Catherine Anne O'Hara (born March 4, 1954) is a Canadian and American actress, comedian, and screenwriter. She started her career in sketch and

improvisational comedy Improvisational theatre, often called improvisation or improv or impro in British English, is the form of theatre, often comedy, in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned or unscripted, created spontaneously by the performers. In its ...

in film and television before expanding her career taking dramatic roles. She has received several accolades including two

Primetime Emmy Awards The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

, a

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...

, and two

Screen Actors Guild Awards Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1995 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...

. She started her career in the

sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches" or, "skits", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. While the form developed and became popular in ...

series ''

Second City Television ''Second City Television'', commonly shortened to ''SCTV'' and later known as ''SCTV Network'' and ''SCTV Channel'', is a Canadian television sketch comedy show about a fictional television station that ran intermittently between 1976 and 1984 ...

'' (1976–1984) where she won the

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

. She gained acclaim acting in films such as '' After Hours'' (1985), ''

Heartburn Heartburn is a burning sensation felt behind the breastbone. It is a symptom that is commonly linked to acid reflux and is often triggered by food, particularly fatty, sugary, spicy, chocolate, citrus, onion-based and tomato-based products. Ly ...

'' (1986), ''

Beetlejuice ''Beetlejuice'' is a 1988 American Gothic film, gothic dark fantasy comedy horror film directed by Tim Burton from a screenplay by Michael McDowell (author), Michael McDowell and Warren Skaaren based on a story by McDowell and Larry Wilson (sc ...

'' (1988), ''

Home Alone ''Home Alone'' is a 1990 American Christmas comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dar ...

'' (1990) and '' Home Alone 2: Lost in New York'' (1992). She collaborated with

Christopher Guest Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest (born 5 February 1948), known professionally as Christopher Guest, is a British-American actor, comedian, screenwriter and director. Guest has written, directed, and starred in his series of comedy ...

acting in his

mockumentary A mockumentary (a portmanteau of ''mock'' and ''documentary'') is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events, but presented as a Documentary film, documentary. Mockumentaries are often used to analyze or comment on current event ...

films '' Waiting for Guffman'' (1996), '' Best in Show'' (2000), '' A Mighty Wind'' (2003), and '' For Your Consideration'' (2006). She also voiced roles in films such as ''

The Nightmare Before Christmas ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (formerly known as ''Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas'') is a 1993 American stop motion Animation, animated Gothic film, gothic musical film, musical fantasy film directed by Henry Selick in his f ...

'' (1993), '' Chicken Little'' (2005), '' Over the Hedge'' (2006), '' Monster House'' (2006), '' Frankenweenie'' (2012), and ''

Elemental An elemental is a mythic supernatural being that is described in occult and alchemy, alchemical works from around the time of the European Renaissance, and particularly elaborated in the 16th century works of Paracelsus. According to Paracelsu ...

'' (2023). She gained a career resurgence for her role as Moira Rose in the

CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...

sitcom ''

Schitt's Creek ''Schitt's Creek'' (stylized as ''Schitt$ Creek'') is a Canadian television sitcom created by Dan Levy (Canadian actor), Dan Levy and his father, Eugene Levy, that aired on CBC Television from 2015 to 2020. It consists of 80 episodes spread ove ...

'' (2015–2020) earning a

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Beginning with the 18th Primetime Emmy Awards, leading actresses in comedy have competed alone. However, these comedic performance ...

. She was previously Emmy-nominated for her portrayal of Temple Grandin's aunt in the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

film '' Temple Grandin'' (2010). She also acted in the

drama series '' Six Feet Under'' (2003–2005), the

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

series ''

A Series of Unfortunate Events ''A Series of Unfortunate Events'' is a series of thirteen Children's literature, children's novels written by American author Daniel Handler under the pen name Lemony Snicket. The books follow the turbulent lives of orphaned siblings List of A ...

'' (2017–2018), the

Apple TV+ Apple TV+ is an American subscription over-the-top streaming service owned by Apple. The service launched on November 1, 2019, and it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service w ...

comedy series '' The Studio'' (2025), and the

post-apocalyptic drama series '' The Last of Us'' (2025).

Early life

Catherine Anne O'Hara was born on March 4, 1954, and she grew up in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, the sixth of seven children. She is of Irish descent and was raised

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. She is the older sister to musician and actress Mary Margaret O'Hara. In 1974, O'Hara graduated from Burnhamthorpe Collegiate Institute.

Career

O'Hara started her comedy career in 1974 as a cast member of

The Second City The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise. It is the oldest improvisational theater troupe to be continuously based in Chicago, with training programs and live theaters in Toronto and New York. Since its debut in 1959, it has b ...

in her hometown, Toronto. She was an understudy for Gilda Radner until Radner left for ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...

