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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Catherine O’Hara died at 71 at her Los Angeles home after a brief illness, according to her agency CAA, as reported by CBS News and the Los Angeles Times on January 30–31, 2026. Her most direct tributes came from Macaulay Culkin, who played her on-screen son in two Home Alone films, and from Michael Keaton, her co-star in Beetlejuice. Director Chris Columbus and Beetlejuice director Tim Burton also paid tribute, along with Eugene Levy and others.
What was confirmed about her death
The death was confirmed by CAA, O’Hara’s agency, and reported by CBS News and the Los Angeles Times. The reporting describes her illness as brief and uses that phrase only as the agency’s wording. No specific cause of death was reported, so readers should not treat “brief illness” as a diagnosis.
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Her roles in the films behind the tributes
Most of the tributes refer to two performances. O’Hara played Kate McCallister, Kevin’s mother, in Home Alone, and Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice. Her later work also drew tribute coverage, as the table below shows.
| Production | O’Hara’s role | Tributes covered in this article |
|---|---|---|
| Home Alone | Kate McCallister, Kevin’s mother | Macaulay Culkin (AP, Jan. 30, 2026); Chris Columbus (Los Angeles Times, Jan. 30, 2026) |
| Beetlejuice | Delia Deetz | Michael Keaton (AP, Jan. 30, 2026); Tim Burton (SYFY Wire, Jan. 30, 2026, and a 1988 quote reported by the Los Angeles Times) |
| Schitt’s Creek | Moira Rose | Eugene Levy (AP, Jan. 30, 2026) |
| The Studio and The Last of Us | Later roles listed by CBS News (Jan. 31, 2026) | Co-star tributes are listed by SYFY Wire; individual statements are not reproduced here |
Home Alone: Macaulay Culkin and Chris Columbus
Macaulay Culkin
Culkin, who played Kevin in two films opposite O’Hara, posted a personal tribute on Instagram. The Associated Press reported it on January 30, 2026:
#1 Best Overall
- 8-Year-Old Kevin McAllister Is Accidentally Left Behind When His Family Takes Off For a Vacation In France Over the Holiday Season. Once He Realizes They've Left Him Home By Himself, Kevin Learns To Fend For Himself, And Eventually Has To Protect His House Against Bumbling Burglars Harry And Marv, Who Are Planning To Rob Every House In Kevin's Suburban Chicago Neighborhood. Kevin's Mother Kate Is
“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”
Chris Columbus
Columbus directed Home Alone. His statement, quoted by the Los Angeles Times on January 30, 2026, focused on her performance:
“What most people don’t realize is that Catherine carries the weight of 50% of that film. The movie simply would not work without her extraordinary performance. Catherine grounds the picture with a profound emotional depth.”
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The “50%” figure is Columbus’s own characterization of her contribution. It is not a measured statistic.
Beetlejuice: Michael Keaton and Tim Burton
Michael Keaton
Keaton, who co-starred with O’Hara in Beetlejuice, paid tribute on Instagram. The Associated Press reported his statement on January 30, 2026. He began by noting how long they had known each other:
“We go back before the first Beetlejuice. She’s been my pretend wife, my pretend nemesis and my real life, true friend. This one hurts. Man am I gonna miss her.”
Tim Burton
Burton directed Beetlejuice and posted a tribute reported by SYFY Wire on January 30, 2026:
“Catherine, I love you. This picture shows how much light you gave to all of us. You were a special part of my life and after life.”
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The Los Angeles Times also reported a remark Burton made about O’Hara in 1988, when he said: “Catherine’s so good, maybe too good. She works on levels that people don’t even know. I think she scares people because she operates at such high levels.” That remark dates from 1988 and is not a reaction to her death.
Rank #4
- The McAllister Family Go On a Holiday To Florida. Kevin McAllister Gets Separated From His Family, And Manages To Get Himself Onto a Plane To New York Instead. There, He Checks Into the Best Hotel With His Father's Credit Card, And Sets Out To Enjoy Himself. Unfortunately, the Burglars He Had Foiled Before Were In New York After Being Released From Jail, And Had Plans To Rob the Biggest Toyshop In
Other tributes and her later work
Eugene Levy, who worked with O’Hara on Schitt’s Creek, told the Associated Press on January 30, 2026 that he had known and worked with her for “over fifty years.” Dan Levy, also a Schitt’s Creek co-star, is among the figures whose reactions were reported in the same coverage. CBS News, reporting on January 31, 2026, highlighted her role as Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek and her work in The Studio and The Last of Us as the best-known parts of her later career.
How to read these sources
The quotations above are reproduced as each outlet reported them. The tributes date from January 30, 2026, the day coverage of her death appeared, and they should be read as contemporaneous tributes rather than new statements. The words “tragic” and “icon” in the headline are the publication’s framing; the coverage does not measure them.
Quick Recap
- CBS News, “Catherine O’Hara, star of ‘Beetlejuice,’ ‘Home Alone’ and ‘Schitt’s Creek,’ dies at 71,” updated January 31, 2026.
- The Associated Press, “Macaulay Culkin, Eugene Levy and more pay tribute to Catherine O’Hara, who died at 71,” January 30, 2026.
- Los Angeles Times, “Catherine O’Hara dead: ‘Schitt’s Creek’ and ‘Home Alone’ star dies,” January 30, 2026.
- SYFY Wire, “Catherine O’Hara Dead at 71: How Co-Stars From Beetlejuice, The Last of Us and More Paid Tribute,” January 30, 2026.
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