Catherine Anne O'Hara (March 4, 1954 – January 30, 2026) was a Canadian-American actress and comedienne, who began her career at Second City Theatre in Toronto. She gained fame on SCTV alongside comedy icons like Rick Moranis and John Candy. Known for roles in films like "After Hours," "Beetlejuice," "Home Alone," and "The Nightmare Before Christmas," she was also renowned for her work in Christopher Guest's mockumentaries. Her versatility extends to voicing Grandma Frump in "The Addams Family." O'Hara received a Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award at the Governor General's Performance Arts Awards in 2020 and a Golden Globe in 2021 for her role in "Schitt's Creek," and two career Emmy Awards (one for Outstanding Writing "SCTV Network" in 1982 and one for Outstanding Lead Actress for "Schitt's Creek" in 2020). Her final roles were in the television series "The Last of Us" and "The Studio," both of which earned her Emmy nominations.

Filmography

• 2025John Candy: I Like Me — Self - Actor, SCTV
• The Studio — Patty Leigh
• 2024Argylle — Ruth
• 2024Beetlejuice Beetlejuice — Delia
• 2024The Wild Robot — Pinktail (voice)
• 2023Elemental — Brook (voice)
• 2023Pain Hustlers — Jackie
• The Last of Us — Gail
• 2021Back Home Again — Mayor Owl (voice)
• 2021Extinct — Alma (voice)
• 2021The Last Kids on Earth: Happy Apocalypse to You
• 2019The Addams Family — Grandma Frump (voice)
• The Last Kids on Earth — Skaelka (voice)
• A Series of Unfortunate Events — Dr. Orwell
• Moonbeam City — Glam (voice)
• Schitt's Creek — Moira Rose, Consulting Producer
• What Lives Inside — Sarah Delaney
• 2013A.C.O.D. — Melissa
• 2013The Right Kind of Wrong — Tess
• 2012Frankenweenie — Mrs. Frankenstein / Weird Girl / Gym Teacher (voice)
• The Greatest Event in Television History — Muriel Rush
• 2010Killers — Mrs. Kornfeldt
• 2010Temple Grandin — Aunt Ann
• 2009Away We Go — Gloria Farlander
• Glenn Martin, DDS — Jackie Martin
• Modern Family — Dr. Debra Radcliffe
• 2009Where the Wild Things Are — Judith (voice)
• 2008Good Behavior — Jackie West
• 2007Penelope — Jessica Wilhern
• 30 Rock — Pearline
• 2006Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses — Duchess Rowena (voice)
• 2006Brother Bear 2 — Kata (voice)
• 2006Christmas with SCTV
• 2006For Your Consideration — Marilyn Hack
• 2006Game 6 — Lillian Rogan
• 2006Monster House — Mom (voice)
• 2006Over the Hedge — Penny (voice)
• 2005Chicken Little — Tina - Alien Mom (voice)
• 2005Wild About Books
• 2004Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events — Justice Strauss
• 2004Surviving Christmas — Christine Valco
• 2004The Wool Cap — Gloria
• 2003A Mighty Wind — Mickey Crabbe
• 2003Can't Buy Me Lunch: Another Look at The Rutles — Astro Glide
• Bram & Alice — Ms. O'Connor
• 2002Orange County — Cindy Beugler
• Committed
• Six Feet Under — Carol Ward
• 2001Speaking of Sex — Connie Barker
• 2000Best in Show — Cookie Fleck
• Curb Your Enthusiasm — Bam Bam
• 2000Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big — Lorna Mae Loon (voice)
• 1999Bartok the Magnificent — Ludmilla (voice)
• 1999Home Alone - Making of & Behind the Scenes — Kate
• 1999Late Last Night — Dr. Fontes
• 1999The Life Before This — Sheena
• 1998Home Fries — Beatrice Lever
• Oh Baby
• 1997Hope — Muriel Macswain
• 1997Pippi Longstocking — Mrs. Prysselius (voice)
• Pippi Longstocking
• 1997Waiting for Guffman — Sheila Albertson
• 1996The Last of the High Kings — Cathleen
• Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist — Catherine (voice), Additional Writing
• MADtv — Woman on Blind Date
• 1995Tall Tale: The Unbelievable Adventure — Calamity Jane
• The Outer Limits — Becka Paulson, Director
• 1994A Simple Twist of Fate — April Simon
• 1994The Paper — Susan
• 1994Wyatt Earp — Allie Earp
• 1993The Nightmare Before Christmas — Sally / Shock (voice)
• 1992Home Alone 2: Lost in New York — Kate
• The Larry Sanders Show — Catherine O'Hara
• 1992There Goes the Neighborhood — Jessie Lodge
• Morton & Hayes — Amelia Von Astor
• 1991Rabbit Ears - Finn McCoul — Narrator (voice)
• The Hidden Room — Laurel Brody
• 1990Betsy's Wedding — Gloria Henner
• 1990Dick Tracy — Texie Garcia
• Dream On — Irma, Director
• 1990Home Alone — Kate
• 1990Little Vegas — Lexie
• The Dave Thomas Comedy Show
• 1989Andrea Martin... Together Again — Writer
• 1989I, Martin Short, Goes Hollywood — Nancy Mae
• Tales from the Crypt — Geraldine Ferrett (segment "Let the Punishment Fit the Crime")
• 1988Beetlejuice — Delia
• 1988The Best of SCTV — Writer
• The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley — Miss Malone
• 1986Heartburn — Betty
• 1986Really Weird Tales — Theresa Sharpe (segment "I'll Die Loving"), Writer
• 1986The Incredible Time-Travels of Henry Osgood — Marie Antoinette
• 1985After Hours — Gail
• George Burns Comedy Week — Sally Hayes
• 1985PMS - Premenstrual Syndrome — Mary Marcus, Writer
• 1985The Last Polka — Lemon Twin
• The New Show
• 1983Rock & Rule — Aunt Edith (voice)
• SCTV Channel
• 1982Rome, Italian Style — Ursula Schneider
• SCTV Network 90 — Various, Writer
• 1980Double Negative — Judith
• 1980Easter Fever — Scarlett O'Hare (voice)
• 1980From Cleveland — Various, Writer
• 1980Nothing Personal — Audrey
• 1979Intergalactic Thanksgiving, or Please Don't Eat the Planet — Ma Spademinder (voice)
• 1978Witch's Night Out — Malicious (voice)
• Scholastic Storybook Treasures: The Classic Collection — Narrator
• Twilight Park — Queen Henrietta

