Remembering Catherine O’Hara

The loss of Catherine O’Hara hit me hard this week, as I know it did so many - a Canadian icon we were so very proud to call our own, and yet someone who never really belonged to one place. She belonged to the world. And perhaps that’s because the way she lived - with joy, whimsy, humility, and deep attentiveness - is so universally human, and so deeply needed right now.

Catherine had a rare gift: the ability to laugh at but not diminish herself, to observe life and the people around her with both sharp wit and enormous tenderness. Her characters were unforgettable not because they were exaggerated, but because they were true - mirrors held up with kindness and precision. She showed us that humour can be generous, that joy can be intelligent, and that levity can coexist with depth.

Of all her many roles, including being the unforgettable on-screen mother in Home Alone, her most important was one she lived quietly and faithfully: being a mother to her own children. It’s a reminder that success, no matter how visible, is never more meaningful than the love and care we offer in our most intimate relationships.

Catherine once shared this reflection on creativity, work, and integrity, words that feel especially resonant today:

There is so much wisdom here: about honouring what we’re given, about choosing integrity over urgency, about being conscious of how we show up, not just in our work, but in our relationships and in the world.

Thank you, Catherine, for the laughter, the generosity, the sharp observation, and the reminder that joy, when practiced with humility, can be a profound act of service.

With deep respect and gratitude,
Tamara