Some tragic news reached the public at the end of this past week, as it was confirmed that beloved actress Catherine O’Hara died at the age of 71 following a brief illness. O’Hara starred in various movies and TV shows and, up until her death, she continued to work steadily. The success that O’Hara experienced over the course of her career and during her final years wasn’t lost on her. In fact, over a year before her death, she spoke about being “lucky” to be alive.
As alluded to, O’Hara starred in some major productions up until the end of her career, including the long-awaited legacy sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice in late 2024. It was around the time she was promoting that film that the Canadian actress gave an interview with Elle, during which she reflected on her life and job. Although O’Hara had been a Hollywood staple for decades by that point, she admitted that even she would feel uneasy about her professional prospects. However, she eventually forged a more positive outlook:
I’m lucky [I get] to keep doing things like this at my age—I can’t believe it. Over the past few years, when I’ve gotten scared or nervous or if I start grousing about something, I’ve tried to really practise turning it around and being grateful. Like, ‘How lucky are you right now to be alive? And then to have this opportunity right here in this moment?’ [Because] I was nervous during this cover photo shoot [but] how crazy is it that at my age, I’m wearing these clothes and I’m lying over this pool?
Catherine O’Hara’s acting career began in earnest in the ‘70s when she joined the Canadian improv troupe The Second City. The members of that group eventually launched sketch comedy series SCTV, and O’Hara became a breakout and won a Primetime Emmy Award for her work. From there, she landed roles in a variety of films from Beetlejuice and Home Alone to Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show. In more recent years, O’Hara received further acclaim for her roles on the TV shows Schitt’s Creek and The Studio.
Needless to say, O’Hara didn’t seem to take her career for granted, especially near the end of her life. She also spoke more about life during that same interview with Elle, as she pondered the notion of what she’d live her life after turning 70:
When [you turn] 70—this is advice [I read] for anybody turning any older age—imagine that you’re going to live a minimum of another 20 years. What are you going to do with those years? If you look at it that way, you look at it as a challenge. Like, instead of ‘Oh no, I’m going to downsize’ or ‘I’m going to slow down,’ imagine that you are going to live to 90. What are you going to do?
“You look forward” was the answer that O’Hara provided for that question, and I’d say that’s a sweet motto. These words hit a bit harder now that the actress is no longer with us. While she may be gone, she’s not forgotten. Tributes to O’Hara have come from stars like Macaulay Culkin, Pedro Pascal and Michael Keaton. Eugene and Dan Levy, along with other Schitt’s Creek alums, memorialized O’Hara, while the stars of The Studio paid respects as well.
It’s honestly still somewhat difficult to fathom the notion of Catherine O’Hara no longer being here. What’s comforting, though, is not only the amount of praise she’s received in recent days but also the fact that her work will live on for generations to come. And, if you ask me, we’re all truly lucky to have lived in a world in which O’Hara existed.
We here at CinemaBlend continue to extend our deepest condolences to the O’Hara family during this time.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
