Catherine O'Hara's Cause of Death Confirmed — What Really Happened?

Home Alone star and award-winning actress Catherine O'Hara's cause of death has been identified. O'Hara died on 30 January 2026 at the age of 71 in a hospital in Los Angeles. The Canadian actress' rep had initially said she had died 'after a brief illness.'

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed on 9 February 2026 that O'Hara suffered a pulmonary embolism, which led to her death, according to a People report. The death certificate listed rectal cancer as the underlying cause of the blood clot in her lungs. Reports also say O'Hara had been receiving cancer treatment since March of last year.

What is a Pulmonary Embolism

The National Library of Medicine lists the life-threatening condition, pulmonary embolism (PE), also known as blood clots in a person's lungs, as a sudden blockage in a lung artery. The blockage occurs when a blood clot travels through the bloodstream to the lungs. Results can be permanent lung damage, low blood oxygen levels, and organ damage.

Other notable deaths from pulmonary embolism include Hollywood star James Stewart (also known as Jimmy Stewart), Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, and theatre actor, director, and producer John Cromwell.

Honouring O'Hara's Life

The Canadian actress, comedian, and writer skyrocketed to popularity when she was cast in the television show SCTV in 1976. She won an Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series in 2020 for her role as Moira Rose in 'Schitt's Creek,' where she starred in a total of six seasons.

When accepting her award, she said, '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 fully be herself.' Schitt's Creek also won her a Golden Globe and a SAG Award in 2021.

O'Hara's death was devastating for actor Seth Rogen, who described her as 'hysterical, kind, intuitive, generous,' saying that 'We're all lucky we got to live in a world with her in it,' per a BBC report. O'Hara's co-star on The Last of Us, Pedro Pascal, said in a post 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.'

Her co-star and Schitt's Creek creator Eugene Levy paid a tribute to Catherine O'Hara and told People Magazine that he had the 'honor of knowing and working with the great Catherine O'Hara for over fifty years,' and that 'Words seem inadequate to express the loss I feel today.'

Aside from her Home Alone role that earned her worldwide recognition, O'Hara guest-starred in hit series Modern Family, 30 Rock, and Curb Your Enthusiasm, where she appeared in one episode. She lent her voice to several projects, including The Wild Robot (2024), Elemental (2023), The Last Kids on Earth (2020), Extinct (2021), The Addams Family (2019), and more. She also starred in Season 2 of the TV series The Last of Us in 2025, and appeared in the movie Argylle that same year.

Shortly after her death, as she was cast in the award-winning Apple series 'The Studio,' the series' Apple TV press day was cancelled. In a joint statement, Apple and Lionsgate said, 'We are all heartbroken by the loss of Catherine O'Hara.' The statement also said, 'Her artistic accomplishments will forever bring humour, light, and love for generations to come, and her brilliance and generosity of spirit touched everyone around her,' per Variety.