Catherine O’Hara Cause of Death Revealed

Catherine O’Hara‘s cause of death has been revealed. The Emmy-winning star of Schitt’s Creek, Home Alone, The Studio, Beetlejuice, and more died on Friday, January 30, at the age of 71.

O’Hara’s cause of death was a pulmonary embolism, also known as a blood clot in the lungs, with rectal cancer as the underlying cause, according to TMZ. The cause of death was shared by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office on Monday, February 9. O’Hara was cremated, and her remains were given to her husband, Robert “Bo” Welch, according to the death certificate.

O’Hara had not previously disclosed any illness.

O’Hara was reportedly rushed to the hospital in serious condition early in the morning on January 30, TMZ reported. Dispatch personnel said she was having trouble breathing.

After her death, O’Hara’s talent agency, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), revealed in a statement that she died in her Brentwood, Los Angeles, home “following a brief illness.”

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The U.S. Sun reported that O’Hara was supposed to film scenes for The Studio Season 2 in January after production began on the second season of the Emmy-winning comedy, but O’Hara’s schedule was reportedly reworked due to “personal matters.” The cast and creators of The Studio were scheduled to participate in a press day for Apple TV on February 3. The panel was canceled after O’Hara’s death.

The Studio Season 1 and The Last of Us Season 2 were O’Hara’s last acting projects. She received nominations for both performances at the 2025 Emmy Awards. O’Hara didn’t win her categories, but The Studio won Outstanding Comedy Series, among others. In his tribute to O’Hara on Instagram, Seth Rogen said, “She made me want to make our show good enough to be worthy of her presence in it.”

She previously won an acting Emmy in 2020 for Schitt’s Creek and in 1982 for writing on SCTV Network 90.

O’Hara was born in Toronto, Canada, on March 4, 1954. She’s survived by her husband, Welch, and their two sons, Matthew and Luke. Matthew and Luke work as set dressers and in set construction. They both worked on Schitt’s Creek with their mom.