Catherine O’Hara’s Health Condition
Though O’Hara had never publicly disclosed a diagnosis, she had earlier talked about her rare congenital condition, cardiac inversus, also called as dextrocardia with situs inversus. This condition causes the heart and other internal organs to be mirrored from their normal positions. According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, while several people live their entire lives without symptoms, the condition can result in complications when the heart is involved.
In a 2021 interview, O’Hara remembered detecting the condition during a doctor’s visit with her husband Bo Welch before their son began nursery schooling:
“He calls us into his office and says, ‘You’re the first one I’ve met!’ And it’s, ‘Okay, I don’t even know the name, ’cause I don’t want to know the name.’ Something cardi-inversa. And then dexter-cardia-and-something-inversa.”
Her husband stated,
“No, her head’s on backwards.”
Mirroring on the diagnosis, O’Hara said:
“People are going to think I’m so ignorant not to know this, but I kind of don’t want to know. ‘Cause I didn’t know before that.”
Legendary Career and Iconic Roles
O’Hara’s career spanned five decades. She became a Hollywood A-lister through roles like Delia Deetz in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice (1988) and Kate McCallister, Kevin’s mother in Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). She later reprised her characters as Delia in the 2024 sequel, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.
O’Hara’s career enjoyed a second wind when she featured Moira Rose, the once-wealthy matriarch on Schitt’s Creek (2015–2020), earning Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Recently, she has been present on HBO’s The Last of Us and Apple TV+’s The Studio, achieving Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for her performances.
Tributes from Co-Stars and Fans
The actress’ passing brought an outpouring of grief. Home Alone co-star Macaulay Culkin shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, uploading a collage of images with O’Hara and captioning:
“Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you. But I had so much more to say. I love you. I’ll see you later.”
Pedro Pascal, who worked with O’Hara on The Last of Us, cited:
“Oh, genius to be near you. Eternally grateful. There is less light in my world, this lucky world that had you, will keep you, always.”
FAQs:
Q1. Who was Catherine O’Hara?
Catherine O’Hara was a Canadian actress and comedian popular for her film and television work. She starred in Home Alone, Beetlejuice, and Schitt’s Creek.
Q2. How did Catherine O’Hara die?
Her death certificate lists a pulmonary embolism as the immediate reason, with rectal cancer as an underlying condition.
