# Catherine O'Hara

Catherine Anne O'Hara OC (born March 4, 1954) is a Canadian-American actress, comedian, and screenwriter. She is known for her comedy work on Second City Television (1976–1984) and Schitt's Creek (2015–2020) and in films such as After Hours (1985), Beetlejuice (1988) and its sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Home Alone (1990) and its sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). Her other film appearances include the mockumentary films written and directed by Christopher Guest: Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006).
O'Hara won the 1982 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series for SCTV Network, the Genie Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1999 film The Life Before This, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for the 2010 television film Temple Grandin. From 2015 to 2020, she starred as Moira Rose on the CBC sitcom Schitt's Creek, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.

## Early life

Catherine Anne O'Hara was born on March 4, 1954, and she grew up in Toronto, Ontario, the sixth of seven children. She is of Irish descent and was raised Catholic.
She is the older sister to musician and actress Mary Margaret O’Hara.

## Career

O'Hara started her comedy career in 1974 as a cast member of The Second City in her hometown, Toronto. She was an understudy for Gilda Radner until Radner left for Saturday Night Live. 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 cartoons, 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.
O'Hara began her career on television, apart from SCTV, in the mid-1970s. She first appeared on television 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 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. 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. In May 2008, it was announced that she had signed on to star in the upcoming ABC dramedy Good Behavior. Her role in the 2010 television film Temple Grandin earned her three award nominations: a Primetime Emmy Award, a Satellite Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
O'Hara has a successful career in film. She made her feature debut in the 1980 film Double Negative, which also starred her SCTV co-stars John Candy, Eugene Levy, and Joe Flaherty. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, O'Hara appeared in many supporting roles, including Martin Scorsese's After Hours (1985) and Heartburn (1986). She appeared as Delia Deetz in the horror-comedy film Beetlejuice (1988). In 1990, O'Hara had roles in the films Dick Tracy and Betsy's Wedding. She then starred as Kate McCallister in the blockbuster comedy film Home Alone (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. She received roles in four of Christopher Guest's mockumentary 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 in the black comedy film Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, and in 2006, she starred with Christina Ricci in the fantasy film Penelope. O'Hara has served as a voice artist in a number of animated films, including The Nightmare Before Christmas (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 (2019), Extinct (2021), Elemental (2023), and The Wild Robot (2024).
From 2015 to 2020, O'Hara co-starred as Moira Rose in the CBC sitcom Schitt's Creek, 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 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, 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 Netflix black comedy drama series A Series of Unfortunate Events, which premiered in 2017. Two of her episodes were directed by her husband Bo Welch who served as production designer 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.

