The Toronto-born actress got her foot in the door as a waitress at the Toronto Second City theatre franchise in the 1970s, before auditioning for a role with the famed acting troupe.
She further developed her comedic chops after joining the cast of sketch comedy show Second City Television (SCTV) – one of the most successful Canadian TV programmes ever – alongside the likes of Eugene Levy and the late John Candy.
She has credited her Canadian roots with helping develop her sense of humour.
In 2020, she told Rolling Stone that growing up Canadian didn’t have the same sense of nationalism or patriotism that she saw in the US.
“And that’s a good thing because it does make you look outside of yourself and be aware of the world and not take yourself seriously,” she said.
“And I think Canadians have not only a sense of humour about others but also about themselves.”
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney joined Canadians and fans across the world in mourning O’Hara.
“Over 5 decades of work, Catherine earned her place in the canon of Canadian comedy — from the iconic Toronto production of Godspell to SCTV to Schitt’s Creek,” he said. “Canada has lost a legend.”
O’Hara also collaborated with Christopher Guest and co-writer Eugene Levy four times, including on the critically acclaimed mockumentary films Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind and For Your Consideration. Her role as character actress Marilyn Hack in For Your Consideration earned her the 2006 National Board of Review Award for supporting actress.
In a statement to Variety, Guest said he was devastated and that “we have lost one of the comic giants of our age”.
O’Hara had a late career surge thanks to the Canadian comedy series Schitt’s Creek that became one of the biggest hits of the Covid lockdown.
The fish-out-of-water comedy show followed the wealthy Rose family as they abruptly lose their money and mansion, and are forced to move into a shabby motel in a deadbeat town they bought as a joke.