Catherine O'Hara's death prompts shock, grief across social media
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.
Reactions began pouring in following Catherine O’Hara’s death on Friday.
O’Hara is known for her iconic roles in "Schitt’s Creek," "Home Alone," "Beetlejuice," and "Best in Show."
Remembering Catherine O’Hara
Fans and celebrities alike were sharing both their shock and sadness after hearing the news of O’Hara’s passing.
FILE - Catherine O'Hara and Macaulay Culkin speak onstage during the ceremony honoring Macaulay Culkin with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Dec. 01, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
What they're saying:
Macaulay Culkin, O’Hara’s co-star in the "Home Alone" movies, shared a touching tribute to his on-screen mom,
"I thought we had time. 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," Culkin wrote on Instagram.
O'Hara's other on-screen son, Dan Levy, shared he would "cherish" every memory he shared with the legendary actor,
"What a gift to have gotten to dance in the warm glow of Catherine O’Hara’s brilliance for all those years. Having spent over fifty years collaborating with my Dad, Catherine was extended family before she ever played my family. It’s hard to imagine a world without her in it. I will cherish every funny memory I was fortunate enough to make with her. My heart goes out to Bo, Matthew, Luke and every member of her big, beautiful family."
O’Hara’s more recent co-star, Pedro Pascal, shared a heartwarming photo on Instagram of the pair on the "Last of Us" set.
"Oh, genius to be near you. Eternally grateful. There is less light in my world, this lucky world that had you, will keep you, always. Always," Pascal wrote.
"Catherine, I love you. This picture shows how much light you gave to all of us. You were a special part of my life and afterlife," director Tim Burton wrote on his official Facebook page.
Director of the "Home Alone" movies, Chris Columbus, wrote a touching tribute to O'Hara on Friday,
"Today we lost Catherine O’Hara. I’m stunned and heartbroken, along with the rest of the world. I was an obsessive fan of Catherine’s brilliant comedic work on SCTV and was thrilled when she agreed to play Kevin’s Mom in "Home Alone". What most people don’t realize is that Catherine carries the weight of 50% of that film. The movie simply would not work without her extraordinary performance. Catherine grounds the picture with a profound emotional depth. I will miss her greatly. Yet there is a small sense of comfort, realizing that two of the finest human beings I’ve ever known, Catherine and John Candy, are together again, brilliantly improvising, making each other laugh."
Fellow Canadian, singer Michael Buble, shared he was "heartbroken" over the news of O'Hara's passing.
"One of the highlight days on the set of Modern Family. She was as sweet and kind as she was funny. And we KNOW how funny she was. Rest In Peace," actor Eric Stonestreet, best known for his role as Cam on "Modern Family," said in a tribute on Instagram.
"Beetlejuice" co-star, Michael Keaton shared that his friendship with O'Hara stemmed way before their most recent film.
"We go back before the first Beetlejuice. She’s been my pretend wife, my pretend nemesis and my real life, true friend. This one hurts. Man am I gonna miss her. Thinking about Beau as well," he said.
Canada's former prime minister, Justin Trudeau, also paid tribute to O'Hara on Friday.
"I don’t understand what I’m seeing. I can’t bring myself to believe she is gone. Why is the world such a heart breaking place right now? I truly cannot process how to say goodbye to someone so full of life who seemed to just be hitting her prime. Goodbye legend. Thank you for making us laugh until we hurt… which is why right now we are all hurting so damned much knowing we will never again get those laughs. RIP. My love and deepest condolences go out to her entire family," actor Josh Gad wrote on Instagram.
"Oh Catherine. You will be so so missed," fellow "Beetlejuice" co-star, Justin Theroux wrote on Instagram.
Rita Wilson gave her sympathies to O'Hara's husband and sons in a post on Instagram.
"Catherine O’Hara - a woman who was authentic and truthful in all she did. You saw it in her work, if you knew her you saw it in her life, and you saw it in her family. Bo, Luke and Matthew, our deepest sympathies. May Catherine rest in peace. May her memory be eternal."
Fellow actor, Meryl Streep, paid tribute to O'Hara on Friday,
"Catherine O’Hara brought love and light to our world, through whipsmart compassion for the collection of eccentrics she portrayed...such a loss for her family and friends, and the audience she graced as friends." — the actor, who co-starred with O'Hara in "Heartburn," in a statement.
"I’m stunned and so sad. Catherine O’Hara was truly one of the greats. Classy, kind, warm, and hilarious. A singular talent. May she rest in peace," Neil Patrick Harris wrote on Instagram.
Seth Rogen, who starred alongside O'Hara in "The Studio," shared a tribute for O'Hara on Instagram,
"Really don’t know what to say… I told O’Hara when I first met her I thought she was the funniest person I’d ever had the pleasure of watching on screen. Home Alone was the movie that made me want to make movies. Getting to work with her was a true honour. She was hysterical, kind, intuitive, generous… she made me want to make our show good enough to be worthy of her presence in it. This is just devastating. We’re all lucky we got to live in a world with her in it."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CATHERINE O HARA PLS NOOOOOOOO," one fan wrote on X.
"In shock over the news of Catherine O’Hara’s death," another wrote.
"Catherine o hara passed away god she was amazing," another fan wrote.
"Rest in Peace to an incredible actor and Canadian legend," another wrote on X.
Catherine O’Hara dies
FILE - Catherine O'Hara of "The Wild Robot" at the Deadline Studio held at the Bisha Hotel during the Toronto International Film Festival 2024 on Sept. 9, 2024 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by KC Armstrong/Deadline via Getty Images)
What we know:
Reports say O’Hara died Friday. She was 71 years old.
What we don't know:
The Canadian-born O'Hara allegedly died at her home in Los Angeles "following a brief illness," according to a statement from her agency, Creative Artists Agency, according to a report by The Associated Press.
In a separate, exclusive report by Page Six, it was said O'Hara was allegedly rushed to a Los Angeles hospital in "serious" condition before she died there.
No other information has been released.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from reactions on social media posted on Jan. 30, 2026, and reporting by The Associated Press and LiveNOW from FOX. This story was reported from San Jose.