Five Unforgettable Performances By Catherine O’Hara
Yesterday, the sound of laughter dimmed around the world as Hollywood and others observed several moments of silence in honor of the legendary Catherine O’Hara. For me, that silence continues to linger as I’ve not been able to process the loss since the news broke. Some passings hit you more than others, and losing Catherine O’Hara hurts. Only a handful of celebrity deaths have caused me to shut down: Michael Jackson in 2009, Chris Farley in 1997, Robin Williams in 2014, and now Catherine O’Hara, one of the world’s most gifted comedic actresses, and so much more, who pierced this dark world as a beam of blinding light. Rather than wallow all weekend and beyond, I want to channel my grief into something positive that we can all enjoy. So please, join me in celebrating five of Catherine O’Hara’s most unforgettable performances throughout her storied career.
Beetlejuice (1988)
“I’m here with you. I will live in this hellhole. But I must express myself. If you don’t let me gut out this house and make it my own, I will go insane, and I will take you with me!” Who could forget O’Hara’s hilarious and spirited performance as Delia Deetz in Tim Burton‘s supernatural masterpiece Beetlejuice? As the struggling artist who specializes in surrealist Gothic art, Delia is an acquired taste in the art world. After being forced to move from New York to Connecticut, away from many of her friends and gallery connections, Delia finds herself trapped in the Maitland home, a prison of folksy horror and uninspired architecture. The Maitland home is hell on earth for someone like Delia, and she isn’t afraid to make life miserable for her husband, Charles, until he lets her carve out a niche that involves destroying most of the house.
O’Hara’s Delia is unhinged, unapologetic, and flakier than a foot and a half of snow in the dead of winter. Still, she’s an absolute fashion icon with her moody, Gothic garments, shock of crimson hair, and wild-eyed stare. She hosts one hell of a dinner party and dances to Harry Belafonte’s “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” like a woman possessed with the spirit of music itself. While Otho and others of the art world criticize Delia’s sculpture-making, I don’t know a single Goth alive in this world who wouldn’t do dark and dreadful things to own a piece from her collection.
Home Alone (1990)
It’s reasonably tricky to still win a Mother of the Year award after leaving your child alone at home during Christmas. Still, Catherine O’Hara’s Kate McCallister manages to take home the prize every time I watch Chris Columbus’ Home Alone. As a child of the ’80s, Home Alone arrived in theaters when I was nine years old, a formative time when I was beginning to understand and appreciate film in many forms. Even then, Home Alone was an event. Columbus’ holiday comedy took the world by storm, with Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, and, of course, Catherine O’Hara, stealing the show.
While the majority of the McCallister family continues to work their way back home, it’s Kate who goes above and beyond to make it back in time for Christmas. O’Hara plays Kate as a concerned mother driven to the ragged edge by her insane neglect, continually beating herself into emotional submission at the thought of leaving her child behind. As she encounters one stopgap after the next, Kate never gives up, even going so far as to travel with Gus Polinski (John Candy) and the Kenosha Kickers, a Polka band from the Midwest, to arrive home that much faster. Kate is a ball of nerves throughout the film, and she may never forgive herself for her carelessness, but we love her all the same.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
After collaborating with Tim Burton on Beetlejuice, Catherine O’Hara reunited with the wild-haired visionary for The Nightmare Before Christmas, a stop-motion animated musical that casts O’Hara as Sally, a patchwork miracle of mad science and Jack Skellington’s love interest. While Jack’s head is in the clouds, dreaming of combining Halloween and Christmas into the ultimate holiday, Sally realizes the flaws in Jack’s plans and lovingly interjects with her findings and concerns. Sally is by far one of Burton’s most endearing creations, not to mention one of his most visually striking, with her stitched-together flesh, hauntingly wavy hair, and ability to detach and reconstruct herself when the situation calls for it.
In addition to playing Sally with unwavering cleverness and sincerity, O’Hara sings throughout the animated adventure and positively shines with stunning vocals on the songs “Sally’s Song” and “Jack’s Lament.” Her melodious voice is a sweet compliment to Danny Elfman’s Jack, making her a double threat in Burton’s timeless tale of holiday cheer and true love burning bright like a Jack-o’-lantern underneath a pale full moon.
A Mighty Wind (2003)
Few comedic duos leave as much of a lasting impression as Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy. In Christopher Guest’s 2003 mockumentary A Mighty Wind, O’Hara and Levy play Mickey Crabbe and Mitch Cohen, respectively, of the once-famous folk singing duo Mitch & Mickey. In the film, the former couple released seven albums until their dramatic breakup. While Mickey seemingly moves on, Mitch never fully recovers from the loss, his heart still beating to Mickey’s rhythm and his body longing for her loving embrace. Their most famous song was “A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow,” which concludes with the couple sharing a kiss on stage. Mitch would give anything to feel the touch of Mickey’s lips again, if only as dear friends instead of estranged lovers.
O’Hara plays Mickey like a woman who’s done her fair share of partying, but has somehow managed to keep her wits intact. She loves Mitch, but also sees how much their breakup has taken its toll on his fragile heart, not to mention his drug-addled brain. O’Hara, alongside the rest of the cast, performs the singing and instrumentation in A Mighty Wind, treating fans to another side of her talents while playing a warm, affectionate, and everlasting folk hero.
Schitt’s Creek (2015-2020)
Not only is Schitt’s Creek one of my favorite shows of all time, but it also features my favorite performance of O’Hara’s storied career. O’Hara’s Moira Rose is eccentric, fierce, introspective, and downright hilarious. It’s as if O’Hara uses every trick in her acting arsenal to present Moira as a spoiled, exceedingly dramatic diva who, despite her snobbish comments, outrageous flair for fashion, and confounding accent, still wants more out of life and is willing to learn and change to get what she desires.
Moira’s indistinguishable accent is only one aspect of her character, as is her confounding vocabulary, with words like ‘frippet’ and ‘pettifogging.’ She’s a Rubik’s Cube of personality, her sides in constant shift, the pattern revealing a multi-faceted icon on her way to another evolution. Moira is a mighty phoenix wrapped in posh garments and whatever wig suits her mood. O’Hara’s performance in Schitt’s Creek is unmissable, especially if you’re looking to remember the actress at her most unconventional and transformative.
Rest well, Catherine. You brought so much light to everything you ever touched, and we are forever grateful for the gifts you were good enough to share with the world.
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