Actress Catherine O’Hara Dies At 71

By Olivia Armstead

Courtesy: Parade

Legendary actress Catherine O’Hara, most known for her roles in the “Home Alone” franchise, “Schitt’s Creek” and “Beetlejuice” has passed away at the age of 71. 

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department said that they received a call at 4:48 am on Friday, Jan. 30 for an "approximately 70-year-old” anonymous female at O’Hara’s home, according to PEOPLE Magazine. The actress was said to be in “serious” condition and the agency representing O’Hara says she passed away “following a brief illness”. 

It was also reported that O’Hara had a condition called dextrocardia with situs inversus but it is unclear whether this condition contributed to her death,  per the New York Post

O’Hara’s death has rocked the world of film, television and entertainment with her “Home Alone” costar Macaulay Culkin releasing a tribute to her on Instagram. 

“Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more,” Culkin wrote in the tribute post. “I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you. But I had so much more to say. I love you. I’ll see you later.”

Many were deeply affected by O’Hara’s death because of the impact that her work had on their formative years as well as the influence that she had on them to be in the acting industry.

“Ms. O’Hara was incredibly influential and an icon not only in the acting community but in the world,” said Kai Ture, a firstiyear theater major at Hampton University. “It’s definitely really sad to see her go.”

For one student, O’Hara’s death hit home, as they reflected on their own love for film. 

“It was a bit of a shock because I didn’t [initially] know her name growing up as well as I knew her work … she was [a huge part of my childhood],” said Amari Singleton, a film major at Hampton University. “She was the voice of Sally in the Nightmare Before Christmas which is one of my family’s favorite movies. We watch it every Halloween. As I come up in the film world, [it’s sad] that I won’t get to meet these people that were a part of my childhood.”

O’Hara is survived by her husband, production designer Bo Welch, and her two sons Luke and Matthew.