Canadian actress Catherine O’Hara died of a pulmonary embolism, her U.S. death certificate shows.
O’Hara passed away on January 30 at a Los Angeles hospital at the age of 71. The certificate also listed rectal cancer as a long-term contributing factor. She had been undergoing treatment for the cancer since March 2025.
Tributes poured in for the actress, who recently appeared in the Emmy-winning comedy The Studio and in The Last of Us.
Seth Rogen, creator of The Studio, described O’Hara as «hysterical, kind, intuitive, generous» and said he was devastated by her death.
«We’re all lucky we got to live in a world with her in it,» he added.
Pedro Pascal, who starred alongside O’Hara in The Last of Us, wrote on Instagram:
«Oh, genius to be near you. Eternally grateful. There is less light in my world, this lucky world that had you, will keep you, always.»
Macaulay Culkin, her on-screen son in Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, also paid tribute on 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.»
Catherine O’Hara is survived by her husband Bo Welch, her sons Matthew and Luke, and six siblings.
What is a pulmonary embolism?
The NHS defines a pulmonary embolism as a life-threatening condition caused when a blood vessel in the lungs is blocked by a blood clot. Symptoms can include sudden difficulty breathing, chest pain that worsens when breathing, and coughing up blood.
