The film and television community is grieving Catherine O’Hara, as officials confirm the cause of death for the 71-year-old Schitt’s Creek and Home Alone star. Records state O’Hara died from a pulmonary embolism linked to rectal cancer after being taken to a hospital in Los Angeles on Friday, Jan. 30.
Earlier, a representative had described O’Hara’s passing as following a “brief illness,” but new paperwork provides greater detail on that statement. On Monday, Feb. 9, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health listed a pulmonary embolism as the immediate cause, with rectal cancer identified as the underlying condition. The documents, obtained by PEOPLE, also record that O’Hara was cremated.
Catherine O’Hara cause of death and key facts
Key details around Catherine O’Hara’s death and illness are set out below, based on official information and media reports, including data from the death certificate and public health authorities. These points have shaped how colleagues, fans and critics understand the Catherine O’Hara cause of death and her final months.
Catherine O’Hara cause of death and celebrated Schitt’s Creek role
Although O’Hara built a long career across film and television, many younger viewers most closely link Catherine O’Hara with Schitt’s Creek, which became a late-career milestone. Playing eccentric former soap star Moira Rose, O’Hara gained new global recognition, while attention on the Catherine O’Hara cause of death has prompted fresh discussion of that role.
Her work on Schitt’s Creek earned O’Hara major honours, including the Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Awards in the same awards cycle. In her 2020 Emmy acceptance speech, she told viewers: “I will forever be grateful to Eugene and Daniel Levy for the opportunity to play a woman of a certain age, my age, who gets to fully be herself.” That speech has since been widely shared again.
Catherine O’Hara cause of death and wider comedy career
Long before Schitt’s Creek, O’Hara had already influenced several generations of comedy fans with a varied body of work. O’Hara first gained notice at Toronto’s Second City Theater, then with the sketch series SCTV, before moving into films. These earlier achievements are being revisited as obituaries mention the Catherine O’Hara cause of death and her long illness.
On screen, O’Hara became widely known as Kate McCallister in Home Alone and its sequel, where O’Hara played the anxious mother racing home. O’Hara also appeared frequently in Christopher Guest’s mockumentaries, including Best in Show and A Mighty Wind, building a reputation for precise character work and dry humour that critics often praised.
Catherine O’Hara cause of death, private cancer battle and recent projects
Details in the death certificate also highlight how closely O’Hara guarded health information. While dealing with rectal cancer that later contributed to the pulmonary embolism described as the Catherine O’Hara cause of death, O’Hara continued to accept prominent projects, maintaining a regular presence in film and television work during those years.
Even in the final phase of life, O’Hara stayed active on set, appearing in the spy thriller Argylle and in the second season of The Last of Us. Colleagues have noted how little was publicly known about O’Hara’s diagnosis, reflecting a long-standing preference for keeping personal matters separate from fame, despite intense fan interest.
Catherine O’Hara cause of death, family life and enduring partnerships
Beyond professional success, O’Hara’s family life is also being remembered in tributes that now reference the Catherine O’Hara cause of death. O’Hara was married to production designer Bo Welch, and the couple had two sons. Friends and co-workers often described a close-knit household, largely kept away from media attention.
A central creative relationship across O’Hara’s career involved Eugene Levy, who co-created Schitt’s Creek with Daniel Levy. Speaking to PEOPLE about that partnership, O’Hara once said: “I would love to think we continue to challenge each other, like a good married couple would do.” Their on-screen chemistry became one of her career’s defining threads.
Fans also frequently quote Moira Rose’s distinctive vocabulary, including the often-repeated “bebe,” which circulated again as news broke about the Catherine O’Hara cause of death. That character, along with earlier roles, helped cement O’Hara’s image as what one writer once called a “gifted queen of the bittersweet,” balancing humour with emotion.
As official records confirm that a pulmonary embolism caused by rectal cancer led to Catherine O’Hara’s death, colleagues, admirers and audiences are focusing on a career that lasted more than five decades. From Toronto stages to global streaming success, O’Hara leaves a detailed record of work, continued family ties and performances that remain widely watched.