On Jan. 30, news of actress Cathrine O’Hara’s death began to surface on various platforms and news outlets. Posts of grief over the influential Emmy-award winning actress’s death came flooding in (People). However, although the comedian herself has passed on, her work continues to live on.
According to IMDB, O’Hara began her acting career starring in the 1970s show “Coming up Rosie,” which lasted two seasons. Her true break-out role came in Tim Burton’s 1988 film “Beetlejuice,” where she played the rather erratic Delia Deetz alongside Winona Ryder as her on-stage step-daughter, Lydia. After being put on the map in the late 80s, she became a household name in the early 90s by becoming Kevin McCallister’s mother in the classic Christmas film “Home Alone.” O’Hara once again worked with Burton in “The Nightmare Before Christmas” as the voice of Jack Skellington’s love interest, Sally. In the 2010s, she starred in the beloved comedy show “Schitt’s Creek,” as Moira Rose, as well as becoming a consulting producer beginning in season two up until the end of the show.
In her life, O’Hara won many accolades, including a Golden Globe and a star in Canada’s Walk of Fame. While she accumulated wealth and fame, O’Hara used her status to give to those in need by supporting cancer research, helping house the homeless and advocating for the LGBTQIA community (Carnegie Corporation of New York). O’Hara’s work has helped many feel seen and helped many with her position. May her legacy live on forever as a dedicated storyteller and philanthropist who inspired others to follow suit.
