Portrait of Catherine O'Hara

Birthday profile

Catherine O'Hara

Canadian-American actress and screenwriter (1954–2026)

Born
March 4, 1954
Died
January 30, 2026
Zodiac sign
Pisces
Birth year
1954

About Catherine O'Hara

Catherine Anne O'Hara (March 4, 1954 – January 30, 2026) was a Canadian and American actress and comedian, whose career spanned over 50 years. O'Hara started in sketch and improvisational comedy in film and television before taking dramatic roles to expand her career. She received various accolades including two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. Her films have grossed more than US$4.3 billion worldwide. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2017. O'Hara began her career in a starring role on the CBC Television children's television sitcom Coming Up Rosie in 1975, and came to prominence in the sketch comedy series Second City Television (SCTV; 1976–1984), for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award. She gained acclaim acting in films such as After Hours (1985), Heartburn (1986), Beetlejuice (1988), Home Alone (1990), and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). She acted in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006). She voiced roles in The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Chicken Little (2005), Over the Hedge (2006), Monster House (2006), Where the Wild Things Are (2009), Frankenweenie (2012), Elemental (2023), and The Wild Robot (2024). Appearing opposite Eugene Levy, a frequent castmate in SCTV and Guest's films, O'Hara experienced a career resurgence for her role as Moira Rose in the CBC sitcom Schitt's Creek (2015–2020), earning a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. She was also Emmy-nominated for her roles in the HBO television film Temple Grandin (2010), the HBO drama series The Last of Us (2025), and the Apple TV+ comedy series The Studio (2025). She also acted in the HBO drama series Six Feet Under (2003–2005) and the Netflix series A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017–2019). O'Hara's performance in the Apple TV+ comedy series The Studio (2025) posthumously won her the Actor Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series. In 1976 SC created the sketch comedy show Second City Television (SCTV), for which O'Hara became a regular performer. Her role in 1999's The Life Before This won her a Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Catherine O'Hara timeline

  1. In 1976 SC created the sketch comedy show Second City Television (SCTV), for which O'Hara became a regular performer.
  2. Her role in 1999's The Life Before This won her a Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.
  3. O'Hara's performance in the Apple TV+ comedy series The Studio (2025) posthumously won her the Actor Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series.

The world when Catherine O'Hara was born

Catherine O'Hara was born in 1954. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1954

  • #1 song"Sh-Boom" – The Crew-Cuts
  • Top movieOn the Waterfront
  • Top TV showI Love Lucy
  • Best-selling bookLord of the Flies – William Golding

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentRoger Bannister breaks the 4-minute mile
  • Top headlineSupreme Court rules school segregation unconstitutional
  • Technology milestoneFirst nuclear power plant begins operation (USSR)
  • Defining fadRock and roll emerges
  • Notable inventionNonstick pan (Tefal)
  • World population2.72 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderDwight D. Eisenhower
  • Sports championNew York Giants (World Series)
  • Also wonMinneapolis Lakers (NBA)
  • U.S. population162.0M

1954 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Catherine O'Hara's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19542026
Gas$0.29$3.45/gal
Average home$10,250$435,000
Average income$5,800$67,500
Minimum wage$0.75$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$0.49$11.95
Postage stamp$0.03$0.73
Population162.0M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, MusicBrainz. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.