Some losses hit the culture. Some losses hit the industry. And then there are the rare ones that hit you — because the person wasn’t just a performer on a screen, but a presence threaded through your own life in small, unforgettable ways.
Catherine O’Hara, the incomparable force behind Beetlejuice, Home Alone, Schitt’s Creek, and decades of comedic brilliance, passed away this morning in Los Angeles at 71. And while the world mourns an icon, some of us are mourning someone who felt strangely, beautifully familiar.
From growing up watching her in movies… to seeing her at the Beverly Center during Christmas — happily shopping with big bags in hand, her tousled red pigtails bouncing, looking every bit herself. It was like seeing Kevin McAllister’s mom in real life, strolling through the mall as if she’d stepped right out of the film.
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And then there was the night at the Schitt’s Creek premiere at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood. We arrived late, the lights already dimming, and as we settled in, she quietly slipped into the row behind us — Schitt’s Creek popcorn bucket in hand. We stayed in full professional mode, not wanting to disturb her, but she was exactly as adorable, warm, and effortlessly charming as you’d imagine.
These are the kinds of moments that make a loss like this feel intimate. She wasn’t just a character on a screen — she was a gentle, real presence in the city we share.
Her passing feels like losing a piece of the cultural furniture — something that’s always been there, always comforting, always brilliant, always uniquely hers.
Today, Los Angeles feels a little dimmer. Hollywood feels a little quieter. And those of us who crossed paths with her, even in fleeting, serendipitous ways, feel the loss in a way that’s hard to articulate.
But what a legacy she leaves behind. What a gift she gave us. What a life.
