Catherine O’Hara’s career was built on something rare: she could steal a scene without ever stepping on it. Whether she was playing a stressed-out mom in a mainstream holiday classic, a comedy snob in a small-town sitcom, or a totally sincere oddball in a mockumentary, she always made the funny feel specific, and the big choices feel earned. Catherine O’Hara died on January 30, 2026, at age 71.

Top 10 Catherine O’Hara Movie and TV Show Roles

What made her characters stick was commitment. O’Hara didn’t wink at the audience or play “the joke.” She built full humans (sometimes wildly dramatic, sometimes painfully awkward, sometimes unexpectedly tender) and then let the comedy happen naturally. Below is a celebration of 10 essential performances, each one with a quick breakdown of the project and a dedicated spotlight on her character.

SCTV (Various Characters, Including Lola Heatherton)

Before a lot of the world knew her name, SCTV was where her comedy instincts got sharpened into a weapon. Sketch comedy is brutal because you have to build a character instantly, land the joke, and still make it feel like a person. She did that constantly.

(O’Hara as multiple characters, especially Lola Heatherton) showed her range early: celebrity parody, big theatrical energy, and the ability to commit so hard that the bit becomes funnier because she is treating it seriously. Rotten Tomatoes currently lists the series without enough reviews for a Tomatometer score, so this slot is about impact, not a number.

The Wild Robot (Pinktail)

If you missed this one in theaters, put it on your list. It’s heartfelt, funny, and genuinely gorgeous, the kind of animated movie that hits kids and adults in different ways, and both groups walk away feeling something.

O’Hara voices Pinktail, a nurturing opossum who brings warmth and humor without turning into a gimmick. It’s classic O’Hara energy: affectionate, a little chaotic, and completely grounded in character. Even in voice work, she makes the emotions feel lived-in.

A Mighty Wind (Mickey Crabbe)

Christopher Guest mockumentaries are basically comfort food for comedy fans, and this one hits a perfect mix of silly and sincere. It’s a folk-music reunion story packed with awkward interviews, surprisingly solid songs, and characters who feel oddly real even at their weirdest.

Mickey Crabbe is one of O’Hara’s best examples of “funny because it’s true.” She’s guarded, warm, bruised, and still capable of lighting up when the music hits. The character works because O’Hara plays the emotional history honestly, which makes every dry line and side glance land harder.

After Hours (Gail)

This is Martin Scorsese going full nightmarish comedy: one long, spiraling “how did my night become this” situation that keeps getting worse in the most entertaining way. It’s tense, funny, and strangely hypnotic, like a fever dream you can’t wake up from.

O’Hara’s Gail pops in as one of the night’s memorable characters, and she’s a great reminder of how good O’Hara is at making small screen time feel iconic. She’s odd, unpredictable, and instantly believable inside this bizarre downtown universe.

Waiting for Guffman (Sheila Albertson)

If you love comedy that’s painfully relatable, this one is a must. It’s a small-town theater mockumentary where everyone is chasing a tiny shot at glory, and the laughs come from how intensely people commit to their big dreams.

Sheila Albertson, in O’Hara’s hands, is a masterclass in deadpan sincerity. She takes the character’s ambition seriously, which makes the awkwardness funnier and the sweet moments sweeter. You’re laughing, but you’re also kind of rooting for her, and that balance is peak O’Hara.

The Last of Us (Gail)

For gamers, this series hit different because it wasn’t just “a game adaptation that doesn’t embarrass itself.” It leaned into character trauma, big emotional swings, and the brutal logic of the world, while still feeling cinematic. Season 2 is where O’Hara shows up, and it’s a cool reminder of how she can slide into any tone without losing her identity.

Gail is a therapist in Jackson, and the role gives O’Hara room to do something she’s incredible at: mix humor with honesty, sometimes in the same breath. She isn’t there to be “comic relief.” She’s there to challenge people, cut through their nonsense, and make the emotional stakes sharper.

Schitt’s Creek (Moira Rose)

This show is a full-on comfort pick: a fish-out-of-water sitcom that turns into one of the warmest “found family” stories on TV. It gets funnier as it goes, but it also gets kinder, which is why people keep recommending it years later.

Moira Rose is an all-timer. The voice, the vocabulary, the wigs, the drama, the complete inability to be normal for even 10 seconds, it’s all unforgettable. But the real trick is that O’Hara also lets Moira be vulnerable, loyal, and weirdly inspiring. She’s ridiculous, but never empty.

Best in Show (Cookie Fleck)

This is one of the sharpest mockumentary comedies ever made, and it’s stacked with people doing career-best work. The dog-show setting is perfect because it’s already intense and absurd, and the movie just turns that dial up until it snaps.

Cookie Fleck is comedy precision. She’s competitive, chaotic, and proudly unfiltered, and Catherine O’Hara plays her with total confidence. Cookie is one of those characters who could have been a cartoon, but O’Hara keeps her human enough that you’re laughing at the behavior, not the person.

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (Sally, Shock)

This one’s a yearly tradition for a lot of people for a reason: the visuals are iconic, the music sticks in your head forever, and it lives in that perfect Halloween-to-Christmas crossover lane. Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 95%.

O’Hara voices Sally, and her performance adds real tenderness to a character who could have been played as “just spooky.” Sally’s heart, restraint, and quiet bravery help balance Jack’s big energy. O’Hara also voices Shock, which is a fun flex in range if you’ve never clocked it before.

Home Alone (Kate McCallister)

The first film is still the blueprint for kid-centered comedy that balances wish fulfillment with genuine heart. It’s funny, fast, and surprisingly sweet, with the kind of clean, readable set pieces that make it an easy rewatch even decades later.

Kate McCallister is the reason the story has stakes. O’Hara plays her like a real parent on the worst day of her life, not a sitcom mom hitting marks. Her performance gives the movie its pulse: frantic, guilty, determined, and relieved in a way that lands every single time.

Which Catherine O’Hara Role is Your Favorite?

This top 10 barely scratches the surface of what Catherine O’Hara brought to film and TV: razor-sharp comedy, fearless character work, and the kind of commitment that makes scenes endlessly rewatchable. If you’ve already seen these picks, there’s plenty more to explore across her filmography. For a deeper dive, check out standout roles in Beetlejuice, For Your Consideration, Frankenweenie, and Six Feet Under, just to name a few.

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