In “Schitt’s Creek” she played the role of a spoiled rich woman who falls from the throne to the carpet; In the role of a narcissistic stepmother, she is possessed by an evil creature and sings with the voice of Harry Belafonte; And in a Christmas comedy in the role of a forgetful and troubled mother who leaves her son, she has become immortal in everyone’s hearts. She is Catherine O’Hara, the famous film and television actress who died on Friday at the age of 71. Although she is often known for her best films and comedy series, since the seventies when Catherine O’Hara started acting, she has brought many roles to the cinema and television screen.
During his 50-year career in film and television, O’Hara portrayed dozens of characters, and no two of his roles were alike. She could play an eccentric artist one moment, an insufferable haughty the next, and a deceptively “normal” housewife the next, portraying each with her own personality, habits, and mannerisms. Among his recent roles, we can mention his character in the second season of HBO’s dystopian drama series “The Last of Us”, where he played the role of a grieving therapist.
However, O’Hara was a comedic actor by nature, and his performances have been immortalized in such classics as Home Alone, Beetlejuice and Best in Show. O’Hara gave one of her memorable recent performances as former studio head Patti Lee on Apple TV’s The Studio, which has begun filming for a second season. Next, we go to some of the best films and series of Catherine O’Hara, which shine more than others in her prolific career.
1. SCTV (Second City Television)
- Release year: 1976 to 1984
- Manufacturer: Bernard Sullins, Andrew Alexander
- Actors: John Kennedy, Robin Duke, Joe Flaherty, Catherine O’Hara
- Score of website users IMDb To the series: 8.5 out of 10
- Rating of the Rotten Tomatoes website to the series: – Out of 100
O’Hara began his career in the Canadian television program “Second City TV” or “SCTV” for short; Something like the American show “SNL” but better because it’s Canadian. There, O’Hara created iconic, recurring characters that brought excitement to the show. Among them is melodrama actress and host Lola Heatherton, a spandex-clad singer known for her crazy performances. When she got emotional, which was often, she shouted to the audience, “I want to have all your children.”
O’Hara was part of a group that also featured Eugene Levy, who he would eventually play with many times throughout his career. Catherine O’Hara won awards, including an Emmy Award, for her work in this program, and was inspired by Hollywood stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and Meryl Streep.
2. After Hours
- Release year: 1985
- Director: Martin Scorsese
- Actors: Griffin Dunn, Rosanna Arquette, Catherine O’Hara, Verna Bloom
- Score of website users IMDb to the movie: 7.6 out of 10
- Rating of Rotten Tomatoes website to the movie: 90 out of 100
“After Office Hours” is not only among the best films and series of Catherine O’Hara, but also underestimated in Martin Scorsese’s directorial career. In this movie, we follow Paul (Griffin Dunn); A downtown office worker who just wants to get home after a failed date in southern Manhattan, but thanks to an obstacle course of eccentric characters and crazy circumstances, he can’t seem to escape the area’s artists’ houses and seedy clubs. During his nocturnal adventure, Paul meets Gail (Catherine O’Hara), who seems normal compared to the others and has a working phone. But beneath his kind exterior, he is deeply eccentric and paranoid. Eventually, Gil mistakes Powell for a burglar and sends a mob of angry neighbors after him.
Although O’Hara is not one of the main roles in the film, his comedic presence in “After Hours” is spot on. After Hours, known for its simple and heartbreaking comedy, is a unique title in Scorsese and Catherine O’Hara’s career.
3. Beetlejuice
- Release year: 1988
- Director: Tim Burton
- Actors: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Alec Baldwin
- Score of website users IMDb to the movie: 7.4 out of 10
- Rating of Rotten Tomatoes website to the movie: 83 out of 100
In the film that introduced Tim Burton to audiences as a creative director in cinema, Catherine O’Hara played Delia Dietz, the pretentious and selfish stepmother of Winona Ryder’s Lydia, who is tragically charming. Delia Dietz was considered a leading role for O’Hara, which showed her potential as an actress. In this dark comedy-fantasy from Tim Burton, Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara (Geena Davis) die unexpectedly, and after their deaths, their ghosts enlist the help of a malevolent evil exorcist named Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) to rescue an insufferable family trying to rebuild their home.
