Eugene Levy speaks out in devastating tribute to friend Catherine O’Hara after her death aged 71
Levy and O'Hara starred together in Schitt's Creek
Eugene Levy has paid tribute to Catherine O'Hara after the Home Alone star died aged 71 on Friday (January 30).
The actress's manager confirmed to Variety that O'Hara died in her Los Angeles home following a brief illness.
With a career spanning five decades, O'Hara is well known for her role in several films, including 1988's Beetlejuice and its recent sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, as well as Best in Show, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, and Frankenweenie.
However, in more recent years, O'Hara arguably became best known for her starring role in Schitt’s Creek, a series created by father-son duo Eugene Levy and Dan Levy.
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In the TV show, which ran from 2015 to 2020, she played the Rose family's eccentric matriarch, Moira, with Eugene Levy portraying her husband, Johnny, and Dan Levy and Annie Murphy playing their kids, David and Alexis.
And the American Pie star was among the many tributes to O'Hara from other celebrities.
In his statement, Eugene described working with O'Hara as an 'honor', as he said: "Words seem inadequate to express the loss I feel today. I had the honor of knowing and working with the great Catherine O’Hara for over fifty years.
"From our beginnings on the Second City stage, to SCTV, to the movies we did with Chris Guest, to our six glorious years on Schitt’s Creek, I cherished our working relationship, but most of all our friendship. And I will miss her. My heart goes out to Bo, Matthew, Luke and the entire O’Hara family."
Dan also issued a statement on Friday, describing working with the actress as a 'gift'.
The filmmaker wrote: "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."
Other tributes to O'Hara came from Macaulay Culkin, who acted alongside her in Home Alone.
He wrote: "Mama. 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."
Pedro Pascal is another name that paid his respects after working with O'Hara on HBO's The Last of Us.
"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. The one and ONLY #CatherineOHara," the actor wrote on Instagram.
And her fellow Beetlejuice star, Michael Keaton, said: "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."
She is survived by her husband, Bo Welch, and their two sons, Matthew and Luke. A cause of death has not been officially confirmed.
Topics: Macaulay Culkin, Film and TV, Celebrity
Callum Jones