Catherine O’Hara had an estimated net worth of $10 million at the time of her death on January 30, 2026, at age 71. The Canadian-American actress, comedian, and screenwriter was one of the most decorated comedic performers in North American television history — a two-time Primetime Emmy winner, Golden Globe winner, and Officer of the Order of Canada, known for her iconic roles in Schitt’s Creek, Home Alone, and Beetlejuice.
Updated March 2026: According to Wikipedia and the BBC, Catherine O’Hara passed away on January 30, 2026, from a pulmonary embolism related to rectal cancer. She received a posthumous Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for her role in the Apple TV+ series The Studio (2026).
Catherine Anne O’Hara was born on March 4, 1954, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the seventh of eight children in an Irish-Catholic family. She grew up in Toronto’s east end and attended Holy Name of Mary College School. She was drawn to performance from a young age and joined the Toronto branch of the Second City comedy troupe in the early 1970s, where she met future collaborators including John Candy, Martin Short, and Eugene Levy. Her Second City work led directly to her involvement with the groundbreaking Canadian sketch comedy series SCTV, which launched nationally in 1976.
O’Hara was a founding cast member of SCTV (Second City Television), the Canadian sketch comedy series that aired from 1976 to 1984 and launched the careers of multiple major talents. She and her castmates won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program in 1982 for their work on the show.
Her film career included Tim Burton collaborations Beetlejuice (1988), as Delia Deetz, and Edward Scissorhands (1990). She became one of the most recognized faces in holiday film history through her role as Kate McCallister — Kevin’s harried mother — in Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). The original Home Alone grossed $476 million worldwide, per Box Office Mojo.
The defining work of O’Hara’s later career was her role as Moira Rose in the CBC/Pop TV series Schitt’s Creek (2015–2020). Her performance earned her the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2020 — the first Canadian actress to win in that category — and the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy in 2021. She received additional posthumous Emmy nominations in 2025 for her work in The Last of Us and The Studio.
Catherine O’Hara married production designer Bo Welch in 1992. They remained together until her death in January 2026. The couple had two sons: Matthew Welch (born 1994) and Luke Welch (born 1997). The family resided in Brentwood, Los Angeles. O’Hara and her frequent collaborator Eugene Levy maintained a creative partnership across several decades, most prominently in Schitt’s Creek. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2012 in recognition of her contributions to Canadian and North American comedy.
Catherine O’Hara’s net worth was estimated at $10 million at the time of her death on January 30, 2026. Her wealth derived from over four decades of film and television work, including major roles in Home Alone, Beetlejuice, and Schitt’s Creek, as well as royalties and backend participation from those properties.
Catherine O’Hara passed away on January 30, 2026, at the age of 71. The cause of death was a pulmonary embolism related to rectal cancer. Tributes came from across the entertainment industry and from the Canadian government, per the BBC.
Catherine O’Hara was 71 years old at the time of her death on January 30, 2026. She was born on March 4, 1954, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She had been active as a performer until close to her death, receiving Emmy nominations for her work in 2025.
Catherine O’Hara’s husband was Bo Welch, a production designer whose credits include Men in Black, The Grinch, and Batman Returns. They married in 1992 and remained together until her death in January 2026. They had two sons, Matthew and Luke, per People.
Catherine O’Hara stood 5 feet 4.5 inches tall (approximately 1.64 meters). She was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, and built her career through Second City and the SCTV television ensemble.
Catherine O’Hara is best known for three iconic roles: Kate McCallister, the frantic mother in Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2 (1992); Moira Rose, the flamboyant matriarch of the Rose family in Schitt’s Creek (2015–2020), for which she won the Emmy and Golden Globe for Best Actress; and Delia Deetz in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice (1988). She was also a founding cast member of the landmark Canadian sketch series SCTV.