The Brief

Canadian actress and screenwriter Catherine O'Hara has died at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness, according to her agent and manager.

She was 71 years old and was known for absurdist comedy. She enjoyed a six-decade career in TV and film playing sometimes over-the-top, but endearing characters.

In one of her most memorable roles, O'Hara played the freaked-out mom of rascally son Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) in two Home Alone movies. Later, she portrayed the self-centered, whiny matriarch in the riches-to-rags TV sitcom Schitt's Creek — a role for which she earned an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award in 2020.

Catherine O'Hara and Macaulay Culkin in "Home Alone."

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Don Smetzer

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20th Century Fox/Alamy

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She won her first Emmy in 1982 for writing on the Canadian sketch comedy TV series Second City Television, or SCTV. She cofounded the show, and created characters such as the show biz has-been Lola Heatherton.

"I loved playing cocky untalented people," O'Hara told Fresh Air in 1992.

On SCTV in the '70s and '80s, she teamed up with another Canadian comic actor, Eugene Levy. Together, they — along with an ensemble — went on to perform in a string of films by director Christopher Guest.

O'Hara and Levy were dog trainers in the Guest's mockumentary Best in Show. And they were a folk-singing duo in A Mighty Wind.

Moira Rose (Catherine O'Hara) and Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy) in "Schitt's Creek."

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O'Hara and Levy also acted together as the parents in Schitt's Creek. More recently, O'Hara acted with another Canadian, Seth Rogen, in his Apple TV comedy The Studio. She played a movie studio head who gets pushed aside.

O'Hara was born and raised in Toronto, and got her start as an understudy for Gilda Radner at the Second City Theater in Toronto.

She reportedly met her production designer husband Bo Welch on the set of the 1988 movie Beetlejuice. She reprised her spiritually possessed role in the 2024 sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Since the news of her death some of her famous friends have paid tribute to her online.

"Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you. But I had so much more to say. I love you. I'll see you later." wrote actor Macaulay Culkin.
Copyright 2026 NPR

Catherine O’Hara, best known for her roles in Schitt’s Creek, Beetlejuice and Home Alone, died Friday after a brief illness.

While O’Hara was a cast member on Saturday Night Live for just one week, she got her big break as an original cast member of the Canadian sketch comedy show Second City Television (or SCTV), alongside Eugene Levy, who’d become a frequent co-star.

Her comedic genius, musical prowess and complete dedication to the characters she portrayed appeared in dozens of films and television shows over her over 50-year acting career, from voicing the speaking and singing roles of Sally and Shock in The Nightmare Before Christmas, to the inexplicable dialect created for Moira Rose on Schitt’s Creek, to the sobering performance of a therapist practicing in a post apocalyptic world in The Last of Us.

Here are some of those essential O’Hara performances that highlighted her comedic genius and made her so iconic.

‘Perma-Lacque’ commercial (SCTV)

O’Hara had her hand in many roles across her eight-year long tenure in SCTV. One that still makes the rounds on social media is “the woman with indestructible hair.” Note the utter seriousness in her performance that sells the joke!

Herb Ertlinger’s fruit wine commercial (Schitt’s Creek)

A favorite O’Hara moment as her beloved Schitt’s Creek character Moira Rose is when she delivers a performance of "craftsmanship" and “quality” for a TV commercial on fruit wine. Has anyone ever mispronounced words so perfectly?

“Day-O” scene (Beetlejuice)

If you want a master class in lip syncing, look no further than O’Hara as Delia Deetz singing “Day-O,” while possessed at the dinner table in 1988’s Beetlejuice. Her body and lips are in sync, while her eyes give a whole other performance of panic!

O’Hara’s ‘Kevin!’ screams (Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York)

It wouldn’t be a complete list without including O’Hara playing one of our favorite 90’s on-screen moms screaming “Kevin!” to the camera. The original is iconic, but we might prefer her delivery in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Who else could play a mom who forgets her kid twice and we still love her?!

A mighty kiss (A Mighty Wind)

In the 2003 Christopher Guest mockumentary A Mighty Wind, O’Hara plays Mickey Crabbe, one half of a now broken-up married folk duo. A climax of the film is when Crabbe and Mitch Cohen (played by Eugene Levy) reunite onstage, performing their song “A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow.” As the audience waits with baited breath, they share a poignant kiss. It’s a feel-good moment and a Julia Paskin favorite!

Hundreds of protesters began assembling in downtown Los Angeles Friday afternoon in one of several planned demonstrations calling for the withdrawal of federal immigration agents.

The downtown protest officially started at 1 p.m. in front of City Hall.

It’s one of several “ICE Out” events expected in the L.A. region and around the country Friday and Saturday in response to the Trump administration’s immigration actions, which many have described as overreaching and unconstitutional.

