‘Beetlejuice’ actress Catherine O’Hara dies at 71
Catherine O’Hara dies at 71, remembered as the award-winning star known for “Home Alone,” “Beetlejuice” and “Schitt’s Creek.”
Catherine O’Hara and Macaulay Culkin were more than just costars. They were family.
Culkin, who played O’Hara’s son in the 1990 Christmas comedy “Home Alone,” paid tribute to the Emmy-winning actress in an emotional Instagram post following O’Hara’s death on Friday, Jan. 30.
O’Hara’s manager confirmed her death to People magazine, while Variety and Deadline reported that O’Hara died at home after “a brief illness,” citing her agency CAA.
“Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more,” Culkin wrote in the post, which featured a then-and-now-style collage of Culkin and O’Hara. “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.”
A veteran in the entertainment industry, O’Hara has been one of the most lauded and respected actors of her generation, winner of two career Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe and two Actor Awards (formerly Screen Actors Guild Awards). She was nominated for two Emmys at the 2025 ceremony.
Here’s how other stars are remembering O’Hara’s career and legacy.
Joe Pesci
O’Hara’s other “Home Alone” costar, Joe Pesci, paid tribute to the late actress in a statement to USA TODAY.
“She was a great actress, and she will be missed,” Pesci said. “God bless, rest in peace.”
Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen recounted his first time meeting his “The Studio” co-star O’Hara, saying she is the reason he pursued a career in Hollywood.
“Really don’t know what to say,” he wrote on Instagram, sharing a photo of the two together. “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.”
He continued: “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.”
“The Last of Us” star Pedro Pascal, who appeared with O’Hara on the dystopian sci-fi series’ second season, fondly called O’Hara “the one and ONLY” in an Instagram post.
“Oh, genius to be near you. Eternally grateful,” Pascal wrote alongside a photo of the pair. “There is less light in my world. This lucky world that had you will keep you, always. Always ♥️”
Melanie Lynskey
O’Hara’s “Away We Go” costar Melanie Lynskey penned a lengthy tribute to her former costar on Instagram.
“So grateful I got to tell her what she meant to me: how she inspired me, shaped my sense of humor and understanding of the work we do, that she was the pinnacle of greatness to me,” Lynskey wrote.
“I’m sure every actor she met told her similar things,” she continued. “She did not behave as though she’d heard it a million times. She listened and accepted it with grace and with tremendous kindness.”
The “Yellowjackets” actress went on to praise O’Hara for her “wonderful” professionalism on set, as well as her natural charisma.
“When people say someone ‘lit up a room,’ this is what they mean. She was radiant; it was kind of otherworldly,” Lynskey concluded. “Her talent was singular. There’s been nobody like her before, and there won’t be again. What a genius. What a beautiful person.”
Michael Keaton and Justin Theroux
Michael Keaton, who costarred with O’Hara in the ’80s dark comedy “Beetlejuice” and its 2024 sequel “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” reminisced on the actors’ decadeslong friendship in an Instagram post.
“We go back before the first ‘Beetlejuice,'” Keaton wrote. “She’s been my pretend wife, my pretend nemesis and my real-life, true friend. This one hurts. Man, am I going to miss her.”
Meanwhile, O’Hara’s other costar, Justin Theroux, shared a photo of what appeared to be the actress’s director’s chair from the set, writing, “Oh Catherine. You will be so, so missed.”
Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis paid tribute to O’Hara’s comedic legacy on Instagram, sharing a clip from the actress’s 2000 canine mockumentary “Best in Show.”
“BEST OF THE BEST IN SHOW!” Curtis wrote.
Katie Couric
Journalist and former “Today” show anchor Katie Couric shared her candid response to O’Hara’s death in an in-memoriam carousel on Instagram.
“I’m so sad to hear this news. 💔💔💔,” Couric wrote.
Jennifer Robertson
Jennifer Robertson, who costarred with O’Hara on the satirical comedy “Schitt’s Creek,” remembered the Hollywood icon as an “absolute star, who never understood why people made such a fuss about her.”
“I am deeply saddened to hear we have lost Catherine. Being in Catherine O’Hara’s orbit was a beautiful, magical gift,” Robertson said in a statement to USA TODAY. “Her passing is a loss for everyone who knew and loved her. My deepest condolences to Bo, her sons and the O’Hara family.”
Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields gushed that O’Hara was “truly beloved” in a throwback Instagram video, which showed a clip of O’Hara impersonating Shields on the Canadian sketch comedy series “SCTV” in 1984.
“What an honor it was to be spoofed by Catherine O’Hara,” Shields wrote. “What an unfathomable loss. We love you, Catherine. Comedy won’t be the same without her. Sending love to Catherine’s family, friends, castmates and fans today.”
Ellen DeGeneres
Comedian and talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres praised O’Hara’s comedic prowess in an Instagram post, which included a photo of O’Hara visiting DeGeneres’ eponymous talk show.
“Catherine O’Hara was a brilliant comedian,” DeGeneres wrote. “Sending love to all who adored her, which might just be everyone.”
Karen Robinson
In a statement to USA TODAY, O’Hara’s “Schitt’s Creek” costar Karen Robinson said she had the “unmitigated good fortune of sharing space and work and laughter with the brilliance that was Catherine O’Hara.”
Working with O’Hara “is something that I will treasure forever,” the Canadian actress continued. “I am heartbroken for her family and all circles of her friends and loved ones. Oh Canada, what a loss. Thank you, Catherine, for everything you gave us before you left us. So much and so timeless that a part of you will always stay with us.”
John Stamos
John Stamos got nostalgic with his tribute to O’Hara, sharing a clip from the actress’s 1996 comedy, “Waiting for Guffman,” on Instagram.
“One of my all-time favorite scenes,” Stamos wrote. “Catherine was an artist in every sense of the word and a true comedic genius. She will be so missed.”
Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese, who directed O’Hara in the 1985 dark comedy “After Hours,” told IndieWire in a statement that the actress’s death “feels impossible to me, and to millions of others as well, I’m sure.”
“Many people know her from ‘Schitt’s Creek.’ For many others, it’s the ‘Home Alone’ pictures or ‘Beetlejuice’ or the Christopher Guest comedies,” Scorsese told the outlet. “For me, and for most of my friends, it’s ‘SCTV’: All I have to do is think about one of the characters she created, like Lola Heatherton or Dusty Towne, and I’m laughing.”
“Catherine was a true comic genius, a true artist and a wonderful human being,” Scorsese continued. “I was blessed to be able to work with her on ‘After Hours,’ and I’m going to miss her presence and her artistry. We all are.”
This story has been updated to add new information.
Contributing: Kelly Lawler and Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY