Catherine O’Hara built a decades-long career in character comedy. Her timing and facial control was deliberate. For more than five decades, she shaped some of the widely recognized characters in modern film and television, across satire, absurd comedy, and drama.

The Canadian-American actress and comedian died on January 30, 2026, at age 71 following a brief illness, according to her representatives. Her passing marks the loss of a distinctive comedic performer whose work balanced theatricality with emotional realism.

Catherine O’Hara: Instagram

Born on March 4, 1954, in Toronto, O’Hara began in Toronto’s improv scene. She joined The Second City at a young age, a well-known improv institution. There, she developed the a character-driven approach. Her breakthrough arrived with SCTV, the cult sketch series that launched several careers. O’Hara stood out for her wide range. One moment she was playing a melodramatic soap actress, the next a hilariously mundane suburban mother Her timing was consistent.

Hollywood soon followed. To many audiences, she became widely recognizable as Kate McCallister in Home Alone the frantic, determined mother racing across continents to reach her child. The performance anchored the film emotionally and helped establish it as a holiday classic. She brought similar comic energy to Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice, crafting a portrait of eccentric domesticity that remains popular and lent her voice to animated classics like The Nightmare Before Christmas. In Christopher Guest’s mockumentaries. Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, and A Mighty Wind she worked extensively in improvised mockumentaries sculpting characters that were detailed and character-specific.

Catherine O’Hara: Instagram

Later, she reached a new audience. As Moira Rose on Schitt’s Creek, O’Hara created a character that was highly theatrical, sculptural wigs, ornate diction, and a wardrobe that seemed to exist in its own universe. The character also showed vulnerability and fierce maternal loyalty. The role earned her an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award, and received widespread attention.

Even in her seventies, she continued working, appearing in streaming series and high-profile productions that included dramatic roles. Off-screen, O’Hara kept her personal life private. She married production designer Bo Welch in 1992, and the couple raised two sons while maintaining long careers in the industry. Colleagues frequently described her as generous, sharp, and collaborative.

Catherine O’Hara: Instagram

Her legacy rested in her careful performance choices. The timing of a line, the subtle reaction that lingered longer than words, the ability to make supporting roles stand out. She emphasized careful performance over showiness. Over decades, she built a body of work defined by deliberate character choices a consistency that made her work enduring.

After taking time off to focus on his health and quietly step back from the spotlight, Justin Bieber is easing his way back. The Recording Academy confirmed on Wednesday that the singer will perform at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards on February 1. This is a major milestone in a long-awaited comeback from his fans.

Photo: The Global

It’s been four years since Justin last graced the Grammy stage. Since that 2022 performance, his life has looked very different. After being diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, he made the difficult but necessary choice to cancel the Justice World Tour to focus on his recovery. Since then, his appearances have been rare.

The return coincides with the massive success of his latest album, SWAG. Far from just “making a comeback, He’s got nominations in several major categories this year:

• Album of the Year

•  Best Pop Vocal Album

• Best Pop Solo Performance

• Best R&B Performance

Photo: Getty images

The Grammys are just the beginning. With a Coachella headlining slot also on the horizon for later this year, it’s clear that the “Bieber Era” is officially back in full swing.

You can follow the performance live on CBS and Paramount+ this Sunday. After everything he’s walked through over the last few years, seeing him back under the lights is bound to be one of the night’s most emotional moments.

Ray J has shared a deeply troubling update about his health, revealing that doctors have warned he may only have months left to live following severe heart complications.

William Ray Norwood Jr. Opened up on Instagram Live about his health after a recent hospitalization for pneumonia. During the emotional livestream, Ray J said his heart is currently functioning at just 25 percent, a condition he described as his heart turning “black.”

“2027 is definitely a wrap for me,”

Photo: Hollywood reporter

he said, gesturing toward his chest. “This is black. This is done.” Ray J admitted that he nearly died during his hospital stay and took responsibility for the lifestyle choices that led to his health crisis.

He openly spoke about years of heavy alcohol and drug use, saying he believed he was “indestructible” and could handle the excess.

“I messed up, I thought I could handle all the alcohol, the Adderall, all the drugs. I thought nothing would happen to me, but it did. It cut my time short.”

According to the singer, he was drinking as many as four to five bottles of alcohol a day and taking up to 10 Adderall pills daily before his health deteriorated.

Photo Credit: Ary news

Even with such a serious diagnosis, Ray J has been full of gratitude for the outpouring of love and support from his fans and family. He specifically thanked his parents, Sonja and Willie Norwood, and his sister, Grammy-winning singer Brandy, for standing by him during this difficult period. “My mom and dad are taking me to my next checkup,” he shared. “And my sister paid my bills for the rest of the year. That’s love.”

Ray J, who shares two children, Melody, and Epik, with his ex-wife Princess Love, said he is trying to remain focused and hopeful while taking his recovery seriously. “As long as I stay on the right path and stay focused, everything will be alright,” he said, while acknowledging that his health remains unstable.