You could almost see a twinkle in Catherine O’Hara’s eye when she was handed the Canadian Academy Icon Award. As we would find out after she left the stage for a post-award interview, she genuinely doesn't see herself the way the rest of us do. When asked how iconic she felt right then, O’Hara paused, shrugged, and made it clear that she thought of her long, laugh-filled journey not as a elite career but as a series of lovely moments stitched together one job at a time.
'So I have to ask,' Sonia Mangat from Canada's entertainment show eTalk said, leaning in. 'How iconic do you feel right now?'. O'Hara's reply was two words, said with a somewhat bewildered and humble smile: 'I'm not.'
'What does it mean to you to be recognized with this, this recognition and just becelebrated? Because you deserve to be celebrated,' Mangat continued. 'We all do,' O'Hara responded. 'We all deserve to, really we do. I've received more than enough encouragement.'
O'Hara continued, putting any self-importance to rest. 'When I was told I was going to be given this, you know, I'm not going to justify it,' she said. 'It's just, it's just a lovely gift.'
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Looking back on her early days with SCTVin Toronto, O’Hara admitted she rarely thinks in terms of a career at all.
'You know, it's incredible looking at your career,' Mangot said, asking O'Hara if she ever thought she's have the legendary career she did.
"No, I used the word career tonight when I accepted this, and I never use that word,' O'Hara answered. 'And I even, I couldn't even say it straight. I had to say an actual career in comedy. Because not only didn't I think of it like that I don't think of it now. It's like job to job and, and nice breaks in between, and, and I've been given so many lovely opportunities.'
That perspective helps explain the consistency of her performances across decades. From her fearless SCTV sketch comedy roots to her unforgettable turns in films like Home Alone and Beetlejuice, O’Hara has always stood out on the comedy scene. Later roles, particularly her award-winning portrayal of Moira Rose on Schitt’s Creek, showcased that discipline and comedy skill. The character became iconic, even if O’Hara herself resisted the word.
Related: Catherine O'Hara Dead at 71
She also spoke candidly about age, noting how grateful she felt to still be working and 'getting to be silly.' Few performers manage to sustain that sense of play across decades, and fewer still do it without cynicism or nostalgia.
O'Hara's incredible impact was reflected in the response to her passing, announced yesterday after a brief illness. O’Hara died at age 71, prompting an immediate outpouring of tributes from collaborators and fans alike. Longtime creative partners praised her generosity and craft, while younger performers cited her as a model and mentor for how to build a lasting career.
Catherine O’Hara may have resisted being called an icon, but her body of work and impact on fellow artists tells the clear story of exactly that: an icon.
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