “Kevin!” — rings through the halls of living rooms around Christmastime so frequently it may as well be a carol.
How to watch: Both Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York are streaming on Disney+.
Best in Show (2000)
O’Hara stands out among an ensemble of comedy greats (Parker Posey! Jennifer Coolidge! Jane Lynch!) in this mockumentary from Christopher Guest about dog show contestants. She plays Cookie Fleck, a middle-class woman from Florida who can’t stop running into former flames who attempt to seduce her once more, much to the chagrin of her husband, played by frequent collaborator Eugene Levy.
How to watch: Best in Show is available to rent or buy via Apple TV, Amazon and more VOD platforms.
Beetlejuice (1988) and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)
O’Hara doesn’t just dominate Christmas; her role in the original Beetlejuice movie and its sequel makes her a mainstay on Halloween, too. She plays Delia Deetz, the talentless sculptor and new stepmom of Lydia (Winona Ryder), whose quirky style and obsession with seeming cool make her a fabulous villain. She returns in the follow-up film, wackier than ever.
How to watch: Beetlejuice (1988) is available to rent or buy via Apple TV, Amazon and more VOD platforms. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) is available to stream on HBO Max.
Watch ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’
After Hours (1985)
In Martin Scorsese’s pulse-pounding black comedy After Hours, O’Hara only briefly appears as an ice cream truck driver named Gail who further complicates the main character’s nightmare of an evening — first by just being annoying, then by fully turning on him and siding with the mob against him. It’s a different side of O’Hara that puts her range on display.
How to watch: After Hours is available to rent or buy via Apple TV, Amazon and more VOD platforms.
Waiting for Guffman (1996)
In yet another unforgettable collaboration with Guest and Levy, O’Hara plays Sheila Albertson, a travel agent and performer who’s part of a quirky community theater production. It’s yet another role in which she’s part of an ensemble, but she stands out for her timing and charm. She will be so missed.
How to watch: Waiting for Guffman is available to rent or buy via Apple TV, Amazon and more VOD platforms.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Though her physical comedy makes her an icon, fans shouldn’t overlook just how impressive O’Hara’s voice acting work was. She plays love interest Sally in The Nightmare Before Christmas — that’s right, a Christmas movie that’s also sort of a Halloween movie — with a gentle but recognizable sweetness. And man, the lady could sing!
How to watch: The Nightmare Before Christmas is available to stream on Disney+.
Second City Television (1976 to 1984)
O’Hara was an original member of the cast of Second City Television (SCTV), a Canadian sketch comedy show about a fictional TV station that ran between 1976 and 1984. She played a number of memorable characters and did impressions of celebrities like Meryl Streep and Brooke Shields.
How to watch: Second City Television is not currently streaming anywhere in the U.S., but you can find many clips free on YouTube.
The Studio (2025)
In the role that earned her a final Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress on Television, O’Hara played Patty Leigh, an ousted former studio head and current movie producer on The Studio, a cringe-inducing comedy series that just picked up a pile of awards. She frequently spars with her mentee, played by Seth Rogen, satirizing the posturing and passive-aggressive fighting so often involved in Hollywood productions.
How to watch: The Studio is streaming on Apple TV.
Schitt’s Creek (2015 to 2020)
Speaking of Levy, he plays the straight-shooting business mogul who’s married to the over-the-top Moira Rose, O’Hara’s most memorable role. It takes a lot of true acting chops to play such a bad actress, and her strange mid-Atlantic accent and bizarre intonations made her one of the most iconic characters on television, inspiring Halloween costumes and memes years after the show ended. The feel-good series about a rich family forced to acclimate to life in a small-town hotel ran for six seasons, ending on a high note with an Emmy win for the show and many of its cast members, including O’Hara.
How to watch: You can stream all six seasons of Schitt’s Creek on Hulu, or watch it free with ads via Amazon Prime Video .
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