Where to Watch Catherine O’Hara’s Best Work

It feels like a dimmer time for comedy now. Just recently, Catherine O’Hara was at the height of her career, receiving Emmy nominations last fall for her amazing performances in The Studio and The Last of Us. Sadly, she has passed away, and the news has shocked everyone.

The recent passing of a comedic legend has prompted many to share their favorite moments of her work. For fifty years, she consistently brought joy to audiences, whether through her early roles on SCTV, beloved films like Home Alone, her brilliant improvisational skills with Christopher Guest, or her often-overlooked voice acting in animated projects. She was a truly essential performer. While her loss is deeply felt, revisiting some of her most memorable performances – listed below in order – can offer a bit of comfort. After all, laughter really is the best medicine.

It’s surprisingly difficult to find SCTV available for streaming, despite its popularity. While the recent passing of Catherine O’Hara might lead to changes, that’s currently the reason it hasn’t been added to our list of available shows.

After Hours (1985)

Catherine O’Hara started her film career in a 1980 comedy with a lot of cast members from SCTV, but most people first remember seeing her in this fantastic movie from the mid-1980s directed by Martin Scorsese. She plays Gail, an ice cream truck driver who initially appears friendly but quickly becomes an obstacle for Paul (Griffin Dunne) during a very difficult night. Even with a small role, O’Hara showed her talent for making any project better. Available to rent or buy online.

Beetlejuice (1988)

I’ve always loved Catherine O’Hara, and she’s fantastic as Delia Deetz in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice. Even back then, you could see that wonderfully sharp, slightly difficult personality she’d really perfect later on with Schitt’s Creek. Delia’s basically the mom to Winona Ryder’s iconic Lydia, and honestly, her decorating style is terrible – so bad that Beetlejuice eventually messes with it! Thankfully, she was able to come back for the new Beetlejuice Beetlejuice movie, which I just watched on demand.

Home Alone (1990)

Everyone remembers Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, and Daniel Stern in Home Alone, but Catherine O’Hara is the heart of the movie. Known for playing colder characters, she perfectly captured the frantic worry of Kate McCallister when she realizes Kevin is missing, and then provided the film’s emotional warmth at the end. Her scene with her SCTV co-star John Candy is a small but wonderful moment that often gets overlooked. You can watch it on Disney+.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Many people don’t know that Catherine O’Hara voiced Sally in Henry Selick’s classic stop-motion film, The Nightmare Before Christmas – a movie many consider the best of its kind. That role was her big break into voice acting, and she’s been a consistently fantastic voice actor ever since. In fact, she’s been one of the most important voice actors for the past thirty years! Her impressive list of credits includes Chicken Little, Over the Hedge, Monster House, Where the Wild Things Are, Frankenweenie, When Marnie Was There, The Addams Family, Elemental, and The Wild Robot – representing work with directors like Tim Burton and Studio Ghibli, and studios like Pixar and Dreamworks. She quietly made many of our childhoods better. You can find many of her films on Disney+.

Waiting for Guffman (1996)

Considered one of the most hilarious films of all time, Guffman not only made the comedy group The Guest famous, but inspired countless others to try their hand at improvisational comedy. Written by Eugene Levy and Christopher Guest, the movie truly shines thanks to its incredible cast, including Catherine O’Hara as Sheila Albertson and Fred Willard as Ron. It’s especially touching to watch now, knowing that both Willard and O’Hara have passed away – one can only hope they’re sharing a stage and making audiences laugh somewhere beyond. Available to rent or buy on demand.

Best in Show (2000)

I still think the second movie O’Hara did with Christopher Guest is his absolute best. She’s brilliant as Cookie Fleck – what a perfect name! – and plays so well off Guest’s regular cast. Cookie’s Gerry, and their adorable Norwich terrier, Winky, are fantastic. The whole thing is beautifully improvised, and it’s hilarious watching Cookie run into all her old boyfriends, especially because it drives Gerry absolutely crazy. You can rent or buy it on demand now.

A Mighty Wind (2003)

Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara teamed up with Christopher Guest for a third time, this time focusing on a folk music reunion concert. The concert included wildly funny original songs, one of which Levy and O’Hara even performed at the Oscars. Most of their usual collaborators joined them for this project, and it really highlights how integral O’Hara was to Guest’s comedic ensemble – just as important as Levy, McKean, Posey, or Guest himself. Her passing marks the end of an era in comedy. You can watch it on YouTube (with ads) or rent/buy it on demand.

Six Feet Under (2003-2005)

While many people loved Betty O’Hara for her comedic roles, she was equally talented at drama. A prime example is her four-episode appearance in seasons three and five of Six Feet Under, where she played Carol Ward, the demanding boss of Lisa Kimmel. This performance proved her incredible range and reminded viewers that she could excel in any role – and that Six Feet Under is one of HBO’s all-time greatest dramas. You can stream it on HBO Max.

Temple Grandin (2010)

This Emmy-winning HBO movie, often praised as one of the best original films the network has produced, stars Claire Danes as Temple Grandin, a woman with autism who defied expectations and revolutionized the way livestock is handled. While Danes gives a powerful performance, David Strathairn as Ann, the owner of the Arizona ranch where Grandin made a difference, is equally impressive. The film swept the Emmys, winning awards for Outstanding Movie, Lead Actress, and Supporting Actor. Strathairn likely would have won an award as well, but he competed against his co-star, Julia Ormond, in the Supporting Actor category. You can watch it on HBO Max.

Schitt’s Creek (2015-2020)

It’s surprising to think that stars like Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara needed a resurgence, but Schitt’s Creek really gave them one, unexpectedly becoming a huge global comedy hit. The show centers around Moira Rose, played by O’Hara, a former soap opera actress who’s forced to adjust to a much simpler life in a small town motel. What began as a successful Canadian comedy quickly gained international popularity, largely thanks to O’Hara’s impeccable comedic timing and unique accent. She received two Emmy nominations for the role, winning for the final season, and it’s widely considered one of the best comedic performances in recent television history. You can watch it on Hulu.

The Last of Us (2025)

Honestly, everyone had opinions about the second season of HBO’s show based on that incredible game, but there was one thing we all agreed on: Catherine O’Hara was amazing. Even with limited screen time as Gail, she completely stole the show – she just knew what Joel was up to. You could feel the weight of her husband Eugene’s death in every scene. It was the kind of powerful, dramatic role we were hoping to see more of from her, and it was so deserving of that Emmy nomination. It’s sad thinking about how much laughter we lost when her character died, but it also feels like we lost out on even more incredible dramatic performances she could have given. You can find it all on HBO Max.

The Studio (2025)

This loss really stings. There was no sign that Catherine O’Hara’s brilliantly sharp and funny character on this popular Apple TV comedy – one of the biggest streaming comedies around – was nearing its end. As Patty Leigh, O’Hara perfectly portrayed a faded Hollywood power player who refuses to go down without a fight. She was a fantastic addition to the show, making every scene better, and it seemed like she’d be a part of it for a long time. While her character was removed from her position by Seth Rogen’s character, Catherine O’Hara definitely left her mark on the show. Streaming on Apple TV.

2026-02-01 00:57