Catherine O’Hara‘s cause of death has been revealed almost a fortnight after the beloved actress died aged 71.
The Home Alone and Schitt’s Creek star died from a pulmonary embolism and had been diagnosed with rectal cancer, according to her death certificate.
The document has been obtained from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office by online publication TMZ.
Following O’Hara’s death on January 30, her agency said the actress had died of “a brief illness” in a statement to media.
It was later revealed she was hospitalised in a “serious condition” on the morning of her death, per a spokesperson for the LA Fire Department.
It’s believed many of O’Hara’s closest friends were “kept in the dark about her condition” during her final days.
The Emmy winner was scheduled to shoot for Season 2 of TV series The Studio but pulled out just days before her death.
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The schedule was reportedly “reworked” to focus on scenes without her character, with The Sun claiming O’Hara was addressing “personal matters”.
“It was not widely known she was dealing with any health or major issues,” an insider told the publication following her death.
The Canadian-American actress was beloved by audiences for her roles in films including Home Alone, Beetlejuice and Best in Show and TV series Schitt’s Creek, The Studio and The Last of Us.
Her last public appearance was at the 2025 Emmy Awards in September, where she was a double nominee for The Studio and The Last of Us.
She was also a nominee in the Golden Globe awards earlier this month but was absent from the ceremony.
The news of O’Hara’s death prompted a wave of tributes from her industry peers and co-stars, including Macaulay Culkin, Dan and Eugene Levy and Michael Keaton.
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