After the Dietz family moves from New York to Connecticut, Delia can’t help herself and transforms their quaint, historic home into a glittering spectacle filled with macabre art and modern Gothic. Despite the brilliance of Michael Keaton in the role of the destructive exorcist, Beetlejuice, the most lasting scene of the entire film goes back to a scene that today is remembered as one of the best pieces of comedy and dance and song in the history of cinema. Possessed by an evil creature, Delia is forced to sing Belafonte’s Caribbean tune “Day-O” and embarrass her guests at the dinner table.
From 1988, Beetlejuice remains a Halloween classic and one of the best collaborations between O’Hara and director Tim Burton. From the moment O’Hara enters the film, he has the stage in his hands. Delia’s unique taste in art, interior decoration and drama are the catalysts for Adam and Barbara’s action. O’Hara’s ability to instantly switch from one to one hundred with her voice and facial expressions creates a crazy and entertaining mother to the story’s depressed and sad daughter, Lydia.
4. Home Alone
- Release year: 1990
- Director: Chris Columbus
- Actors: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O’Hara, John Hurd
- Score of website users IMDb to the movie: 7.8 out of 10
- Rating of Rotten Tomatoes website to the movie: 66 out of 100
Perhaps Catherine O’Hara’s most recognizable role among all her films and series is her performance as Kate McAllister, Kevin’s mother to Bella (Macaulie Culkin), which has become one of the best Christmas movies in Home Alone. Kate accidentally leaves her young son, Kevin, at home, and she and the rest of the family unknowingly go on vacation in Paris. At Kevin’s house, he is enjoying his loneliness, but at the same time, thieves have planned to rob the McAllisters’ house. While Kevin’s mother gets angry about leaving her son behind, Kevin implements all kinds of creative ways to deal with the thieves.
The popularity of Home Alone led to a sequel in 1992, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, which retells the adventures of Kevin’s forgetfulness and a crazy Christmas vacation. Immortalized by her performance as a mother on the verge of a nervous breakdown in both films, O’Hara remains an audience favorite despite twice leaving her son behind in the chaos of the trip. The special thing about Catherine O’Hara’s performance in “Home Alone” is how, at first glance, the mother’s neglect of her child makes her a villain; But we see that Kate McAllister is willing to do anything for the safety of her child, and her concerns quickly become tangible for the viewers.
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas
- Release year: 1993
- Director: Henry Selick
- Actors: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, Ken Page
- Score of website users IMDb to the movie: 7.9 out of 10
- Rating of Rotten Tomatoes website to the movie: 95 out of 100
Another Christmas movie and another collaboration with Tim Burton; Of course, you can’t see O’Hara’s face in “The Nightmare Before Christmas”; But you can hear her voice very well as Jack Skellington’s lover, Sally. In his second collaboration with filmmaker Tim Burton, O’Hara portrays the softer side of the horror story The Nightmare Before Christmas. After discovering the world of Christmas Town, Pumpkin King Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon) decides to try his luck at Christmas after another successful Halloween party. O’Hara voices Sally, a ragdoll and his lover who tries to stop Jack from taking over Christmas.
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” has become a Halloween classic and a standout title in the teen movie arena thanks to its highly original story, beautiful art direction, and wonderful voice acting. This is one of the many films that O’Hara has worked on alongside Burton and is also considered his most memorable voice acting role. O’Hara has appeared in brilliant voice acting with this stop-motion character. In the world of Halloween Town, Sally seems to be the only person who understands the beauty and spirit of Christmas. Thanks to Catherine O’Hara’s deep and nuanced performance as Sally, this rag doll quickly becomes the story’s emotional anchor.
