Catherine O’Hara’s brother, Michael P. O’Hara, is opening up about a meaningful moment from the days leading up to the actress’s death, sharing a memory that has stayed with him.
Speaking on his podcast “Dreams of Our Loved Ones,” Michael reflected on what he described as a quiet but powerful final connection with his sister, who died on January 28.
“I always cherish the times I can meet with a loved one in the dream state,” he said, as quoted by Entertainment Weekly. “And I was hugging her, which was really beautiful. And I guess it was sort of a goodbye.”
A Dream That Became a Farewell
GettyMichael added that the dream came just days before Catherine’s passing, offering a sense of comfort during an especially difficult time.
He shared that the moment carried added meaning because their communication had become limited in her final days. Recalling her heartbreaking final days, he added:
“She wasn’t talking much in the end,” he said. “She didn’t really want to talk on the phone. And she didn’t live close by, she’s in Los Angeles.”
For Michael, the experience felt like a quiet goodbye, a moment that has stayed with him since her passing.
Finding Comfort in Ongoing Connection
Michael said that sense of connection continued in the days that followed, as he recalled another dream in which he saw his sister in a calm yet lively setting.
“Since then, I’ve had a lovely dream where I was visiting her, and she was in a new house, and it was being renovated, and she was really busy choosing furniture and couches,” he said.
“And she said, ‘You can sleep here anytime, Michael. You can come over and stay anytime.”
He shared that the moment brought back memories from earlier in their lives, when he would visit her while she was on “Second City Television.”
Getty“And it reminded me of when I was when she was in Second City Television and I was apprenticing at the Windsor Arms Hotel,” he said. “I would go over and sleep over at her place some nights because she had an extra bedroom. Yeah, pretty cool. But yeah, it was beautiful. She was just so happy and very busy in the other world that she’s now in, but yeah, it’s beautiful.”
Michael closed the episode by reflecting on the meaning of such experiences, describing them as a way to stay connected to those who have passed.
“We’re all interconnected,” he said. “And the love, you know, continues no matter what. They’re always with us.”
Since Catherine’s death, tributes have continued to pour in from friends, collaborators, and fans.
Through the memories shared by those closest to her, Catherine O’Hara’s legacy lives on, carried by the love, laughter, and connection she left behind.
