Catherine O’Hara Reportedly Kept Her Mysterious Illness Private, Leaving Friends ‘Shocked’ by Her Death

Catherine O’Hara and her husband, Bo Welch, reportedly kept her illness private prior to her death at age 71. As a result, many of their close friends were blindsided to learn that the actress had died.

The Schitt’s Creek star was rushed to the hospital in serious condition in the early hours on Friday, January 30, according to the LA Fire Department, per Page Six. Although her cause of death is unknown, her rep said at the time that she died after a “brief illness.”

According to the Daily Mail, which cites a 911 call, there was a report of the late actress having “difficulty breathing.” Sources told the outlet that O’Hara’s friends and neighbors saw her out and about in Los Angeles mere weeks before her death and didn’t notice anything amiss with her. One unnamed source told the outlet some friends were in “complete shock” to learn she died.

O’Hara was reportedly at an event at Lisa Vanderpump’s SUR Restaurant in West Hollywood on January 13, where she seemed healthy and in good spirits. She appeared at the Emmy Awards back in September but missed the Golden Globes, despite being nominated for her work in AppleTV+’s The Studio.

Born ​​March 4, 1954, O’Hara grew up in Toronto, Ontario, before beginning a career in sketch comedy. She is perhaps best known for her roles in movies like Beetlejuice, Home Alone, Best In Show and many more. In recent years, she had a career resurgence with roles in Schitt’s Creek and The Studio, which got her a lot of awards attention.

The National Enquirer previously reported that, just two years prior to her death, she reflected on her career and noted that she felt “lucky” to be alive and doing what she was doing at her age.