Photos show Catherine O'Hara's legendary TV and film career, from 'Home Alone' to 'Schitt's Creek'

"SCTV," a sketch series about a fictional TV network, ran on Canadian television from 1976 to 1984 and on NBC from 1981 to 1983.

O'Hara was just one of the many Canadian comedians who were introduced to American audiences through "SCTV," which was something of a cult classic.

She won her first Emmy, for writing on "SCTV," in 1982.

"You're lucky to work with friends, and I think it's nice to see friends together. I like knowing when people know each other and have a history; that comes across on screen. I think it's fun for people to see. It is for me," O'Hara told BuzzFeed about working with Levy in 2014.

In between seasons of "SCTV," O'Hara was hired in 1981 to join the cast of the sixth season of "Saturday Night Live," the first without creator Lorne Michaels.

But she only lasted a week. There was some speculation that it was because she didn't like head writer Michael O'Donoghue, but she shut that speculation down years later.

"There's been BS stories about I was supposedly scared by somebody," she told People in 2024. Instead, her departure was due to a last-minute renewal of "SCTV."

"Basically I said, 'Oh, sorry, I gotta go be with my [comedy] family,'" she said, adding, "It all worked out the way it was supposed to."

The "Day-O" scene in "Beetlejuice" is perhaps the most iconic in a film filled with iconic scenes, and it all starts with O'Hara's character.

O'Hara went on to work with Burton in "The Nightmare Before Christmas," "Frankenweenie," and "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice."

They were married from 1992 until her death. They shared two sons.

O'Hara has been a staple in homes around the world every December for 35 years due to her role as Kevin's mom, Kate, in "Home Alone" and "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York."

Specifically, she was in "Waiting for Guffman" in 1996, "Best in Show" in 2000, "A Mighty Wind" in 2003, and "For Your Consideration" in 2006.

O'Hara appeared in the 2010 HBO biopic of Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who changed the way cattle were handled at ranches and slaughterhouses. Grandin was played by Claire Danes, while O'Hara played Grandin's aunt, Ann.

She was nominated for a Golden Globe and a SAG Award for her performance.

"Schitt's Creek" became a full-blown phenomenon across its run from 2015 to 2020, and many of the show's most memorable moments came from her character, Moira.

She won in 2020 after receiving a nomination for the prior year, as well. It was her second win from eight nominations.

Thirty-three years after they first played mother and son in "Home Alone," O'Hara was on hand to present Culkin with his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

"Families all over the world can't let a year go by without watching and loving 'Home Alone' together. It's because of Macaulay Culkin," O'Hara said.

Culkin thanked her for her speech and even called her "Mama."

O'Hara, along with Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, returned to the town of Winter River for the legacy sequel to "Beetlejuice," aptly titled "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice."

Instead of being a flop, as Warner Bros. reportedly feared when they slashed its budget, this film was a huge success. Per The Numbers, it was the third-highest-grossing film of her career, behind "Elemental" and "Home Alone."

O'Hara was a double nominee at last year's Emmys, which were held in September. She was nominated for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for "The Studio" and outstanding guest actress in a drama series for "The Last of Us."