Canadian actress Catherine O’Hara, best known for her roles in Beetlejuice and Home Alone, has died at the age of 71, her agent said.
O’Hara died at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness, her agency CAA told Variety.
Born in Toronto in 1954, she made her film debut in 1980 and went on to enjoy a career spanning more than four decades. In 1988, she appeared in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice, playing the stepmother of Winona Ryder’s character.
Two years later, she achieved international recognition as the mother of Kevin McCallister, portrayed by Macaulay Culkin, in the hit family comedy Home Alone. She reprised the role in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
In later years, O’Hara starred in the television series Schitt’s Creek and The Studio. Her portrayal of Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek earned her the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2020, as well as a Golden Globe.
In 1993, she reunited with Burton for the animated film The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Tributes poured in following news of her death. Macaulay Culkin, who remained close to O’Hara, shared a message on Instagram, writing: “Mum, I thought we still had time,” alongside a photograph of the two.