From battling Beetlejuice to buying a Canadian town called ‘Schitt’s Creek’
Tributes have poured in for the Hollywood legend, Catherine O’Hara, who unexpectedly left us on the 30th of January at the age of 71, following a brief illness, according to multiple news sources.
O’Hara’s expansive career spanned over fifty years. Some of her most notable roles included Delia Deetz in Tim Burton’s 1988 film, ‘Beetlejuice’ and its 2024 sequel, Kate McCallister in ‘Home Alone’ 1 and 2, and of course, the incomparable Moira Rose in the Canadian comedy series ‘Schitt’s Creek’.
Delia Deetz, the stepmother of Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder), is an art curator who wants to turn her new (haunted) house into a gallery. Yet her stepdaughter is communicating with the dead in the background, so perhaps it’s not the best idea. Lydia and her husband Charles Deetz are sceptics throughout the film, perhaps until the hilarious possession scene at the table, where the spirit possessed the family to sing and dance to the ‘Banana Boat’ song. How would you not believe after that? Delia made a fabulous return in the film’s sequel ‘Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice’, as a step-grandmother to Jenna Ortega’s Astrid and a grieving widow of her husband, Lydia’s father, Charles.
Kate McCallister, a busy fashion designer and mother of five, and her husband were so busy that they didn’t notice when they left their youngest son, Kevin, behind at home alone, or separated from him at the airport, where he boarded the wrong flight and got lost in New York. Catherine played the stressed yet still put-together role perfectly each time and delivered one of the most iconic lines not once, but twice. One word…Kevin!! Macaulay Culkin gave a heartfelt tribute to his former co-star and mother figure in his own life, via Instagram. “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” This is significantly poignant as Catherine O’Hara was present to witness an important moment in Macaulay’s life and career, as he received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023. Catherine delivered a speech at the ceremony.
Of course, one must include the one and only, Moira Rose, bebés. Moira made us laugh with her expansive, inventive vocabulary, her odd accent, and her extensive wig collection. Even with a bit of nonsense thrown in, Moira had some sage words and advice for her children or even other residents of ‘Schitt’s Creek’, including: “Who knows what will befall us tomorrow? You could be hit by a Mack truck or bopped on the head by a tiny piece of space debris.” Wise words, Moira. Some advice which could be more accessible to work into everyday life includes: “I’m positively bedevilled with meetings!” If someone asks how college is going over the next few weeks, I will answer that I am “positively bedevilled” with assignments. One must also remember, “Turtles do not make! The poor things are riddled with a myriad of diseases. You may as well tie a leash around a raw chicken cutlet.”And who could forget Moira’s moment with her son, David, played by Dan Levy, as she tried to explain, multiple times, how to ‘fold in the cheese’? We don’t know how she could be any clearer! This legend has changed us forever, and for the better.
Rest in peace, Catherine. It has been a privilege to witness your bombilating bailiwick in the acting world, a true heuristic presence which helped to assuage the unpleasantness of the world. You will be dearly missed.