Catherine O'Hara’s Private Battle with Cancer
Catherine O'Hara at the premiere for The Studio in March 2025. Source: Shutterstock
Catherine O'Hara was an Emmy-winning Canadian and American actress, comedian and screenwriter, with a career which spanned over 50 years. Some of her notable works include: the movies “Home Alone” and “Beetlejuice”, the TV series “Schitt's Creek”and the Canadian sketch comedy series “Second City Television”.
O'Hara passed away at age 71 on January 30, 2026, after being hospitalized due to breathing difficulties and a call for aid to the Los Angeles Fire Department. O'Hara’s cause of death was revealed later to be a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lungs) caused by complications from rectal cancer.
According to Mayo Clinic, symptoms of a pulmonary embolism include: shortness of breath, chest pain and fainting.
Catherine O’Hara’s cancer
O'Hara’s fight with cancer was kept private up until her death, with details revealed only through her death certificate. She had been receiving treatment for her rectal cancer since March 2025, according to the oncologist who signed off on the certificate.
News of O'Hara’s passing led to emotional tributes from her co-stars, including Macaulay Culkin, who played her son in the movie “Home Alone”.
Source: Instagram/@culkamania
Dan Levy, her co-star on “Schitt’s Creek”, shared the following on his Instagram: “Having spent over fifty years collaborating with my Dad, Catherine was extended family before she ever played my family. It’s hard to imagine a world without her in it.”
She was known for the past decade for her role as the narcissistic former soap star Moira Rose on her show with Levy, earning her a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.