Catherine O'Hara

Canadian actress, writer and comedianTemplate:SHORTDESC:Canadian actress, writer and comedian[[Category:**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Pagetype/config' not found.**s with short description]]

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**Catherine Anne O'Hara** OC (born March 4, 1954) is a Canadian-American actress, writer, and comedian. She first drew notice as an actress in 1974 as a member of The Second City improvisational comedy troupe in Toronto. She landed her first significant television role in 1975 starring opposite John Candy and Dan Aykroyd in the main cast of the Canadian sitcom *Coming Up Rosie* (1975–1978). The following year, she and Candy began work on the sketch comedy series *Second City Television* (1976–84), where she drew critical acclaim for both her work as a comedic actress and writer, winning a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series in 1981.

O'Hara has appeared in several films directed by Tim Burton, beginning with the role of Delia Deetz in the 1988 fantasy comedy film *Beetlejuice*. Other roles she has portrayed in Burton films include the voices of Sally/Shock in *The Nightmare Before Christmas* (1993) and Susan Frankenstein in *Frankenweenie* (2012). O'Hara has also frequently collaborated with director and writer Christopher Guest, appearing in the mockumentary films *Waiting for Guffman* (1996), *Best in Show* (2000), *A Mighty Wind* (2003), and *For Your Consideration* (2006). In 2000, she won a Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for the crime drama film *The Life Before This*. She is also known to audiences for her role as Kate McCallister, the mother of Kevin, in the holiday comedy film *Home Alone* (1990) and its sequel, *Home Alone 2: Lost in New York* (1992).

In 2010, O'Hara was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie and the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for her portrayal of Aunt Ann in *Temple Grandin*, opposite Claire Danes. For her work on the television series *Schitt's Creek* (2015–2020), she has won four consecutive Canadian Screen Awards for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and earned a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, the first of her career.

Her other notable television appearances include the recurring roles of Dr. Georgina Orwell in the Netflix series *A Series of Unfortunate Events* and Carol Ward in *Six Feet Under*, and the voices of Jackie Martin in *Glenn Martin, DDS*, Miss Malone in *The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley*, Kaossandra in *Skylanders Academy* and Liz Larsen in *Committed*. She has also hosted *Saturday Night Live* twice during her career and made numerous guest appearances on sitcoms, variety shows, and late night television.

## Early life

O'Hara was born in Toronto, Ontario, into a large family of Irish descent. She was raised Catholic and is the sixth of seven children. She attended Burnhamthorpe Collegiate Institute, where she first met fellow comedian Robin Duke.Template:Citation needed

## Career

O'Hara started her comedy career in 1974 as a cast member of The Second City in her native 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 ever 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 appeared in the 1976 television film *The Rimshots*, the children's television series *Coming Up Rosie* for a year, and television specials, such as *Witch's Night Out* and *Intergalactic Thanksgiving*. But it was her performances on *SCTV* that earned her fame in Canada, which is why she returned to the show, not only as an actress but as a writer for both *SCTV* and *SCTV Network 90*, which earned her an Emmy Award for outstanding writing and two Emmy Award nominations. She also has written for *SCTV Channel*.

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.

 File:Catherine O'Hara star on Walk of Fame.jpg
O'Hara has also had 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), with Meryl Streep. She had more notable roles in *Beetlejuice* (1988) and *Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events* (2004), as well as the blockbuster hit *Home Alone* (1990) and its sequel *Home Alone 2: Lost in New York* (1992). Also in 1992, O'Hara worked alongside Jeff Daniels 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. 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 also appeared in the tenth series of the UK version of *Whose Line Is It Anyway?* 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 movies, including *The Nightmare Before Christmas* (1993), *Bartok the Magnificent* (1999), *Chicken Little* (2005), *Over the Hedge* (2006), *Monster House* (2006), *Brother Bear 2* (2006), *Frankenweenie* (2012), and *The Addams Family* (2019).

Since 2015, O'Hara has starred alongside Eugene Levy, whom she met on the set of *Second City Television*, as Moira Rose in the CBC sitcom *Schitt's Creek*. Her performance earned her four Canadian Screen Awards for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, and a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She also 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.

