The Fuss About Catherine O'Hara

Catherine O'Hara, shockingly, passed away today at the too-young age of 71. She was one of our best. The coolest girl in every room.

She and her fellow Second City classmates (Eugene Levy, Martin Short, Andrea Martin, John Candy, to name a few) defined improvisational comedy for their generation, and have continued to for generations to come.

From playing Kevin’s mom in Home Alone to her brilliant collaborations with Christopher Guest—Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, For Your Consideration, and A Mighty Wind—to Beetlejuice and countless guest-starring and voice-over roles, she shined in every one.

But the role that introduced a new generation to her magic, and started a phenomenon, was Moira Rose in Schitt's Creek.

Longtime friend and collaborator of O'Hara, Eugene Levy and his son, Dan Levy, created the perfect role for O'Hara in Schitt's Creek.

As the self-obsessed, often tone-deaf, and wildly dressed matriarch of the Schitt family, O’Hara managed to make Moira not just hilarious, but incredibly endearing. Every moment we got to watch her on screen felt like a privilege.

One of O'Hara's last roles was as Patty Leigh, the fired former head of Continental Studios in Apple TV's The Studio, for which she was nominated for her tenth, and now final, Emmy.

Starring beside the show's creator, Seth Rogen, and acting as his mentor, O'Hara stole every scene she was in. And as I write this, I realize that that was a pattern for her. No matter how many famous men she stood beside in front of the camera, and there were a lot, it was impossible to take our eyes off of her.