Last Updated on February 2, 2026 by Amber T
Hollywood has lost a genre icon and gateway horror queen for a generation. Beetlejuice star and Emmy winner Catherine O’Hara has passed away at the age of 71, leaving behind a brilliant legacy that extends from comedy to horror and beyond.
O’Hara is perhaps best known to horror fans for her role in Beetlejuice alongside Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, in which she produced one of the genre’s most iconic scenes dancing to Harry Belafonte’s “Banana Boat (Day-O).” She also appeared in horror projects like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Monster House, Frankenweenie, and Tales From the Crypt, though she was also beloved by a generation for her work in the Home Alone films as worryingly forgetful mother Kate McAllister.
O’Hara’s career spanned five decades, during which she collaborated frequently with fellow actors Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy — the latter of which led to a career renaissance for the actress when she starred opposite him in the popular comedy series Schitt’s Creek in her 60s. She earned two Emmy Awards for her television work: one for writing on SCTV Network 90 in 1982, and one for acting in Schitt’s Creek in 2020, alongside winning a Golden Globe that same year.
O’Hara continued acting up until her death, most recently appearing in projects like The Studio and The Last of Us, as well as appearing in Tim Burton’s recent sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, where she returned as the iconically and eternally stressed artist Delia Deetz.
O’Hara leaves behind husband and production designer Bo Welch, who she met on the set of Beetlejuice, as well as sons Matthew and Luke and sister Mary Margaret O’Hara. Our thoughts go to her family and friends during this difficult time.