Appearances as themselves (41)

• 2026Marty, Life Is Short — Self
• 2026SCTV: The Greatest Show You've Never Heard Of — Self (Archival Footage)
• 2026You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution... — Self (archive footage)
• 2025SNL50: The Homecoming Concert — Self
• 2025The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards — Self
• Tim Burton: Life in the Line — Self (footage)
• 2021An Audience with Adele — Self
• 2021Catherine O'Hara: All of Us Shine — Self
• 2020Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: A Schitt's Creek Farewell — Self
• 2020Canada Far and Wide — Self
• Stars in the House — Self
• 2020Stronger Together, Tous Ensemble — Self
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire — Self - Contestant
• The Kelly Clarkson Show — Self
• Full Frontal with Samantha Bee — Self
• 2015Being Canadian — Self
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — Self - Guest
• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver — Self
• PaparaGilles — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon — Self - Guest
• 2013Tales from the Warner Bros. Lot — Self
• Inside Comedy — Self
• 2010Vancouver 2010 Olympic Closing Ceremony — Herself
• Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen — Self - Guest
• Second City: First Family of Comedy — Self (Archival Footage)
• 2005John Candy: Comic Spirit — Self
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Self - Guest
• 2002Searching for Debra Winger — Self
• The View — Self
• 1993Friends of Gilda — Self
• Late Show with David Letterman — Self - Guest
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno — Self - Guest
• Whose Line Is It Anyway? — Self
• 1985Tears Are Not Enough — Self
• Late Night with David Letterman — Self - Guest
• Second City Television — Self - Various Characters
• Saturday Night Live — Self - Host, Self (uncredited)
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self
• The Oscars — Self
• The Emmy Awards — Self
• Golden Globe Awards — Self - Nominee, Self - Presenter