### Celebrities impersonated on *SCTV*

* Katharine Hepburn
* Joan Crawford
* Diane Keaton
* Joey Heatherton
* Lola Falana
* Elizabeth Taylor
* Brooke Shields
* Morgan Fairchild
* Barbara Billingsley
* Maggie Smith

* Charlotte Rampling
* Monica Vitti
* Jane Pauley
* Rona Barrett
* Tammy Faye Bakker
* Angie Dickinson
* Dorothy Kilgallen
* Jessica Savitch
* Linda Blair

* Gilda Radner
* Dinah Shore
* Joan Sutherland
* Jane Fonda
* Joan Embery
* Candice Bergen
* Meryl Streep
* Karen Black
* Lucille Ball
* Julia Child

## Personal life

In 1983, she 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, together, 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*. She holds dual USA and Canadian citizenship. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California with her husband and children.

## References

1. ↑ Onstad, Katrina (April 12, 2005)"Inductee: Mary Margaret O'Hara", CBC News. Retrieved on October 14, 2011.
2. ↑ "Proust Questionnaire: Catherine O'Hara", *Vanity Fair*. Retrieved on November 20, 2016.
3. ↑ "The Second City". secondcity.com. http://www.secondcity.com/?id=history/alumni/toronto. Retrieved October 14, 2011.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Once the Comedy Queen of SCTV, Reclusive Catherine O'Hara Swears She Isn't Just Lying Down on the Job", *People* (October 13, 1986). Retrieved on May 27, 2018.
5. ↑ "Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy on Their Onscreen Romances and More Than 40 Years of Comedy Together", *Vulture* (February 10, 2015). Retrieved on May 27, 2018.
6. ↑ "Catherine The Great", thestar.com (June 2, 2007). Retrieved on October 14, 2011.
7. ↑ "SCTV Shoots For First". rickmoranisfanpage.com. http://rickmoranisfanpage.com/Articles/secondcityshoots.html. Retrieved October 14, 2011.
8. ↑ Waldman, Allison (May 2, 2008) "Oh, good! Catherine O'Hara to star in ABC pilot". aoltv.com. http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/05/02/oh-good-catherine-ohara-to-star-in-abc-pilot. Retrieved October 14, 2011.  Catherine O'Hara to star in ABC pilot
9. ↑ "Catherine O'Hara". The Second City. https://www.secondcity.com/people/other/catherine-ohara/. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
10. ↑ Milligan, Mercedes (November 26, 2018). "Martin Short & Catherine O'Hara Join 'Addams Family' Cast". https://www.animationmagazine.net/features/martin-short-catherine-ohara-join-addams-family-cast/.
11. ↑ "The Canadian Screen Awards: Call 'Em The 'Candys' From Now On". http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/03/14/canadian-screen-awards-2016\_n\_9456460.html.
12. ↑ Sean Fitz-Gerald (January 13, 2017). "Every 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' Actor You Need to Know About". *Thrillist*. https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/series-of-unfortunate-events-netflix-cast. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
13. ↑ Hirschberg, Lynn (September 15, 1983). "Catherine O'Hara Needs a Rest", *Rolling Stone*.
14. ↑ "How The Creative And Unusual World Of Tim Burton's 'Beetlejuice' Became A Beautiful Reality" (in en-US), *UPROXX* (May 4, 2015).
15. ↑ "Catherine O'Hara". Yahoo! Movies. https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800019038/bio. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
16. ↑ "Catherine O'Hara Biography (1954-)". http://www.filmreference.com/film/75/Catherine-O-Hara.html.
17. ↑ Ramos, Dino-Ray (March 13, 2019). "'The Last Kids On Earth': Mark Hamill, Rosario Dawson, Catherine O'Hara and Others Set For Netflix Animated Series". https://deadline.com/2019/03/the-last-kids-on-earth-netflix-mark-hamill-rosario-dawson-catherine-ohara-keith-david-bruce-campbell-garland-whitt-montse-hernandez-charles-demers-nick-wolfhard-1202574577. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 "SCTV Network" (in en). https://www.emmys.com/shows/sctv-network.
