The official cause of death for comedy legend Catherine O’Hara has been determined.
The beloved actress, best known for her iconic roles in Schitt’s Creek and Home Alone, died on Friday, Jan. 30, at the age of 71. While her representative initially confirmed she had passed “after a brief illness,” new details from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health have shed light on the medical events leading to her passing.+2
Official Cause of Death
According to a death certificate released on Monday, Feb. 9, and obtained by PEOPLE, O’Hara died after suffering from a pulmonary embolism.
The document lists rectal cancer as the underlying cause of the embolism, revealing a private health battle the star had not disclosed to the public. The certificate also confirms that O’Hara was cremated.+1
A Legacy of Laughter
O’Hara was born in Toronto in 1954. She began her career as a waitress at the Second City Theater. Soon, she became a comedy powerhouse. She rose to prominence as a writer and performer on SCTV in the 1970s.
Unforgettable performances defined her film career. She played the overwhelmed mother Kate McCallister in Home Alone. She also frequently collaborated with director Christopher Guest in mockumentaries like Best in Show and A Mighty Wind.
However, her role as the eccentric matriarch Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek introduced her genius to a new generation. She starred alongside her longtime collaborator Eugene Levy. O’Hara won an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a SAG Award for the role.
“I will forever be grateful to Eugene and Daniel Levy for the opportunity to play a woman of a certain age, my age, who gets to fully be herself,” O’Hara said during her 2020 Emmy acceptance speech.
Recent Work & Survivors
O’Hara remained active in her final years, voicing characters in Elemental and appearing in the action film Argylle and Season 2 of The Last of Us in 2024.
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