CHILLING dispatch audio has revealed screen legend Catherine O’Hara was “struggling to breathe” before she died early on Friday morning.
O’Hara, 71, best known for her roles in Home Alone, Beetlejuice, and Schitt’s Creek, was reportedly rushed to a Los Angeles hospital in a serious condition.
The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to reports of a medical emergency after a 911 call was placed from her Brentwood home at 4.48am.
Dispatch audio obtained by PageSix revealed the actress was having difficulty breathing in her final moments.
Tragically, she passed away hours later in hospital.
A cause of death has not yet been confirmed, though her talent agency CAA said she suffered from a “brief illness” just before her death.
O’Hara is survived by her husband of 33 years, Bo Welch, and their two sons, Matthew, 31, and Luke, 29.
Tributes to the comedy icon have begun to pour in from across Hollywood after her untimely death.
Macaulay Culkin, who starred as the actress’s son in the Home Alone films, remembered O’Hara as “mama” in a heartbreaking post on Instagram.
“Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you, but I had so much more to say,” Culkin wrote.
“I love you. I’ll see you later.”
O’Hara played Kate McCallister, the mother of Culkin’s character, Kevin, in the first two Home Alone movies.
Catherine O’Hara dead at 71
Iconic Home Alone actress Catherine O’Hara died on January 30, 2026. O’Hara was 71.
Biography:
- Catherine O’Hara, who was born in Toronto, Canada, began her acting career in comedy in 1974 after joining the cast of The Second City, which was televised in both Canada and the United States.
- O’Hara expanded her career in television in the mid-1970s, appearing in small roles on the CBC series Wayne and Shuster, the film The Rimshots, and the children’s series Coming up Rosie.
- She gained prominence in Hollywood in the 1980s, after she was cast in the classic horror-comedy film Beetlejuice.
- Starring alongside Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, and Winona Ryder, O’Hara portrayed Delia Deetz.
- In 1990, O’Hara starred alongside child actor Macaulay Culkin in the holiday blockbuster Home Alone.
- She reprised her role as Kate McCallister, the mother of the young troublemaker Kevin McCallister, portrayed by Culkin, in the film’s 1992 sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
- Both installments of Home Alone were massive hits at the box office, and to this date, remain among the most successful Christmas movies of all time.
- After the success of Home Alone, O’Hara continued to appear in several films throughout the 1990s, including the comedy-drama The Paper, Waiting for Guffman, and the Western film Wyatt Earp.
- O’Hara also had several voice artist appearances, including The Nightmare Before Christmas, Chicken Little, and Monster House, among others.
- She had a career resurgence in 2015 when she appeared as Moira Rose in the Canadian sitcom Schitt’s Creek.
- In 2025, O’Hara had a main role in the Apple TV+ comedy series The Studio.
- Throughout her career, O’Hara received various awards, including two PrimeTime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
- She had two children with her husband, Bo Welch, whom she met on the set of Beetlejuice.
AWAY FROM THE SPOTLIGHT
O’Hara skipped the Golden Globes on January 11, despite receiving a nomination for Best Supporting Performance by a Female Actor for her role in the Apple+ TV series The Studio.
It was not clear why she did not attend the ceremony.
She made her last public appearance on September 14, 2025, posing on the red carpet with Welch at Apple TV’s Emmys party in West Hollywood.
Days earlier, she was all smiles at a Toronto Film Festival party.
As The U.S. Sun exclusively reported on Friday, she was expected to film Season 2 of The Studio in mid-January, but did not appear on set.
O’Hara’s plans were changed at the last minute due to “personal matters,” a source claimed.
“She was scheduled to film, but they reworked the schedule to focus on scenes without her character,” the source said.
“It was not widely known she was dealing with any health or major issues.
“I don’t believe she ever filmed anything for season two,” the production insider claimed.
Catherine’s unexpected passing has sent shockwaves through the cast and crew of the Apple+ TV series, who were completely blindsided by the tragic news.
LONG, STORIED CAREER
O’Hara was born in Toronto, Canada, before moving to the United States.
Her career spanned more than 50 years, stretching across TV, movies, and sketch comedy.
She started out in sketch series Second City Television in the mid-1970s.
O’Hara won an Emmy as part of the show.
But she shot to superstardom in the beloved 1990 Christmas movie Home Alone, in which she played Kevin McCallister’s mother.
She remained close with onscreen son Macaulay Culkin, and supported the actor in 2023 at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony.
Later in her career, she had a pop culture resurgence with smash hit comedy Schitt’s Creek, opposite her longtime friend Eugene Levy.
The show aired from 2015 until 2020, and earned O’Hara two Emmys for her role as eccentric former soap star Moira Rose.
She was featured in a documentary about late Home Alone co-star and close friend John Candy, which premiered in 2025.
O’Hara also stole scenes as heartbroken therapist Gail on The Last Of Us’ second season opposite Pedro Pascal.
Catherine O’Hara Tributes
Iconic actress Catherine O’Hara, who is best known for her role as Kate McCallister in the Christmas classic Home Alone, died on January 30, 2026. She was 71.
Tributes:
- Home Alone co-star Macaulay Culkin: Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you but I had so much more to say. I love you. I’ll see you later.”
- Home Alone co-star Devin Ratray: “One of the greatest people I ever met. It just doesn’t register. Bewildered and numb.”
- The Last of Us actor Pedro Pascal: “Oh, genius to be near you. Eternally grateful. There is less light in my world, this lucky world that had you, will keep you, always. Always. The one and ONLY #CatherineOHara.”
- Bravo host Andy Cohen: “Fell in love at first sight on SCTV and it only got stronger. Rest in Peace, Angel Catherine O’Hara.”
- Beetlejuice co-star Justin Theroux: “Catherine. You will be so so missed.”
- Comedian Tom Green: “I’m so sorry to hear the news that Canadian comedy legend Catherine O’Hara has passed away at 71. She’s kept me and millions of others entertained throughout my lifetime – from her brilliant work on SCTV, to Home Alone, Beetlejuice, Best in Show, Schitt’s Creek, and so many other films and television classics. Her characters brought so much joy and laughter to the world. It’s with a heavy heart that I share this today. Rest in peace, Catherine O’Hara — one of the greatest Canadian comedy icons of all time.”
