Trivia

Revealed in 2014 that Macaulay Culkin, her on-screen son from Home Alone (1990) still calls her "Mom".

Gave a tearful eulogy at the funeral for John Candy.

Has a congenital condition called "Situs Inversus" in which the organs of the chest and abdomen are arranged in a perfect mirror image reversal of the normal positioning. Most people with situs inversus have no medical symptoms or complications resulting from the condition and it only occurs in less than 1 in 10,000.

Her longtime collaborator John Candy passed away on her 40th birthday.

Often cast in Tim Burton films. He directed her in Beetlejuice (1988) and Frankenweenie (2012), and she provided voices for The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), which Burton produced. She also starred in A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) that he originally was set to direct.

Her acting mentor was Comedian Gilda Radner.

She has known Eugene Levy since her days on SCTV (1976) and has known Dan Levy since he was a baby.

Pictured on one of a set of five nondenominated Canadian commemorative postage stamps honoring Great Canadian Comedians, issued 29 August 2014. In addition to the main portrait, she is shown in her roles as Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice (1988), Marilyn Hack in For Your Consideration (2006), and Mickey Crabbe in A Mighty Wind (2003). Others honored in this set are Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Martin Short, and Olivier Guimond. Price of each stamp on day of issue was 85¢.

In 2013, she participated in "Danny Elfman's Music from the Films of Tim Burton" to perform "Sally's Song" from The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). She received a standing ovation when she entered the stage, as well as when she left.

Shares a 40-year friendship with Eugene Levy; together they have appeared in several projects: SCTV (1976), SCTV Network (1981), SCTV Channel (1983), Nothing Personal (1980), The Last Polka (1985),Double Negative (1980), I, Martin Short, Goes Hollywood (1989), Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), Over the Hedge (2006), For Your Consideration (2006), A Mighty Wind (2003) and Episode dated 5 May 1975 (1975).

Received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in June 2007.

Learned to play the autoharp for her role in A Mighty Wind (2003).

After securing Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern for Home Alone (1990), Chris Columbus felt confident enough to cast actors who were his heroes growing up, like O'Hara after seeing her work on SCTV (1976) as well as John Heard, and Tim Curry and Rob Schneider on Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) because they were all open to the films.

Is one of 7 children.

She is a naturalized a U.S. citizen.

Sister of critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Mary Margaret O'Hara.

Has 2 sons, Matthew Welch (born 1994) and Luke Welch (born 1997), with Bo Welch.

Began working at Toronto's "Second City" in 1973 as a waitress. Her brother Marc O'Hara, and sister Mary Margaret O'Hara also had jobs there.

Crowned Queen of Comedy after her years as a regular on SCTV (1976). Catherine O'Hara has an almost religious cult following around the world.

Does an excellent impersonation of Katharine Hepburn, as seen on SCTV (1976).

She was part of the group Northern Lights who sang the song "Tears Are Not Enough" which was on the "We Are The World" album.

Stars in two Holiday classics, Home Alone (1990) and The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), that are annually given a theatrical December-re-release around the world.

Composed the two songs she and her sister Mary Margaret O'Hara and friend Robin Duke performed in The Last Polka (1985).

Owns a cottage (along with her husband Bo Welch) in Muskoka, Ontario.

Has appeared in two unconnected adaptations of Daniel Handler's book series "A Series of Unfortunate Events"; As Justice Strauss in A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) and as Dr. Georgina Orwell in A Series of Unfortunate Events (2016).

Went to the same high school as fellow Canadian entertainer Dave Foley.

Third generation Irish/Canadian/Catholic.

Wrote SCTV (1976)'s famous sketch "High-Q", considered one of the funniest sketches on SCTV (1976).

Turned down a part in Mascots (2016), by her frequent collaborator Christopher Guest, due to scheduling conflicts with Schitt's Creek (2015). It was his first film since The Big Picture (1989) she didn't star in.

Appeared in three films with Joe Pesci: Betsy's Wedding (1990), Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992).

A high school friend of Robin Duke at Burnhamthorpe Collegiate in Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada. They first acted together in a school production of "Harvey".

Luke Perry died on Catherine's 65th birthday and her good friend and SCTV alumni John Candy died on her 40th birthday.

Auditioned for the role of Jane Craig in Broadcast News (1987). Holly Hunter was cast instead.

Tim Burton's wedding present to her and Bo Welch were two tickets to a private tour of the Vatican.

Held a speech at Macaulay Culkin's Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony in 2023, which moved him to tears.

She has appeared in two films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Home Alone (1990) and The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).

Met her husband Bo Welch on the set of Beetlejuice (1988), where he worked as Production Designer.

She was awarded the O.C. (Officer of the Order of Canada) on May 11, 2017 and Invested on: November 20, 2018 from the Canadian Governor General. She is a cultural trailblazer. A renowned Canadian actor, she first garnered attention for her writing and acting in the groundbreaking comedy series "SCTV" before moving on to a film career that now spans decades. Her remarkable talent has engendered many memorable performances in such blockbusters as Beetlejuice and Home Alone; additionally, she is lauded for her television roles, most recently in the hit series "Schitt's Creek." Her international success has inspired many artists and helped pave the way for the next generation of women in comedy. She is based in both Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Beverly Hills, California USA.

Was invited to join the Actors branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AMPAS) in 2024.

She has provided voice acting in four movies nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the Academy Awards, since the category was invented in 2002. The movies are Monster House (2006), Frankenweenie (2012), the English dub of When Marnie Was There (2014) and Elemental (2023).

Auditioned for the role of Susan in Big (1988), when Robert De Niro was attached to the movie.