Authorities have released new details surrounding the death of Catherine O’Hara, the Emmy-winning actor whose career spanned decades across film, television, and comedy. O’Hara died on Jan. 30 at age 71, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Per The Daily Beast, the Medical Examiner determined that O’Hara’s immediate cause of death was a pulmonary embolism, which occurs when a blood clot blocks blood flow to the lungs. Rectal cancer was listed as an underlying condition.
Her representatives had previously said only that she passed away following a “brief illness.”
Emergency responders were called to O’Hara’s Brentwood, California, home in the early morning hours, and she was transported to a hospital in serious condition, where she later died. Until the official findings were released, few details about her health had been made public.
She discussed the diagnosis during a 2020 interview, explaining that she learned about the condition roughly two decades earlier. “I’m a freak,” she joked at the time.
Medical experts note that situs inversus can exist on its own and is not necessarily life-threatening. While the condition has not been linked to O’Hara’s cause of death, it can sometimes be associated with respiratory complications in certain cases.
O’Hara remained active professionally in recent years, earning acclaim for her television work and appearing publicly as recently as September, when she attended the Emmy Awards. She was nominated for her role opposite Seth Rogen in The Studio, marking another late-career highlight.
Tributes quickly poured in from collaborators and fans following news of her death. Macaulay Culkin, who played her son in Home Alone, shared a personal message honoring her legacy.
Longtime friend and creative partner Eugene Levy also paid tribute, reflecting on their decades-long collaboration from Second City and SCTV through Schitt’s Creek.
O’Hara is survived by her husband, director and production designer Bo Welch, and their two sons.
