Catherine O'Hara dies at 71: How rich was ‘Home Alone’ actress; all about her personal life, career and net worth

Catherine O'Hara death: Legendary Hollywood actress and comedian Catherine O'Hara passed away on Friday (January 30, 2026) at the age of 71. According to TMZ, O'Hara's agency, CAA, confirmed the news of her passing, saying that she died at her home in Los Angeles's Brentwood area “following a brief illness." The cause of death remained unclear at the time the report was filed.

Paramedics were called to the actress’s home at 4:48 AM on Friday morning for a medical aid call, Page Six reported, citing a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson.

The actress, who was famous for her work in "Schitt's Creek," "Home Alone," and "Best In Show," lived with a rare condition called dextrocardia with situs inversus, according to the New York Post. It is pertinent to note that there is no clarity on whether this diagnosis played a role in her death.

Catherine O'Hara: Personal life, career, and net worth

Born on March 4, 1954, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Catherine O'Hara was raised in a Catholic household alongside six siblings. According to Celebrity Net Worth, her sister, Mary Margaret O'Hara, later became a critically acclaimed singer-songwriter.

She attended Burnhamthorpe Collegiate Institute, where she developed an early interest in performance, according to the online platform. O'Hara started her professional career in 1974 as a cast member of ‘The Second City’ in Toronto. Early on, she worked as Gilda Radner's understudy, a position she held until Radner left to join the original cast of "Saturday Night Live."

Two years later, ‘The Second City’ launched the sketch comedy series "SCTV" in 1976, which featured O'Hara alongside Eugene Levy, John Candy, Andrea Martin, and Harold Ramis.

The Canadian-American actress, who had an illustrious acting career spanning five decades, was well known for portraying Macaulay Culkin's mother in the first two 'Home Alone' movies, and she also appeared as Moira Rose in 80 episodes of "Schitt's Creek."

Her most recent work prior to her death came opposite Seth Rogen in the Apple TV+ series, "The Studio." She was recognized for her work with Emmy nominations in two different genres: Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in The Studio and Guest Actress for a Drama Series in The Last of Us.

Other notable movie credits include a couple mockumentaries in the 2000s, "Best in Show" and 2003's "A Mighty Wind," "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice," and the OG "Beetlejuice."

She won an Emmy Award for her work in "Schitt's Creek" in 2020, followed by her first Emmy win way back in 1982 for her writing contributions to the sketch comedy TV series "SCTV Network 90."

O'Hara had a net worth of $10 million at the time of her death, according to Celebrity Net Worth. She met her husband, production designer Bo Welch, on the set of 1988's "Beetlejuice." They got hitched in 1992 and had two sons, Matthew and Luke.

According to TMZ, the 71-year-old actress earned a nomination for a Golden Globe for her recurring role in Seth Rogen's hit show "The Studio." But she didn't attend the ceremony earlier in January 2026.