Catherine O’Hara, whose roles felt like ‘screen hugs’, died on Friday at the age of 71. His representatives at CAA confirmed that he died at his home in Los Angeles after a brief illness, The Hollywood Reporter reports.
Actor, known for his roles in films like Home Aloby And series like Schitt’s Creek were fan favorites and tributes have been coming from all over the world. His last video is also being shared widely online.
Katherine’s viral video
Posted by Instagram user @cultureapothecary, it shows Katherine running into a fan at an airport. With gray hair and a thick coat, she looks as warm and lovely as ever. The cameraperson tells her that she is his favorite actress but Katherine shushes him, not ready to believe it. He then asked her what role she would like to be remembered for, and she softly said, “The mother of my children.”
The video is followed by a collection of glimpses from his life. Photos with husband Bo Welch and their children Matthew and Luke.
Bo Welch is an acclaimed production designer and occasional director. The couple met in 1988 on the set of Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice, where she played Delia Dietz and he worked as a production designer. They soon began dating and tied the knot on April 25, 1992, People reported. The sons have maintained a private life away from showbiz.
Fans became emotional after watching the video. One wrote, “She was my favorite actress of all time. Her character on Schitt’s Creek opened up a whole new part of my personality. And I love her for it.” Another said, “She was everyone’s favorite TV mom of our generation. Catherine O’Hara made us laugh, cry, and do it all. She was one of a kind, on and off the screen, and she will be greatly missed.”
“This gave me goosebumps. A mother’s love is no different than any other. RIP,” one fan wrote. Another said, “That was it. I was on the verge of tears all day, but ‘the mother of my children’ broke the dam.”
About the work of Catherine O’Hara
Katherine won an Emmy in 2020 for her portrayal of Moira Rose on Schitt’s Creek and previously earned an Emmy in 1982 for her work on SCTV Network. Over the course of her career, O’Hara received eight additional nominations for acting and writing. In 2025, she was a double nominee, earning recognition for her comedic performance in The Studio as well as Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series for HBO’s The Last of Us.
O’Hara was born on March 4, 1954, and grew up in Toronto. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she joined the city’s Second City company at the age of 20, first working as an understudy for Gilda Radner and joining the main cast when Radner left to become part of the original Saturday Night Live ensemble.