Schitt’s Creek creator and star Dan Levy has spoken of the “gift” to have been able to “dance in the warm glow” of Catherine O’Hara.
Yesterday (January 30), it was confirmed that the beloved actor and comedian had passed away at the age of 71 following a brief illness.
She had established herself as a regular on the legendary sketch series Second City Television in the late ‘70s and was closely associated with the films of Christopher Guest, and in later life, she enjoyed a career resurgence thanks to her central role in Schitt’s Creek, the Canadian sitcom created by Levy and his father Eugene.
She played Moira Rose in the show, an eccentric and flamboyant former soap opera star, and in an Instagram post on Friday night, Levy shared an emotional tribute to his on-screen mother.
“What a gift to have gotten to dance in the warm glow of Catherine O’Hara’s brilliance for all those years,” he said. “Having spent over fifty years collaborating with my Dad, Catherine was extended family before she ever played my family. It’s hard to imagine a world without her in it. I will cherish every funny memory I was fortunate enough to make with her.”
Dan Levy’s tribute to Cathrine O’Hara on IG. pic.twitter.com/6TbFolLG2L
— 𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚔 (@arikbeyhive) January 31, 2026
“My heart goes out to Bo, Matthew, Luke and every member of her big, beautiful family,” he concluded.
O’Hara had appeared in many acclaimed mockumentary films alongside Eugene Levy before Schitt’s Creek, including Waiting For Guffman (1996), Best In Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003) and For Your Consideration (2006), all created by This Is Spinal Tap star Christopher Guest.
Guest’s partner Jamie Lee Curtis shared a clip from dog-show satire Best In Show on her social media on Friday night, describing O’Hara as the “best of the best in show”.
O’Hara was also well known for playing the mother of Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin McAllister in the first two Home Alone films, with Culkin saying that he “thought we had time” in a touching tribute of his own on Friday.
She was also a part of two of the biggest shows of recent years – The Last Of Us and The Studio – and her co-stars Pedro Pascal and Seth Rogen were among others to share posts following the news of her death. See a selection of tributes here.
The post Dan Levy pays tribute to ‘Schitt’s Creek’ co-star Catherine O’Hara: “It’s hard to imagine a world without her in it” appeared first on NME.
