It is a sad day in the entertainment industry: Catherine O’Hara has passed away. Her death was announced on Friday, January 30, with her rep confirming the news and revealing that she had died in her Los Angeles Bentwood home “following a brief illness,” TMZ reports. She was 71.
Social media has been flooded with tributes for O’Hara, as many fans, friends, and loved ones remember her brilliance. She was loved by many for her work and for who she was. Among those who cared for O’Hara is actor Eugene Levy.
Catherine O’Hara & Eugene Levy’s Beautiful Friendship
GettyO’Hara and Levy were longtime friends and collaborators, having starred on multiple projects together, including the Emmy Award-winning series, “Schitt’s Creek.” Their films include “Waiting for Guffman,” Best in Show,” “A Mighty Wind,” and “For Your Consideration.”
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GettyThe pair had a beautiful friendship, which began in the ‘70s. In an interview with Buzzfeed, they reflected on how they first met.
“I was a waitress at Second City … and Eugene was in the cast, and I auditioned for the cast,” O’Hara said of the Toronto-based improv troupe. “At that time, Joe Flaherty, who was directing, said, ‘I heard you auditioned. Keep up the day job. Keep up the waitressing.’ But even waitressing at Second City was a cool job. My sister was a waitress there, my brother was a waiter there, and Eugene was in the cast, so I, of course, remember Eugene because I saw him on stage.”
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Levy also reflected on their first meeting, saying, “I remember the audition, and it was a really good audition, and I think the general feeling was she was just a little young.” They noted that six months later, she had joined the cast, replacing Gilda Radner.
Forever Grateful
GettyO’Hara and Levy’s work together on “Schitt’s Creek” earned them both Emmy Awards. In 2020, O’Hara accepted her Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, and she used it as an opportunity to thank Levy and his son, Dan Levy, for creating the series and for including her in it.
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Getty“I will forever be grateful to Eugene and Daniel Levy for the opportunity to play a woman of a certain age, my age, who gets to be fully her ridiculous self,” O’Hara said in her Emmy Award acceptance speech.
Their attendance at events was welcomed by fans, and they always seemed to be having a great time. The world will miss this friendship.