## Personal life

In 1983, O'Hara told Rolling Stone, "I'm pretty much a good Catholic girl at heart." O'Hara met production designer Bo Welch on the set of Beetlejuice. They married in 1992 and have two sons, Matthew (b. 1994) and Luke (b. 1997). 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, and was present when he received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame per his request.
She holds dual Canadian and U.S. citizenship.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1980 | Nothing Personal | Audrey | |
| 1980 | Double Negative | Judith | |
| 1983 | Rock & Rule | Aunt Edith (voice) | |
| 1985 | After Hours | Gail | |
| 1986 | Heartburn | Betty | |
| 1988 | Beetlejuice | Delia Deetz | |
| 1990 | Dick Tracy | Texie Garcia | |
| 1990 | Betsy's Wedding | Gloria Henner | |
| 1990 | Home Alone | Kate McCallister | |
| 1990 | Little Vegas | Lexie | |
| 1992 | There Goes the Neighborhood | Jessica Lodge | Internationally re-titled Paydirt |
| 1992 | Home Alone 2: Lost in New York | Kate McCallister | |
| 1993 | The Nightmare Before Christmas | Sally / Shock (voice) | |
| 1994 | The Paper | Susan | |
| 1994 | Wyatt Earp | Allie Earp | |
| 1994 | A Simple Twist of Fate | April Simon | |
| 1995 | Tall Tale | Calamity Jane | |
| 1996 | Waiting for Guffman | Sheila Albertson | |
| 1996 | The Last of the High Kings | Cathleen | |
| 1997 | Pippi Longstocking | Mrs. Prysselius (voice) | |
| 1998 | Home Fries | Beatrice Lever | |
| 1999 | The Life Before This | Sheena | |
| 1999 | Bartok the Magnificent | Ludmilla (voice) | Direct-to-video |
| 2000 | Best in Show | Cookie Fleck | |
| 2000 | Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big | Lorna Mae Loon (voice) | Short film |
| 2001 | Speaking of Sex | Connie Barker | |
| 2002 | Orange County | Cindy Beugler | |
| 2002 | Searching for Debra Winger | Herself | Documentary |
| 2003 | A Mighty Wind | Mickey Crabbe | |
| 2004 | Surviving Christmas | Christine Valco | |
| 2004 | Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events | Justice Strauss | |
| 2005 | Game 6 | Lillian Rogan | |
| 2005 | Chicken Little | Tina (voice) | |
| 2006 | Over the Hedge | Penny (voice) | |
| 2006 | Monster House | Mrs. Walters (voice) | |
| 2006 | Brother Bear 2 | Kata (voice) | Direct-to-video |
| 2006 | Penelope | Jessica Wilhern | |
| 2006 | For Your Consideration | Marilyn Heck | |
| 2006 | Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses | Rowena (voice) | Direct-to-video |
| 2009 | Away We Go | Gloria Farlander | |
| 2009 | Where the Wild Things Are | Judith (voice) | |
| 2010 | Killers | Mrs. Kornfeldt | |
| 2011 | A Monster in Paris | Madame Carlotta (voice) | |
| 2012 | Frankenweenie | Susan Frankenstein / Gym Teacher / Weird Girl (voices) | |
| 2013 | A.C.O.D. | Melissa | |
| 2013 | The Right Kind of Wrong | Tess | |
| 2014 | When Marnie Was There | Marnie (old) (voice) | |
| 2015 | Being Canadian | Herself | Documentary |
| 2019 | The Addams Family | Grandma Frump (voice) | |
| 2020 | Canada: Far and Wide | Herself (voice) | Narrator Movie attraction for World Showcase at Epcot at Disneyworld |
| 2021 | Extinct | Alma (voice) | |
| 2021 | Back Home Again | Mayor Owl (voice) | Short film |
| 2023 | Elemental | Brook Ripple (voice) | |
| 2023 | Pain Hustlers | Jackie Drake | |
| 2024 | Argylle | Ruth | |
| 2024 | Beetlejuice Beetlejuice | Delia Deetz | |
| 2024 | The Wild Robot | Pinktail (voice) | |
Key :
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1975 | Wayne and Shuster | Various | Episode: "1975 Show #2" |
| 1975–77 | Coming Up Rosie | Marna Wallbacker | |
| 1976–84 | SCTV | Various | Main; Seasons 1, 2 & 4 Guest; Seasons 5 & 6 Also writer for seasons 1, 2, 4 & 6 Served as writer for The Best of SCTV |
| 1978 | Witch's Night Out | Malicious (voice) | CBC/NBC television special |
| 1979 | Intergalactic Thanksgiving | Ma Spademinder (voice) | Television short |
| 1980 | Easter Fever | Scarlett O'Hare (voice) | CBC television special |
| 1980 | From Cleveland | Various | Television pilot Also writer |
| 1980 | You've Come a Long Way, Katie | Chris Dougherty | Miniseries |
| 1981 | The Steve Allen Comedy Hour | Various | Episode: "May 29, 1981" |