6. Waiting for Guffman
- Release year: 1996
- Director: Christopher Guest
- Actors: Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, Parker Posey, Fred Willard, Catherine O’Hara
- Score of website users IMDb to the movie: 7.4 out of 10
- Rating of Rotten Tomatoes website to the movie: 90 out of 100
In Waiting for Goffman, written by Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy, O’Hara plays Sheila Albertson, a woman who juggles multiple responsibilities. A real estate agent and amateur local theater actor, he and several residents of the small town of Blaine, Missouri, plan to stage a musical that tells the story of the town’s 150-year history. The title of this show will be “Red, White and Blaine”. O’Hara immerses herself in the role, finding beauty in its flaws while clumsy and capturing the inherent craziness of local theater. Aspiring director Corky St. Clair (Christopher Guest) is the director of the show, who he hopes will be his ticket back to Broadway; Especially since Mort Goffman, the theater’s acclaimed programming director, plans to come to the show for opening night.
“Waiting for Goffman” has become an eternal cult classic and a shining example of Christopher Guest’s comedic intelligence that not only with his writing, but with the formation of a brilliant group of comedy actors, he was able to bring one of the best comedies of the nineties to the cinema. Who could forget the Midnight in the Oasis audition with O’Hara’s husband, Fred Willard, and his tracksuit bottoms? O’Hara adapts to the specific style of mockumentary and shows off his endless talent for adapting to the comedy medium; Especially since there was no script and the entire filming took 29 days.
7. Best in Show
- Release year: 2000
- Director: Christopher Guest
- Actors: Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, Parker Posey, Fred Willard, Catherine O’Hara
- Score of website users IMDb to the movie: 7.5 out of 10
- Rating of Rotten Tomatoes website to the movie: 93 out of 100
From 1996 onwards, O’Hara became one of the main figures in Christopher Guest’s documentaries, including For Your Consideration. “Best in Show” is set in the competitive world of dog shows and follows a couple of show parents who take their pampered pooches to competitions around the country. Cookie Fleck (Catherine O’Hara) and her husband Khal and Chalesh (Eugene Levy), meanwhile, are weaker than the others. Her husband has two left feet (literally!) wants to overcome a dark past and is not at all cookie-cutter. However, they have a deep love for Norwich Terriers and have named their dog Winky. But in the course of the show, Cookie keeps running into her old friends.
With dogs, flawed relationships and quirky characters, Best in Show has all the makings of a pure comedy. This is why “Best in Show” is not only one of Catherine O’Hara’s most enduring films and series, which has been called one of the best comedy films of the 2000s. Eugene Levy and O’Hara play opposite Florida dog owners Jerry and Cookie Flack and make magic happen. They are the beating heart of the film, entertaining and committed to comedy throughout. O’Hara’s flawless improvisation is hilarious and makes “Best in Show” a must-have.
8. Temple Grandin
- Release year: 2010
- Director: Mick Jackson
- Actors: Claire Danes, Catherine O’Hara, David Strathearn, Julia Ormond
- Score of website users IMDb to the movie: 8.2 out of 10
- Rating of Rotten Tomatoes website to the movie: 100 out of 100
In HBO’s biopic about autistic animal rights activist Temple Grandin (played by Claire Danes), O’Hara portrayed Temple’s aunt and supporter Grandin. Claire Danes stars as Temple Grandin, a famous autistic inventor who is interested in mechanics and makes a brave decision to pursue her education. After entering the university, Temple tries to overcome enormous social and academic challenges, but in the end, he finds his strength and overcomes the difficulties and limitations, invents a more ethical/humane device for slaughtering cows and becomes a pioneer in animal protection.
In this film, which is based on the true story of Grandin, O’Hara plays the role of Aunt Temple, who owns a cattle ranch; A place where Temple learns about raising and slaughtering cows. In this film, O’Hara gives one of her most underrated performances, full of passion and emotion. “Temple Grandin” showcases this actor’s underrated talent in dramatic and serious roles. While she may not be the star of the film, it’s a delightful contrast to see O’Hara in a non-comedic role.
