Catherine O’Hara’s cause of death revealed

TMZ: Actress Catherine O'Hara dead at 71

TMZ reports actress Catherine O'Hara is dead at 71. The actress was known for her work in Schitt's Creek, Home Alone, and Beetlejuice. 

LOS ANGELES - The cause of death has been released for Catherine O’Hara, the beloved actor and comedian who died last month.

Catherine O’Hara’s cause of death

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The medical examiner’s office revealed that the immediate cause of death was listed as pulmonary embolism, with rectal cancer as the underlying cause. 

According to Mayo Clinic, a pulmonary embolism is a blood clot that blocks and stops blood flow to an artery in the lung. 

Catherine O'Hara attends the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

The death certificate also said she was cremated and her remains were given to her husband, Robert "Bo" Welch, according to TMZ.

Catherine O'Hara's legacy

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O’Hara was known for her starring roles in "Home Alone," "Schitt’s Creek" and more. She died at the age of 71 late last month.

Her agency said O'Hara died at her home in Los Angeles "following a brief illness," but according to Page Six, O’Hara was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital in "serious" condition, where she later died. 

Macaulay Culkin, O'Hara's costar in "Home Alone," shared a heartfelt post on Instagram following the announcement of her death.

"Mama. I thought we had time," Culkin's post read. "I wanted more. 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."

In 1988, O'Hara's big Hollywood break came when she landed the role of Delia Deetz in Tim Burton’s "Beetlejuice." She also played Kevin McCallister's mom in the "Home Alone" franchise and appeared in the 2000 mockumentary "Best In Show." From 2015-2020, she played the wildly popular Moira Rose in "Schitt's Creek," earning her four Canadian Screen Awards and an Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series.

She was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 2007.

RELATED: Catherine O'Hara, 'Home Alone' and 'Schitt's Creek' star, dies at 71

Most recently, O'Hara played Patty Leigh in the award-winning television series "The Studio."

Outside of acting, O'Hara also worked with various charities, including Upward Bound House, a Los Angeles organization working to end homelessness. She won $250,000 for the nonprofit on the 2020 season of the game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."