Actress Catherine O’Hara died from a pulmonary embolism with cancer as the underlying cause, it has been revealed.
Tributes have poured in for the Home Alone star, who died on January 30 at the age of 71.
A Los Angeles County death certificate issued on Monday listed the embolism as the immediate cause of her death at a hospital in Santa Monica, California.
Rectal cancer was given as the long-term cause of her death, with the oncologist who signed off the certificate indicating that he had been treating her since March last year.
Honoring the memory of Catherine O’Hara, who brought unforgettable joy to audiences around the world. In 2021, she was awarded the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy for her iconic portrayal of Moira Rose in 'Schitt’s… pic.twitter.com/fVmre4p3X8
— Golden Globes (@goldenglobes) January 31, 2026
The Canadian-American actress was also known for her roles in the Beetlejuice films and TV comedy Schitt’s Creek, for which she won an Emmy and a Golden Globe.
Actors including Meryl Streep, Macaulay Culkin, Michael Keaton and Seth Rogen all paid tribute to O’Hara in the days following her death.
Eugene Levy, her on-screen husband in the US sitcom, said he was struggling for words to describe the loss of the actress.
In a statement, Levy said: “Words seem inadequate to express the loss I feel today. I had the honour of knowing and working with the great Catherine O’Hara for over 50 years.”
He added that he “cherished our working relationship, but most of all our friendship”.
I join Canadians and fans across the world in mourning the loss of Catherine O’Hara.
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) January 30, 2026
Over 5 decades of work, Catherine earned her place in the canon of Canadian comedy — from SCTV to Schitt's Creek.
Canada has lost a legend. My thoughts are with her family, friends, and all…
Alec Baldwin, who starred with her in Beetlejuice, described O’Hara as “one of the greatest comic talents in the movie business” who possessed “a quality that was all her own”.
A more recent role saw O’Hara starring in the second season of The Last Of Us, alongside Pedro Pascal, who paid tribute to her, saying: “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.”
A pulmonary embolism is when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the lungs, and can be life-threatening if not treated quickly, according to the NHS.
