Catherine O’Hara’s story begins in a bustling Toronto household, the second youngest of seven, where humor and performance were woven into everyday life. From a shaky first audition at Second City to becoming one of SCTV’s sharpest writers and performers, she built a career on perseverance, precision, and fearlessness. Delia Deetz, Kate McCallister, Sally, and a gallery of Christopher Guest oddballs proved how completely she could inhabit the absurd while never losing sight of the human being underneath.
Her late‑career triumph as Moira Rose on Schitt’s Creek introduced her to a new generation, transforming her into a global icon of eccentricity and emotional truth. Off screen, she cherished a quieter role: wife to production designer Bo Welch and devoted mother to Matthew and Luke. Colleagues mourned a generous collaborator; fans grieved a familiar presence who felt like family. Through every scream, whisper, and perfectly timed pause, Catherine O’Hara left behind a legacy of laughter that will not fade.