Crowds of protesters participate in an "Ice Out" demonstration in downtown Los Angeles.

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AFP

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Other local protests are planned in Santa Monica, Culver City, Torrance, El Monte, Monrovia and Pasadena.

The protests are also in response to the killings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti — both fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis — and the deaths of people held in ICE custody.

People partake in a "National Shutdown" protest against ICE in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 30, 2026.

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Charly Triballeau

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Shortly before 2 p.m. there were at least a thousand people assembled, and the crowd appeared to be growing moment to moment. Many people on Spring Street in front of City Hall gathered around a flatbed truck that was being used as a makeshift stage.

Many carried signs with the words, "ICE OUT" and other pointed messages referencing the immigration raids and President Donald Trump.

There did not appear to be a large law enforcement presence early Friday afternoon. LAist reporters spotted a few Los Angeles city police and county sheriff's vehicles around the crowd perimeter.

Matt Carlin, 48, of Los Angeles said he decided to participate in the protests because he believes "a line has been crossed" by federal authorities, whom he repeatedly called "fascists" and accused of acting as secret police. He said the deaths in Minnesota were "disgusting" and "upsetting," but were the logical progression of an administration that wants to rule by fear.

"It's unacceptable and it's time for people to stand up," he told LAist. "And I think doing it on a weekday sends a stronger message, and not shopping and not getting on Facebook and Instagram."

He said it's important to show supporters of the Trump administration that "we're serious about this."

Protesters descend on L.A. City Hall Jan. 30, 2026.

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Genaro Molina

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Uma Sanasaryan, 50, said she is originally from the former Soviet Union. She said she has seen people get "snatched up" in her Atwater Village neighborhood — a violation of human rights.

"I am an immigrant myself and we literally escaped Soviet tyranny to come to the United States so that we could feel free and have the freedom of speech and, you know, the ability to pursue our dreams," she said. "To do things with our lives that we could never do anywhere else."

She said the country where she came to build her American Dream "collapse in the last 10 years" is "horrific."

Sanasaryan noted she is a naturalized citizen, but that doesn't ease her concern.

"They could come for me they could come for anyone," she said. "It doesn't matter anymore."

The Department of Homeland Security has said immigration agents were targeting violent criminals, but there has been ample evidence to the contrary.

Reports released last year noted that about half of the thousands of people held in ICE custody had no criminal convictions.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

This story was originally published by The LA Local on Jan. 30, 2026.

Businesses across Los Angeles are shutting their doors on Friday for a national day of action against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a coordinated effort to stand in solidarity with people saying no to work, school and shopping around the U.S.

The “ICE Out” general strike and protests were organized in Minnesota after weeks of aggressive tactics by federal agents and the killings of two people. Immigration enforcement has also surged in L.A. this week, and flyers announcing a local day of action on Friday have blanketed many neighborhoods, as well as spreading online. A protest was also planned for Friday afternoon at L.A. City Hall.

In Boyle Heights, restaurants, coffee shops and retail stores began posting signs on their windows that read “TODOS CON MINNESOTA! FUERA ICE! No trabajo y no escuela.” Many, including Accúrrcame Cafe and Xtiosu, also shared messages on social media.

Picaresca Barra de Café announced it would be closed for business but open as a community space from 8:30-10:30 a.m.

“Instead of operating as usual, we’ll open the space as a community meeting point—a place for people to gather, make posters, connect, and support one another,” the business wrote in an Instagram post. “We’ll be providing materials where we can, along with free drip coffee, and holding the space intentionally and respectfully.”

Sandra Gomez, who runs a tiendita on Cesar Chavez Avenue in Boyle Heights, joined a protest in Boyle Heights on Wednesday and pledged to close her shop for the day.

Gomez spoke passionately about why it was important for businesses to take part in the action.

“We want to keep going and do our part so the country can move forward, but ICE has affected us,” she said in Spanish.

Melchor Moreno, the co-owner of La Chispa de Oro Mexican restaurant, decided Thursday that he would close on Friday.

Since last summer, his restaurant on Cesar Chavez Avenue has been strained by a lack of customers too afraid to leave their homes. Moreno said sales began picking up over the last few months, but recently tanked when the Eastside saw increased immigration enforcement activity.

“Normally, our lunch crowd is really busy,” he said. “But there are only two tables with people dining. No one’s been in here for the last two hours.”

It wasn’t an easy decision for Moreno, but his employees were urging him to close in a show of support for the community.

“I know it’s going to hurt financially, but something has to happen, something has to change,” he said.

Elsewhere in the city, the owners of South LA Cafe announced they’d be closing all five of their locations.