''. Two years later, this theatre troupe created the sketch comedy show '' SCTV'', for which O'Hara became a regular performer. In the late 1970s, she provided voice-overs for a number of

cartoon A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently Animation, animated, in an realism (arts), unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or s ...

s, work which would continue throughout her career. During a short time in the early 1980s when ''SCTV'' was in between network deals, she was hired to replace Ann Risley when ''Saturday Night Live'' was being retooled in 1981. However, she quit the show without appearing on air, choosing to go back to ''SCTV'' when the show signed on with

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

. O'Hara expanded her career on television in the mid-1970s. She appeared in a small sketch role as a maid in a 1975 Wayne and Shuster special on CBC. She appeared in the 1976 television film ''The Rimshots'', the children's television series '' Coming Up Rosie'' for a season (1976–77), and television specials, such as '' Witch's Night Out'' and '' Intergalactic Thanksgiving''. Her performances on ''SCTV'', which began airing locally in Southern Ontario in the fall of 1976, earned her fame in Canada. The show gradually built up a national and then international following in syndication. O'Hara left ''SCTV'' for a time, missing the 1980–81 season, but returned to the show in time for its pickup by the NBC television network in the US, when it became known as '' SCTV Network 90''. O'Hara's work as a writer on the show earned her an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

for outstanding writing and two Emmy Award nominations. She left ''SCTV'' again prior to its fifth season in 1982, but did return for occasional guest appearances through the show's end in 1984. O'Hara has appeared in a number of television series and television films and continues to work in television. During the 1990s, she made guest appearances on '' Tales from the Crypt'', '' Oh Baby'', '' Morton & Hayes'' and ''

The Larry Sanders Show ''The Larry Sanders Show'' is an American television sitcom set in the office and studio of a fictional late-night talk show. Created by Garry Shandling and Dennis Klein, the show ran for six seasons and List of The Larry Sanders Show episodes, ...

''. She served as actress and director on '' Dream On'' and '' The Outer Limits'', the revival of the '60s series of the same name. O'Hara has guest-starred on top-rated television series including '' Six Feet Under'' and ''

Curb Your Enthusiasm ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'', also known colloquially simply as ''Curb'', is an American television comedy of manners created by Larry David that premiered on HBO with an hour-long special in October 17, 1999, followed by 12 seasons broadcast from Oc ...

''. In May 2008, it was announced that she had signed on to star in the upcoming ABC

dramedy Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

''Good Behavior''. Her role in the 2010 television film '' Temple Grandin'' earned her three award nominations: a

, a

Satellite Award The Satellite Awards are annual awards given by the International Press Academy that are commonly noted in entertainment industry journals and blogs. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards. The award ceremonies take place ...

, and a

Screen Actors Guild Award Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1995 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...

. O'Hara has a successful career in film. She made her feature debut in the 1980 film ''

Double Negative A double negative is a construction occurring when two forms of grammatical negation are used in the same sentence. This is typically used to convey a different shade of meaning from a strictly positive sentence ("You're not unattractive" vs "You ...

'', which also starred her ''SCTV'' co-stars

John Candy John Franklin Candy (October 31, 1950 – March 4, 1994) was a Canadian actor and comedian who is best known for his work in Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood films. Candy first rose to national prominence in the 1970s as a member of the Tor ...

Eugene Levy Eugene Levy (born December 17, 1946) is a Canadian actor and comedian. Known for portraying flustered and unconventional figures, Levy has won multiple accolades throughout his career including four Primetime Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and ...

, and

Joe Flaherty Joseph Flaherty (born Joseph O'Flaherty, June 21, 1941 – April 1, 2024) was an American actor, writer, and comedian. He is best known for his work on the Canadian sketch comedy '' SCTV'' from 1976 to 1984 (on which he also served as a write ...

. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, O'Hara appeared in many supporting roles, including

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...

's '' After Hours'' (1985) and ''

'' (1986). She appeared as Delia Deetz in the horror-comedy film ''

'' (1988). In 1990, O'Hara had roles in the films '' Dick Tracy'' and ''

Betsy's Wedding ''Betsy's Wedding'' is a 1990 American romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, ...

''. She then starred as Kate McCallister in the blockbuster comedy film ''

'' (1990) and its sequel '' Home Alone 2: Lost in New York'' (1992). Also in 1992, O'Hara appeared in the comedy '' There Goes the Neighborhood''. O'Hara continued to appear in many films during the 1990s and the beginning of the 21st century. In 1994, she appeared in the comedy-drama film '' The Paper'' and the Western film ''

Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman in the American West, including Dodge City, Kansas, Dodge City, Wichita, Kansas, Wichita, and Tombstone, Arizona, Tombstone. Earp was involved in the gunfight ...