Considering Kathryn O’Hara’s strong background in comedy, choosing to play in this film was considered a bold choice, but she had already proven herself in at least one TV series, one of HBO’s best series, Six Feet Under. O’Hara received critical acclaim for her role in Temple Grandin and was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture.
9. Schitt’s Creek
- Release year: 2015 to 2020
- Manufacturer: Dan Levy, Eugene Levy
- Actors: Catherine O’Hara, Dan Levy, Eugene Levy, Sarah Levy, Annie Murphy
- Score of website users IMDb To the series: 8.5 out of 10
- Rating of the Rotten Tomatoes website to the series: 93 out of 100
History seemed to be repeating itself in 2015 when “Shatz’s Creek” came to television and O’Hara once again played Eugene Levy’s wife. But this comedy series marked a new chapter in Catherine O’Hara’s career and she achieved success and praise from critics and viewers in a leading role in a television series. Known for her fashion and personality, Moira Rose has quickly become one of the most popular characters on television. Fortune turned against Moira Rose, who held a high place in her urban society and was a former soap opera star, and they fell from the throne to the carpet. In “Shatz’s Creek,” the wealthy Rose family is forced to abandon their lavish lifestyle after the government confiscates their assets. There is only one option left for them: a small town called Sheets Creek, which they bought for fun and now they have to live in it.
Kathryn O’Hara created a wildly funny monster as Moira, from her extravagant wardrobe and hats, to her obvious hatred of her new family life, everything made Moira an unforgettable character. With her quirky accent and extensive vocabulary, Moira became a pop culture phenomenon in the United States. O’Hara’s mastery of all comedic principles is on full display in his character in “Shatz’s Creek.” Moira O’Hara is rambunctious and witty yet elegant and refined, complementing her co-stars’ performances with her high energy. It’s a role O’Hara seems to have been preparing for his whole life; Because you can find traits of O’Hara’s former characters in Moira, from Cookie to Sheila to Delia. The series earned O’Hara an Emmy and a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy.
10. The Studio
- Release year: 2025
- Manufacturer: Seth Rogen
- Actors: Seth Rogen, Kathryn O’Hara, Kathryn Hahn, Ike Barinholtz, Chase Suey Wonders
- Score of website users IMDb To the series: 8 out of 10
- Rating of the Rotten Tomatoes website to the series: 92 out of 100
“The Studio” shines brightly among Catherine O’Hara’s best films and series. In Seth Rogen’s love letter to Hollywood, O’Hara stars as Patti Lee, a powerful and veteran Hollywood studio boss who has just been unceremoniously fired by the company’s rich men and replaced by her underling, Matt Remick (Seth Rogen). In the first episode of The Studio, we hear about O’Hara’s character long before we see him. When Patty finally appears on screen late in the first episode, the expectations pay off: O’Hara portrays a witty, cranky Patty who seems to have been cooped up in her billion-dollar house crying for days, constantly oscillating between tears and rage.
Patty, who was once Remick’s teacher and mentor, is now jealous of Matt; But as a business woman, she knows well that despite her deep hatred and jealousy, she can make Matt carry out his goals; Thus, Petit keeps Matt close and offers the youngster targeted advice. He even makes Matt feel guilty by offering him a very lucrative production offer and keeps himself in the game.
O’Hara brings wisdom and world-weariness to the role, a sense that beneath her occasional silliness, Patty is also a sharp-witted and bold survivor of Hollywood’s vicissitudes and vicissitudes. O’Hara’s comedic ability to portray Patti Lee is one of the best performances of the entire series. In this Apple TV series, O’Hara navigates the chaos, chaos and absurdity of the Hollywood industry through her passionate character, based on former Sony Picture Entertainment boss Amy Pascal.
Source: Los Angeles Times
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