19. ↑ "Earle Grey Award | The Canadian Encyclopedia". https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/earle-grey-award.
20. ↑ "Sunshine, Felicia's Journey top Genie Awards", *CBC News* (2000-01-31).
21. ↑ "Nominations & Awards Archives | Canadian Comedy Awards". https://www.canadiancomedyawards.org/archives.php?year=2001.
22. ↑ Horton, Robert (2003-12-18). "Winners Announced in Second Annual Seattle Film Critics Awards" (in en-US). http://parallax-view.org/2003/12/18/winners-announced-in-second-annual-seattle-film-critics-awards/.
23. ↑ "2003 FFCC Award Winners" (in en). http://www.floridafilmcritics.com/2013/11/16/2003-ffcc-award-winners/.
24. ↑ "2006 Archives" (in en-US). http://www.nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/2006/.
25. ↑ "New York Film Critics Online - Awards Archive" (in en). http://www.nyfco.net/awards-archive/.
26. ↑ "Gotham Independent Film Awards". 2017-02-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20170219100430/http://gotham.ifp.org/flash/Timeline/2006.html.
27. ↑ "AWFJ Announces 2006 EDA Awards Nominees – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS" (in en-US). https://awfj.org/blog/2006/12/10/awfj-announces-2006-eda-awards-nominees/.
28. ↑ Indiewire; Indiewire (2006-11-28). "AWARDS WATCH: "Half Nelson," "Little Miss Sunshine" Top Spirit Award Nominations" (in en). https://www.indiewire.com/2006/11/awards-watch-half-nelson-little-miss-sunshine-top-spirit-award-nominations-75655/.
29. ↑ "2007, 13th Annual Awards, March 18, 2007 – Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film" (in en-US). http://chlotrudis.org/awards/past-awards/2007-13th-annual-awards-march-18-2007/.
30. ↑ "Temple Grandin" (in en). https://www.emmys.com/shows/temple-grandin.
31. ↑ "Wayback Machine". 2011-07-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20110715112448/http://www.pressacademy.com/NominationsRelease.pdf.
32. ↑ Derby, Gold (2016-03-07). "2010 GOLDDERBY TV AWARDS" (in en-US). https://www.goldderby.com/2010-goldderby-tv-awards/.
33. ↑ "Past Western Heritage Award Winners" (in en-US). https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/western-heritage-award-winners/.
34. ↑ "Complete List of Nominations for the 17th Annual SAG Awards" (in en-US). 2010-12-16. https://www.eonline.com/news/216602/complete-list-of-nominations-for-the-17th-annual-sag-awards.
35. ↑ "Disney Leads Annie Award Best Picture Nominations" (in en). https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/annie-award-nominations-2012-disney-396703.
36. ↑ "Telefilm Canada and Birks pay tribute to nine Canadian women directors and actors at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival" (in en). 2015-09-04. https://telefilm.ca/en/news-releases/telefilm-canada-and-birks-pay-tribute-to-nine-canadian-women-directors-and-actors-at-the-2015-toronto-international-film-festival.
37. ↑ "The ACTRA Awards in Toronto". https://www.actratoronto.com/performers/community/the-actra-awards-in-toronto/.
38. ↑ Furdyk, Brent (2016-02-09). "Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara To Receive Canadian Screen Awards' Legacy Award". https://etcanada.com/news/38304/eugene-levy-catherine-ohara-to-receive-canadian-screen-awards-legacy-award/.
39. ↑ Furdyk, Brent (2016-01-19). "2016 Canadian Screen Awards Nominees Announced". https://etcanada.com/news/37268/2016-canadian-screen-awards-nominees-announced/.
40. ↑ Furdyk, Brent (2017-03-12). "2017 Canadian Screen Awards: And The Winners Are…". https://etcanada.com/news/210784/2017-canadian-screen-awards-and-the-winners-are/.
41. ↑ "The 15th Annual ACTRA Awards in Toronto nominees", Cision, *ACTRA Toronto* (2017-01-18).
42. ↑ "Nominations & Awards Archives | Canadian Comedy Awards". https://www.canadiancomedyawards.org/archives.php.
