During the “Saturday Night Live” episode on Jan. 31, the hit NBC comedy sketch series honored the late Catherine O’Hara with a sweet tribute. Before the show ended, a nostalgic photo of the “Home Alone” actress appeared on the screen, TMZ reports.
The official “SNL” X account also reposted the tribute, leading many of her fans to share their fond memories of O’Hara, who was described in the comments as “captivating,” a “legend” and a “treasure.”
Catherine O’Hara Was Cast in ‘SNL’ During the ’80s
O’Hara died at the age of 71 on Jan. 30, TMZ reports. Her untimely death has left as big of a mark in the entertainment industry as her incredible acting career for her roles in “Schitt’s Creek,” “Beetlejuice,” “The Last Polka” and many more.
In the early ‘80s, O’Hara was scouted to become an “SNL” cast member but resigned after 1 week during season 6, People reports. O’Hara eventually found her way into Studio 8H, though. In April 1991 and October 1992, she appeared as an “SNL” host despite never becoming an official cast member.
Catherine O’Hara Explains Why She Left ‘SNL’
O’Hara dished to People in 2024 about her decision to leave “SNL” after landing a spot on the iconic show. “There’s been BS stories about I was supposedly scared by somebody,” she told the outlet before explaining how she had already been cast in the comedy sketch show “Second City Television,” also known as “SCTV,” ultimately leading to conflicting schedules.
“Our producer would get a deal with a network, and we’d have a show for a season or two, and then that deal would go away,” O’Hara shared of the inconsistency of her role on “SCTV” at the time. “There’d be a break, then we’d do the show again.”
The late actress went on to explain how she “got asked to be on ‘Saturday Night Live’” during a break in filming “SCTV,” adding, “And of course I said yes. Who doesn’t want to do that?”
When describing how she informed “SNL” that she would no longer be able to be a cast member, she told People, “Basically I said, ‘Oh, sorry, I gotta go be with my [comedy] family.’”
During her time as a castmate and writer on “SCTV” between 1976 and 1984, O’Hara shared the stage with iconic comedians, including John Candy, Eugene Levy, Martin Short, Robin Duke, Rick Moranis, Joe Flaherty and Andrea Martin, Page Six reports.
