Catherine O’Hara died at 71 after ‘brief illness’; Daily Mail says husband kept pals in dark

Catherine O’Hara died Friday at age 71 at her home in Los Angeles following a “brief illness,” her agency CAA confirmed to Page Six after an initial report from TMZ. The Los Angeles Fire Department told Page Six it responded to a 4:48 a.m. call to O’Hara’s home and transported her to a hospital in “serious” condition; a cause of death has not yet been revealed.

The Daily Mail reported that O’Hara and her husband, production designer Bo Welch, kept news of her mystery illness to themselves, and that “many of those closest to O’Hara were kept in the dark” with some pals left in “complete shock,” the outlet said. O’Hara had been scheduled to shoot Season 2 of Seth Rogen’s The Studio but pulled out days before her death; the Sun reported the schedule was reworked to focus on scenes without her as she addressed “personal matters,” and an insider told the outlet it “was not widely known she was dealing with any health or major issues.” Page Six obtained 911 dispatch audio that said she was having “breathing difficulty” during her final hours.

Her family confirmed she is survived by husband Bo Welch and their sons Matthew, 31, and Luke, 29. The actress, known for Beetlejuice, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show and Home Alone and praised for her later work on Schitt’s Creek, drew tributes from colleagues including Tim Burton, who said, “You were a special part of my life and after life,” and Eugene Levy, who called his loss difficult to express.

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