| 1984 | The New Show | Various | 3 episodes |
| 1985 | George Burns Comedy Week | Sally | Episode: "The Dynamite Girl" |
| 1986 | Really Weird Tales | Theresa Sharpe | Episode: "I'll Die Loving"; also writer |
| 1987 | Trying Times | Rebecca | Episode: "Get a Job" |
| 1988 | The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley | Miss Malone (voice) | Main role |
| 1988 | Saturday Night Live | Herself | Episode: "Matthew Broderick / The Sugarcubes" |
| 1989 | I, Martin Short, Goes Hollywood | Nancy Mae | HBO television special |
| 1989 | Andrea Martin... Together Again | Various | Television special Also writer for special material |
| 1990 | The Dave Thomas Comedy Show | Various | Episode: "#1.5" |
| 1990 | Dream On | Irma | Episode: "555-HELL" Directed episode: "And Your Little Dog, Too" |
| 1991 | Morton & Hayes | Amelia von Astor | Episode: "Daffy Dicks" |
| 1991 | Married... with Children | Female Dog | Episode: "Look Who's Barking" |
| 1991 | Saturday Night Live | Herself / Host | Episode: "Catherine O'Hara / R.E.M." |
| 1992 | Saturday Night Live | Herself / Host | Episode: "Catherine O'Hara / 10,000 Maniacs" |
| 1992 | The Larry Sanders Show | Herself | Episode: "The Talk Show Episode" |
| 1993 | The Hidden Room | Laurel Brody | Episode: "The First Battle" |
| 1994 | Tales from the Crypt | Geraldine Ferrett | Episode: "Let the Punishment Fit the Crime" |
| 1997 | The Outer Limits | Becka Paulson | Episode: "The Revelations of Becka Paulson" Directed episode: "Glyphic" |
| 1998 | Whose Line Is It Anyway? | Herself | 3 episodes |
| 1999 | Oh Baby | Roberta Hunter | Episode: "Discrimination" |
| 2000 | MAD TV | Woman on Blind Date | Episode: "24" |
| 2001 | Committed | Liz Larsen | Main role |
| 2002 | Bram & Alice | Ms. O'Connor | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2002 | Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist | Catherine (voice) | Episode: "Bakery Ben" |
| 2003 | Odd Job Jack | Claudia Johnson | Episode: "Broke & Broker" |
| 2003–05 | Six Feet Under | Carol Ward | 4 episodes |
| 2009 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Bam Bam | Episode: "Funkhouser's Crazy Sister" |
| 2009–2011 | Glenn Martin, DDS | Jackie Martin (voice) | Main role |
| 2012 | Leslie | Leslie | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | 30 Rock | Pearline | Episode: "Governor Dunston" |
| 2013 | The Greatest Event in Television History | Muriel Rush | Episode: "Too Close for Comfort" |
| 2015 | What Lives Inside | Sarah Delaney | Miniseries |
| 2015–2020 | Schitt's Creek | Moira Rose | Main role Also consulting producer for seasons 2–6 |
| 2015 | Modern Family | Dr. Debra Radcliffe | Episode: "Clean Out Your Junk Drawer" |
| 2016 | Sofia the First | Morgana (voice) | Episode: "Gone With the Wand" |
| 2016 | Harvey Beaks | Miley (voice) | Episode: "The New Bugaboo/The Case of the Missing Pancake" |
| 2016–18 | Skylanders Academy | Kaossandra (voice) | Main role |
| 2017–18 | A Series of Unfortunate Events | Dr. Georgina Orwell | 3 episodes |
| 2018 | The Magic School Bus Rides Again | Aunt Tennelli, Teresina Tennelli (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2019–2020 | The Last Kids on Earth | Skaelka (voice) | 6 episodes |
| 2020 | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? | Herself | 2 episodes |
| 2022 | Central Park | Gwendolyn Swish (voice) | Episode: "The PAIGE-riarchy!" Performed the song "Light The Match", written by Danny Elfman |
| 2022 | The Kids in the Hall | Charlene | Episode 2 |
| 2025 | The Last of Us † | Gail | Season 2 |
| 2025 | The Studio † | Amy | |

### Television films

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1976 | The Rimshots | Maggie | Retooled as Custard Pie with a different cast |
| 1985 | The Last Polka | Lemon Twin | |
| 1986 | Dave Thomas: The Incredible Time Travels of Henry Osgood | Marie Antoinette | |
| 1997 | Hope | Muriel Macswain | |
| 1999 | Late Last Night | Shrink | |
| 2004 | The Wool Cap | Gloria | |
| 2010 | Temple Grandin | Aunt Ann | |

### Music videos

| Year | Title | Artist(s) | Role | Ref. |
| 2024 | "Electric Energy" | Ariana DeBose, Boy George and Nile Rodgers | Herself | |