Dan Levy and his father Eugene shared touching tributes to their Schitt’s Creek co-star Catherine O’Hara following her death on Friday.
Dan, 42, expressed that O’Hara — who starred as his eccentric mother Moira Rose on the show — was ‘family’ both on and off the screen, after news broke that she passed away at age 71.
‘What a gift to have gotten to dance in the warm glow of Catherine O’Hara’s brilliance for all those years,’ Dan wrote in an Instagram tribute, where he also shared two photos of them.
‘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,’ he added. Dan wrapped up his tribute sharing that he was thinking of her loved ones: ‘My heart goes out to Bo, Matthew, Luke and every member of her big, beautiful family.’
Meanwhile Eugene, 79 — who starred on Schitt’s Creek as Moira’s husband, Johnny Rose, and was a longtime friend and collaborator of O’Hara’s — told Daily Mail in a statement: ‘Words seem inadequate to express the loss I feel today.’
Dan Levy, 42, and his father Eugene, 79, shared touching tributes to their Schitt’s Creek co-star Catherine O’Hara following her death at age 71 on Friday
‘I had the honor of knowing and working with the great Catherine O’Hara for over fifty years. From our beginnings on the Second City stage, to SCTV, to the movies we did with Chris Guest, to our six glorious years on Schitt’s Creek, I cherished our working relationship, but most of all our friendship. And I will miss her.’
He added: ‘My heart goes out to Bo, Matthew, Luke, and the entire O’Hara family.’
O’Hara left behind her husband of 30-plus years Bo Welch, and their sons Matthew, 32, and Luke, 29.
Eugene and O’Hara first met in 1974 as members of the Second City comedy troupe in Toronto, beginning a legendary 50-year creative partnership
Running from 2015 to 2020, Schitt’s Creek followed the once-rich Rose family as they rebuilt their lives in the town of Schitt’s Creek, where they took over the Rosebud Motel.
The show also starred Annie Murphy as Alexis Rose, Moira’s daughter.
O’Hara won her second Emmy Award in 2020 for the role, after she’d previously won in 1982 for her role on SCTV Network.
The cast had their last public appearance at the 2024 Emmy Awards, where Dan and Eugene co-hosted the show.
After Schitt’s Creek wrapped, Dan — who co-created the series with his father Eugene — told People he hoped the story might continue.
‘My hope is that one day we can all get together. I see these people all the time. We’re in constant contact with each other,’ he said in 2022.
Dan expressed that O’Hara — who starred as his eccentric mother Moira Rose on the show — was ‘family’ both on and off the screen, after news broke that she passed
‘What a gift to have gotten to dance in the warm glow of Catherine O’Hara’s brilliance for all those years,’ Dan wrote in an Instagram tribute
‘It’s hard to imagine a world without her in it,’ he added, sharing two photos of them
Meanwhile Eugene told Daily Mail in a statement: ‘Words seem inadequate to express the loss I feel today’; They are seen in 2020
Eugene and Catherine first met in 1974 as members of the Second City comedy troupe in Toronto, beginning a legendary 50-year creative partnership; Eugene pictured with Catherine and her husband Bo Welch in a throwback snap
‘So the love is there. The desire to work together is there, and the desire to tell more stories is there.’
‘I think it just comes down to making sure that it’s the right story to tell. And I think we’re also proud of the work we did on Schitt’s. And when you end on such a high, it really forces you to think very carefully about what the next step is. Because whatever that is, is an extension of something that most people don’t have, don’t get to see in their life. And I really respect the audience in that thing.’
O’Hara was rushed to the hospital after suffering a medical emergency at her Los Angeles home on Friday, prior to her sudden death at age 71.
The Home Alone star was having ‘difficulty breathing’ before she was taken to the hospital, according to a dispatch audio obtained by the Daily Mail.
First responders were called to O’Hara’s Brentwood home at around 5 AM on Friday. She was rushed to a nearby hospital and listed in serious condition, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.
Within hours, the iconic actress was declared dead. Her cause of death has not been revealed at this time.
A statement from CAA, the agency that represented O’Hara, said the actress died Friday ‘at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness.’
An LAFD spokesperson told the Daily Mail: ‘At 4:48 am we responded to a request for medical aid to that address and transported an approximately 70-year-old female in serious condition.’
O’Hara starred on Schitt’s Creek as the fabulously dramatic matriarch alongside husband Johnny Rose (played by Eugene), and kids David (Dan) and Alexis (Annie Murphy)
O’Hara won her second Emmy Award in 2020 for the role, after she’d previously won in 1982 for her role on SCTV Network
The cast had their last public appearance at the 2024 Emmy Awards, where Dan and Eugene co-hosted the show
O’Hara’s last public appearance was at the Emmys in September, where she appeared frail on the red carpet.
O’Hara was notably absent from the 2026 Golden Globes on January 11, where she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress on Television for The Studio.
The ceremony saw her Home Alone costar Macaulay Culkin take to the stage to present the award for Best Screenplay – Motion Picture, and reflect on his role in the holiday classic.
As news of O’Hara’s tragic death spread, Culkin led the tributes on Instagram with a heartbreaking post.
He shared a split image: one from the classic Home Alone film and another from a more recent reunion at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in 2023.
‘Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you. But I had so much more to say. I love you. I’ll see you later,’ he wrote.
A Toronto native, O’Hara got her start as a member of the legendary SCTV cast, helping launch the careers of comedy icons like Levy, John Candy, and Rick Moranis.
The actress became a household name playing Culkin’s mom in the first two Home Alone films, and she charmed audiences as the eccentric Moira in all 80 episodes of Schitt’s Creek.
Her comedic talent also shone in Christopher Guest’s hit mockumentaries, including Best in Show (2000) and A Mighty Wind (2003).
Fans also remember her unforgettable turns in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice.
O’Hara was rushed to the hospital after suffering a medical emergency at her Los Angeles home on Friday, prior to her sudden death at age 71. Her cause of death has not yet been released; Pictured in 2025
The actress became a household name playing Macaulay Culkin’s mom in the first two Home Alone films; pictured with Culkin in Home Alone
Her talent extended well beyond comedy, with 2025’s The Studio showcasing her ability to move effortlessly between comedic and dramatic roles.
O’Hara’s awards résumé was already formidable: she won an Emmy in 1982 for her work on SCTV Network and again in 2020 for her iconic turn as Moira on Schitt’s Creek, while earning eight additional nominations for acting and writing.
In 2017, she was named to the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest honors.
In 2025, she received a rare double nomination, recognized for her guest role on HBO’s The Last of Us and her performance in The Studio.
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