Celia Ward-Wallace, one of the cafe’s co-owners, said the cafe was intentional about its decision, knowing it would mean loss of revenue, hours for employees and a gathering place for South LA Cafe regulars.

But the shop wanted to make a bold statement with its large platform, she said.

“Our community needs to stand in solidarity,” she said, with the nation, with Minnesota, and with the city of L.A. and its people.

In Pico Union, La Flor de Yucatán Bakery owner Marc Burgos said participating in the shutdown was a way to stand with his customers and neighbors. Burgos’ father, Antonio Burgos, opened the bakery’s first storefront in 1971 at Pico and Union, then the business relocated in 1975 to its current home near Hoover and 18th streets.

“I want to stand united with my community against brutality and indignity, inhumane treatment,” Burgos said. “We’re located in a predominantly Latino neighborhood. Everyone fears being harassed, whether they’re here legally or not.”

Semantha Norris contributed to this report.

The Central Library building in downtown Los Angeles turns 100 this year. And on Thursday, library staff kicked off a year-long celebration by opening a very old box buried during its construction: a time capsule.

The opening was historic because the contents haven’t been shown publicly until now. Here’s how we got here, plus some items that caught our eye.

The Central Library cornerstone is laid on 5th Street, along with the time capsule, with City Librarian Everett Perry, and Board of Library Commissioners Frank H. Pettingell, Katherine G. Smith, and Frances M. Harmon-Zahn.

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LAPL Institutional Collection

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About the time capsule

In May 1925, more than 100 library staff members came together with the Board of Library Commissioners for an informal ceremony to dedicate the Central Library’s cornerstone, which is a giant limestone block on the outside.

Inside a specially carved pocket in the stone, they placed a copper box filled with relics about the library and broader L.A. The 1881 time capsule from the California State Normal School, which previously occupied the land, was also put inside. (Fun fact: that school later became UCLA.)

Library officials weren’t even sure the box was still there — much less how to get it out. A team drilled a small hole into the grout to find it. From there, Todd Lerew,  special projects director at the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, said it took about a year to figure out how to remove it.

“ When we were doing our tests with a little borescope camera to locate the capsule itself, we also found that the wall behind the cornerstone was not structural,” Lerew said.

That meant it could be broken down safely. To get the box, they took out a couple of historic wall panels, capped off the plumbing and got to work busting down a wall in the men’s bathroom. It took about a week to get it out.

The box was made of copper, but had been custom-made and soldered shut on all sides. They had to cut into it with shears, Lerew said.

The library's copper box, which had been soldered shut, had to be cut into with shears.

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Cato Hernández

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LAist

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The California State Normal School's capsule box.

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Cato Hernández

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Exploring the contents

No one knew what to expect inside the box. When it was opened, to much anticipation, it turned out to be a unique snapshot of L.A. in the 1880s and 1920s. Inside were dozens of documents, photos and keepsake items that spanned everything from government records to community memories.

There were annual reports from city departments, rulebooks, portraits of library leaders and even employee lists that included janitors. It had multiple editions of the city charter — essentially L.A.’s constitution — and a population count from 1881 on a small card that showed just 11,000 Angelenos.

Library staff members in 1925 put these cards in the time capsule to add on to the Normal School's records.

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Cato Hernández

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LAist

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A scrapbook was also inside to document where the central library was before the main building (learn more about that here). It had newspapers from both time periods — including ones in Spanish, German and French. For some reason, the Normal School’s capsule included a copy of the Oshkosh Northwestern.

“ We’re still putting together why a newspaper from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, made its way into the 1881 time capsule, but I had a very puzzled look on my face when I pulled that out,” Szabo told the crowd.

Another oddity? The Normal School also had a memento from President James Garfield’s funeral, which happened in Cleveland, Ohio. He had been assassinated just months before the time capsule’s burial.

The black cloth and the dried moss are mementos from the funeral, according to librarians in 1925.

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Lerew said the newfound contents are helping restore library records, largely because a devastating arson fire in 1986 destroyed a fifth of its collection at the time.

“ We’re constantly trying to fill gaps in our collections,” he said. “When we’re able to do that for our own institutional history, that’s such a special thing and doesn’t come along every day.”

The capsule’s next steps

Part the contents included two editions of the L.A. city charter.

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Cato Hernández

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LAist

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A portrait of library commissioner Katherine G. Smith alongside two employee directories.

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LAist

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The Central Library has centennial programming all year long — and the time capsule will be part of that.

A selection of the contents will be on display soon outside the literature and fiction department on the third floor. The rest will be stored in the special collections department, which you can make an appointment to see here.

And if you’ve ever wanted a chance to see a time capsule get made, the Central Library plans to create a new one sometime this year.