'Schitt's Creek' Star Catherine O'Hara Dies at 71 — What Was Her Cause of Death?

Hollywood actor Catherine O'Hara has died at the age of 71. TMZ reports that the Schitt's Creek star died on Jan. 30, 2026, following an impressive career that spanned more than 50 years.

The Canadian actor was born in 1954 in Toronto, and her first acting experience was playing the Virgin Mary in a school play. She began working at the famed Second City Theater in Toronto after graduating from high school, per People, as a waitress, and she ended up joining the theater company in 1974.

After Second City Television began in 1976, Catherine quickly gained recognition for her impressions of celebrities, such as Brooke Shields and Meryl Streep, and after she became a writer on SCTV, Catherine received five Emmy nominations, and she won an Emmy as well. She also worked alongside the great John Candy and actor Eugene Levy, with whom she went on to star in Schitt's Creek. Catherine also delivered a moving eulogy at John's funeral in 1994 after he died unexpectedly at the age of 43.

The cause of Catherine's death has not yet been released to the public. According to Page Six, the Home Alone actor was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital in “serious condition" after the paramedics were called to her home in Brentwood at approximately 4:48 a.m. on Jan 30 for medical aid.

Catherine's first movie was the 1980 film Double Negative with her friends Eugene Levy and John Candy. She went on to star in the 1985 comedy After Hours by Martin Scorsese, and Heartburn with Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson in 1986. One of her most famous roles was as Delia Deetz in the 1988 film Beetlejuice with Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton. However, it was her role as the mother of Macaulay Culkin in the 1990 holiday movie Home Alone that made her a household name.

She told People back in 1990, "It's a perfect movie, isn't it? ... I don't care to do a great role in a bad project. You want to be part of something good, and that's how you go," she said of how she chose acting gigs.

In addition to her Emmy for writing, Catherine won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in Schitt's Creek back in 2020. Catherine also appeared in Six Feet Under, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and 30 Rock, just to name a few.

The actor's latest roles were in the zombie action drama The Last of Us and the TV drama The Studio starring Seth Rogen.

Catherine married Bob Welch in 1992 after meeting on Beetlejuice, and they had two children, sons Matthew and Luke. Catherine is survived by her husband and their two children.