# Catherine O'Hara Is Dead **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death\ **Created:** [January 30, 2026, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-ohara-is-dead/1027208 "2026-01-30T18:19:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-ohara-is-dead/1027208/21 "2026-01-30T19:21:59Z")
I absolutely ADORE funny women and she was for sure the upper echelon. Not everything she was in was a guaranteed hit but her part would definitely be stand-out funny. What an absolute loss for the industry and for fans. ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-ohara-is-dead/1027208/22 "2026-01-30T19:33:07Z")
oh no ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-ohara-is-dead/1027208/23 "2026-01-30T19:33:36Z")
I found her extraordinarily believable in any role she played. It’s a great loss. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-ohara-is-dead/1027208/24 "2026-01-30T19:45:38Z")
_“It was in Baltimore…”_ _“Can you direct me to the hotel?”_ ---
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-ohara-is-dead/1027208/25 "2026-01-30T19:49:06Z")
I’ve always said she had the perfect career. No one has ever said, “Hey, let’s go see that Catherine O’Hara movie.” But when she shows up in one, “Oh, I love her.” She never had to carry a movie but she always brightened up one when she was in it. She had an interesting condition called _Situs inversus_. Her organs were mirrored, that is, on the opposite side in her body. Others with the condition are Enrique Iglesias and Donny Osmond. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-ohara-is-dead/1027208/26 "2026-01-30T19:53:30Z")
One of my favorite scenes from Schitt’s Creek - folding in the cheese. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/NywzrUJnmTo/maxresdefault.jpg "Schitt's Creek - "Fold In the Cheese!"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NywzrUJnmTo) ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-ohara-is-dead/1027208/27 "2026-01-30T20:00:40Z")
Terrible news. RIP LEGEND ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-ohara-is-dead/1027208/28 "2026-01-30T20:31:18Z")
I just saw this. I watched her on SCTV, starting in 1977. Loved her as Katherine Hepburn in the SCTV sketch _The Man Who Would be King of the Popes_, their catch-all parody of dramas based on British history (_The Lion in Winter, Becket, A Man for All Seasons, Anne of a Thousand Days_, etc.) She was obviously doing Hepburn from Lion in Winter (“Oh, and I love all of your accents more than my own!”) ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-ohara-is-dead/1027208/29 "2026-01-30T21:12:17Z")
I have loved Catherine O’Hara since the early days of SCTV and will miss her greatly. Was just thinking of her a day or so ago and her especially funny “commercial” about Tammy Faye Bakker’s industrial strength makeup. “I WANT TO INTRODUCE MISTER ZIMBALIST!!!” RIP Catherine. You made many a dark time brighter. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-ohara-is-dead/1027208/30 "2026-01-30T21:18:10Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Loved her as Katherine Hepburn in the SCTV sketch _The Man Who Would be King of the Popes_, their catch-all parody of dramas based on British history (_The Lion in Winter, Becket, A Man for All Seasons, Anne of a Thousand Days_, etc.) She was obviously doing Hepburn from Lion in Winter (“Oh, and I love all of your accents more than my own!”) Ohh, wow, I had forgotten she was in that sketch. It was definitely worth another watch today. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/L2xWQr4VaUA/hqdefault.jpg "The Man Who Would be King of the Popes") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2xWQr4VaUA) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-ohara-is-dead/1027208/31 "2026-01-30T21:23:31Z")
Don’t forget her multiple portrayals as the world’s most negligent mother. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-ohara-is-dead/1027208/32 "2026-01-30T21:29:36Z")
An article from the AP on her passing. It notes: > [@](#): > > O’Hara died at her home in Los Angeles “following a brief illness,” according to a statement from her agency, Creative Artists Agency. Further details were not immediately available. > **[Catherine O'Hara, Emmy-winning comedian of 'Schitt's Creek' and 'SCTV' fame,...](https://apnews.com/article/catherine-ohara-dies-9fdc89411b4961c1d599f836503a6203)** > > Catherine O'Hara has died at 71. The Emmy-winning actor was known for her roles on “SCTV,” “Schitt's Creek,” and the two "Home Alone" films. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-ohara-is-dead/1027208/33 "2026-01-30T21:32:25Z")
With Andrea Martin from the Letterman show a million years ago: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZwLTCayIeSw/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGGUgVShTMA8=&rs=AOn4CLCUzjlTcfz6gT75AsesamA78_C_yQ "'PMS- Premenstrual Syndrome' - David Letterman's Holiday Film Festival (1985)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwLTCayIeSw) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-ohara-is-dead/1027208/34 "2026-01-30T21:40:52Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Ohh, wow, I had forgotten she was in that sketch. It was definitely worth another watch today. It makes me want to pull out my boxed set. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-ohara-is-dead/1027208/35 "2026-01-30T21:45:31Z")
Such a great career. I always liked her. Very sad news. RIP ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-ohara-is-dead/1027208/36 "2026-01-30T21:50:23Z")
“A small vise-like object?” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/-dtr4Z0PllI/maxresdefault.jpg "SCTV High Q Night School sketch with John Candy, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Rick Moranis") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dtr4Z0PllI) ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-ohara-is-dead/1027208/37 "2026-01-30T22:01:03Z")
That video is so nostalgic. I think almost everyone in there had successful careers but this was the start for them. Dunno if SCTV was broadcast nationally in the US but, since I live in the “Second City,” I got to see this. A real treat. Catherine O’Hara was great in it. I grew up watching her. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-ohara-is-dead/1027208/38 "2026-01-30T22:27:24Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Dunno if SCTV was broadcast nationally in the US but, since I live in the “Second City,” I got to see this. A real treat. Seasons 4 and 5 were run on NBC in a late-night Friday time slot; Season 6 apparently ran on the premium cable channel Cinemax. It looks like Season 3 might have been syndicated here, running in some markets. I was in high school when SCTV ran on NBC, and I fell in love with it. The Bob & Doug sketches broke through here, and their comedy record was a hit here. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-ohara-is-dead/1027208/39 "2026-01-30T23:07:49Z")
I saw some episodes on NBC as a child in the Louisville, Kentucky area. ---
**Author:** ![themapleleaf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/themapleleaf/32/14349_2.png) [@themapleleaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/themapleleaf)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-ohara-is-dead/1027208/40 "2026-01-30T23:13:00Z")
For me she’ll always be Kevin’s mom and Delia. A great Canadian. R.I.P. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-ohara-is-dead/1027208.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catherine-ohara-is-dead/1027208.md?page=3)