43. ↑ "Broadcast Gala" (in en-US). 2018-03-11. https://www.academy.ca/2018/broadcast-gala-2/.
44. ↑ Toronto, ACTRA. "The 16th Annual ACTRA Awards in Toronto Nominees" (in en). https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/the-16th-annual-actra-awards-in-toronto-nominees-669015333.html.
45. ↑ "Catherine O'Hara to Receive an Oscar Wilde Award | US-Ireland Alliance". https://www.us-irelandalliance.org/arts\_culture/news/catherine-o-hara-to-receive-an-oscar-wilde-award-martin-short-will-present.
46. ↑ "2019 Nominees" (in en-US). https://legionnairesoflaughter.com/nominees/.
47. ↑ "CBC CELEBRATES 52 WINS AT THE 2019 CANADIAN SCREEN AWARDS" (Press Release), CBC (2019-04-01).
48. ↑ "Winners: The 17th Annual ACTRA Awards in Toronto | ACTRA Toronto" (in en). https://www.actratoronto.com/winners-the-17th-annual-actra-awards-in-toronto/.
49. ↑ Ausiello, Michael (2019-06-19). "TCA Awards: Pose, Russian Doll, Fleabag, Good Fight, Schitt's Creek Score Multiple Nominations" (in en). https://tvline.com/2019/06/19/tca-awards-nominations-2019-pose/.
50. ↑ "Nominees / Winners" (in en). https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners.
51. ↑ Montgomery, Daniel; Beachum, Chris; Beachum, Chris; Dixon, Marcus James; Eng, Joyce; Sheehan, Paul; Wloszczyna, Susan (2019-09-18). "Gold Derby TV Awards winners 2019: 'Game of Thrones' and 'Fleabag' rule, but voters spread the wealth" (in en-US). https://www.goldderby.com/article/2019/gold-derby-tv-awards-winners-2019-game-of-thrones-fleabag-news/.
52. ↑ Wloszczyna, Daniel Montgomery,Chris Beachum,Joyce Eng,Marcus James Dixon,Paul Sheehan,Susan; Montgomery, Daniel; Beachum, Chris; Eng, Joyce; Dixon, Marcus James; Sheehan, Paul; Wloszczyna, Susan (2019-11-04). "Gold Derby TV Decade Award winners: 'Breaking Bad,' 'Veep,' Ryan Murphy and more were the best from 2010-2019" (in en-US). https://www.goldderby.com/article/2019/gold-derby-tv-decade-award-winners-breaking-bad-ryan-murphy-news/.
53. ↑ "23rd Annual TV Awards (2018-19) - Online Film & Television Association" (in en-US). http://www.oftaawards.com/television-awards/23rd-annual-tv-awards-2018-19/.
54. ↑ Turchiano, Danielle (2019-12-08). "'When They See Us,' 'This Is Us,' 'Schitt's Creek' Lead 25th Annual Critics' Choice Awards TV Noms" (in en). https://variety.com/2019/tv/awards/when-they-see-us-this-is-us-schitts-creek-25th-annual-critics-choice-awards-tv-noms-1203428904/.
55. ↑ "2019 Nominees | International Press Academy" (in en-US). https://www.pressacademy.com/2019-ipa-awards/.
56. ↑ "Nominations Announced for the 26th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards ® | Screen Actors Guild Awards" (in en). https://www.sagawards.org/media/news/releases/nominations-announced-26th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards-%C2%AE.
57. ↑ "Wilde Artist of the Decade - 'Parasite,' 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire,' 'Pain and Glory' Lead Dorian Award Nominations" (in en). https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/2020-gay-lesbian-entertainment-critics-dorian-awards-noms-full-list-1265575/item/wilde-artist-decade-1265605.
58. ↑ "ACTRA National – Catherine O’Hara to be honoured by Canadian performers with 2020 ACTRA National Award of Excellence". https://www.actra.ca/press-releases/2020/01/catherine-ohara-to-be-honoured-by-canadian-performers-with-2020-actra-national-award-of-excellence/.
59. ↑ "2020 Canadian Screen Awards Nominees" (in en-US). https://www.academy.ca/nominees/.
60. ↑ "Award Recipients - Governor General's Performing Arts Awards (GGPAA)". https://ggpaa.ca/award-recipients/2020/o-hara,-catherine.aspx.

## External links

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* Catherine O'Hara at Northernstars.ca

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