unilad homepage
unilad homepage
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • World News
    • Crime
    • Health
    • Money
    • Sport
    • Travel
  • Music
  • Technology
  • Film and TV
    • News
    • DC Comics
    • Disney
    • Marvel
    • Netflix
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Archive
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Legendary actress Catherine O'Hara has died aged 71
Home>News
Updated 19:48 30 Jan 2026 GMTPublished 18:24 30 Jan 2026 GMT

Legendary actress Catherine O'Hara has died aged 71

The news was confirmed by Catherine O'Hara's management on Friday evening

Lucy Devine

Lucy Devine

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover
Featured Image Credit: KC Armstrong/Deadline via Getty Images

Topics: News, Celebrity

Lucy Devine
Lucy Devine

Actress Catherine O'Hara has died at the age of 71.

The legendary star was known for her iconic roles in Home Alone, Best in Show and Schitt's Creek.

O'Hara's death was confirmed by her management to Variety. O'Hara passed away at her home in Los Angeles 'following a brief illness'.

A cause of death has not been confirmed.

According to The Sun, O'Hara hadn't attended the Golden Globes awards earlier this month, despite receiving a nomination for Best Supporting Performance by a Female Actor for her role in Seth Rogen's The Studio.

O'Hara had spoken about what it was like to work with Rogen in an interview with LADbible last year.

Catherine O'Hara has passed away at the age of 71 (MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Catherine O'Hara has passed away at the age of 71 (MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images)

O'Hara explained: "People ask me, ‘Is he stoned? Is he smoking all day?’ If he is, I would never know it.

"I don’t know if I’ve ever worked with anyone who is more aware of everything going on on the set. [Rogen] is director, producer, star in the scene and you’re so aware, so collaborative and so loose and fun, but on the money.

"It’s crazy. Really, [Rogen] is seriously impressive."

O'Hara's career first began with the Canadian show, Second City Television, which earned her her first Emmy Award.

She went on to star in movies including Beetlejuice, Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

O'Hara played Macaulay Culkin's character Kevin's mom, Kate McAllister, in the movies.

O'Hara starred in the first two Home Alone movies (Ron Galella, Ltd/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
O'Hara starred in the first two Home Alone movies (Ron Galella, Ltd/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

O'Hara once spoke about filming Home Alone and the scene she found most difficult.

While delivering a speech about Culkin at a ceremony to unveil his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, she said: "The scene where I had to drag him upstairs to sleep in the attic ‘cause he’d misbehaved, he’s mouthing off about the family and I say, ‘Well, you’d be pretty sad if you woke up tomorrow morning and you had no family,’ and he says, ‘No, I wouldn’t.’ And I was supposed to say, ‘Then say it again - maybe it’ll happen.’

"I can’t tell you how much that killed me – I could not wrap my head around saying something so horrific to this beautiful child.

"Of course I was not yet a mother at the time and I had no idea the kind of things would come out of my own mouth with my own two sons."

Catherine O'Hara and husband Bo Welch (Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
Catherine O'Hara and husband Bo Welch (Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

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

Choose your content:

21 mins ago
an hour ago
2 hours ago
  • Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
    21 mins ago

    JD and Usha Vance explain how Erika Kirk impacted their decision to have a fourth child

    Erika 'prayed to God' that she was pregnant following Charlie Kirk's brutal death

    News
  • Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
    an hour ago

    World Cup water break controversy explained as FIFA accused of 'holding football hostage'

    Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has questioned who the World Cup 'serves'

    News
  • Toby Shepheard / POOL / AFP via Getty Images
    2 hours ago

    List of social media platforms banned for under-16s in the UK as Keir Starmer announces move

    The Prime Minister said that a 'total ban is the right choice'

    News
  • Ian Maule/Bloomberg via Getty Images
    2 hours ago

    Eric Trump responds after ‘leaked messages’ appear to show question about rigging at White House event

    UFC commentator Daniel Cormier posted then deleted the screenshots, before appearing to deny they were real

    News
  • Macaulay Culkin posts heartbreaking tribute to Home Alone 'mom' Catherine O’Hara after her death
  • Pedro Pascal posts heartbreaking tribute to Catherine O’Hara after her death
  • Truth behind iconic Home Alone scene that Macaulay Culkin improvised
  • Staggering amount Kevin’s grocery shop in Home Alone would cost today