''. She received roles in four of

films, three of which earned her awards and nominations: '' Waiting for Guffman'' (1996), '' Best in Show'' (2000), '' A Mighty Wind'' (2003), and '' For Your Consideration'' (2006). Her role in 1999's '' The Life Before This'' won her a Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. She appeared in the tenth series of the UK version of '' Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' In 2004, she appeared with

Jim Carrey James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian and American actor and comedian. Known primarily for his energetic slapstick performances, he has received two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for BAFTA Awards and ...

in the black comedy film '' Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events'', and in 2006, she starred with

Christina Ricci Christina Ricci ( ; born February 12, 1980) is an American actress known for playing unusual characters with a dark edge. Ricci works mostly in Independent film, independent productions, but has also appeared in numerous box-office hits. She is ...

in the fantasy film ''

Penelope Penelope ( ; Ancient Greek: Πηνελόπεια, ''Pēnelópeia'', or , ''Pēnelópē'') is a character in Homer's ''Odyssey.'' She was the queen of Homer's Ithaca, Ithaca and was the daughter of Spartan king Icarius (Spartan), Icarius and ...

''. O'Hara has served as a voice artist in a number of animated films, including ''

'' (1993), '' Bartok the Magnificent'' (1999), '' Chicken Little'' (2005), '' Over the Hedge'' (2006), '' Monster House'' (2006), '' Brother Bear 2'' (2006), '' Where the Wild Things Are'' (2009), '' Frankenweenie'' (2012), ''

The Addams Family The Addams Family is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 standalone single-panel comics, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' between 193 ...

'' (2019), ''

Extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

'' (2021), ''

'' (2023), and '' The Wild Robot'' (2024). From 2015 to 2020, O'Hara co-starred as Moira Rose in the

sitcom ''

'', alongside Eugene Levy, with whom she had worked on TV, in films, and as a Second City cast member on stage in 1974. Her performance in ''Schitt's Creek'' earned her six Canadian Screen Awards for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She swept the five major TV awards for the 6th and final season, winning a TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy, a

, a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy, a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series. She appeared as Dr. Georgina Orwell in the first season of the

black comedy drama series ''

'', which premiered in 2017. Two of her episodes were directed by her husband Bo Welch who served as

production designer In film and television, a production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Work ...

for the series. She was the only cast member from the 2004 film adaptation to be re-cast in the TV series as well. She appears on the revival of another Canadian sketch comedy staple '' The Kids in the Hall'', in its second episode as Charlene, a Friend of the Kids in the Hall. O'Hara reprised her role as Delia Deetz in the ''Beetlejuice'' sequel, '' Beetlejuice Beetlejuice'' in 2024. In 2025, she guest-starred as Gail in the second season of the

post-apocalyptic drama series '' The Last of Us''.

Personal life

In 1983, O'Hara told ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'', "I'm pretty much a good Catholic girl at heart." O'Hara met

Bo Welch on the set of ''Beetlejuice''. They married in 1992 and have two sons. Her sister is singer-songwriter Mary Margaret O'Hara; Catherine is a singer-songwriter in her own right, having written and performed songs in Christopher Guest's film ''A Mighty Wind''. O'Hara was named honorary mayor of Brentwood, Los Angeles, for 2021. She has '' situs inversus'', a condition where major internal organs are reversed from their normal positions. O'Hara maintains a close friendship with ''Home Alone'' co-star

Macaulay Culkin Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin (born Macaulay Carson Culkin; ) is an American actor and musician. Considered one of the most successful child actors of the 1990s, Culkin has received a Golden Globe Award nomination and other accolades. In 200 ...

, and was present when he received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She holds dual Canadian and U.S. citizenship.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Awards and nominations

References

External links

*
Catherine O'Hara
at Northernstars.ca {{DEFAULTSORT:OHara, Catherine 1954 births 20th-century Canadian actresses 20th-century Canadian comedians 20th-century Roman Catholics 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American comedians 21st-century Canadian actresses 21st-century Canadian comedians 21st-century Roman Catholics Actresses from Toronto Actresses from Los Angeles American film actresses American people of Irish descent American Roman Catholics American sketch comedians American television actresses American television hosts American voice actresses American women comedians American women television hosts Audiobook narrators Best Actress in a Comedy Series Canadian Screen Award winners Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe (television) winners Best Supporting Actress Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners Canadian Comedy Award winners Canadian emigrants to the United States Canadian film actresses Canadian people of Irish descent Canadian Roman Catholics Canadian sketch comedians Canadian television actresses Canadian television hosts Canadian voice actresses Canadian women comedians Canadian women screenwriters Canadian women television hosts Canadian women television writers Canadian television writers Comedians from Toronto Governor General's Award winners Living people Officers of the Order of Canada Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series Screen Actors Guild Award winners Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners Naturalized citizens of the United States Screenwriters from Toronto