Catherine O’Hara arriving at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theater on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The Hollywood community is mourning veteran actress Catherine O’Hara, who died at the age of 71.
O’Hara’s manager confirmed news of her death Friday. No cause of death was given.
Macaulay Culkin, who starred in 1990’s Home Alone and 1992’s Home Alone 2 as Kevin McCallister, the son of O’Hara’s character, Kate McCallister, remembered his “mama” in an Instagram tribute.
“Mama. I thought we had time,” Culkin wrote. “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.”
In Culkin’s post, he included side-by-side photos of him and O’Hara on the Home Alone set and more recently, in December 2023, when O’Hara supported Culkin at his Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony.
Pedro Pascal paid tribute to O’Hara in an Instagram post, featuring a photo of the two on the set of season 2 of The Last of Us.
“Oh, genius to be near you. Eternally grateful. There is less light in my world, this lucky world that had you, will keep you, always. Always,” Pascal wrote in the accompanying caption. “The one and ONLY #CatherineOHara.”
Justin Theroux, who co-starred in 2024’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice with O’Hara — who reprised her role as Delia Deetz from the original 1988 Beetlejuice film — posted an Instagram photo of a director’s chair with O’Hara’s name on it on set.
“Oh Catherine. You will be so so missed,” Theroux captioned the photo.
Paul Walter Hauser remembered O’Hara as an iconic and memorable performer in an Instagram tribute.
“She was my Meryl Streep. I could watch her in anything,” Hauser wrote. “Didn’t matter how good or bad the film or show was. I wanted to see what she would do. SCTV, After Hours, Beetlejuice, Home Alone 1 & 2, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, Schitt’s Creek, The Studio. Not sure I can process or fathom that she’s gone but I am so grateful for the work she did and how she kept such a flawless reputation in a very sketchy and checkered business.”
“A freaking angel just went home to Heaven,” he added. “And she’s not home alone.”
Cedric the Entertainer on ‘Celebrity Jeopardy!’ (Disney/Eric McCandless)
Cedric the Entertainer is just weeks away from taking the stage in the Broadway revival of August Wilson’s play Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. Speaking to People, he said the role is an “opportunity to stretch and do something totally different than being a TV dad.” He also noted its similarities to his roots as a stand-up comedian.
“It’s like riding a horse,” he said. “You can feel the emotion of the horse, and that horse can feel your emotions. When you’re performing live you can tell when you’ve got the audience in the palm of your hand and when you’re losing them.”
Cedric stars as Seth Holly, who runs a Pittsburgh boardinghouse with Bertha Holly, played by Taraji P. Henson. They provide shelter to Black travelers navigating uncertain paths in the aftermath of the Great Migration, according to Broadway.com.
The story centers on Herald Loomis, who arrives with his young daughter. As noted on the play’s official website, he searches for his lost wife while embarking on a journey of self-discovery after seven years of forced labor under Joe Turner, Broadway.com adds. Performances begin March 30 at the Barrymore Theatre.
In other Cedric news, he’s preparing to say goodbye to The Neighborhood, which is ending May 11 after eight seasons.
He also has an animated film, Swapped, arriving May 1 on Netflix, and a barbecue cookbook with Anthony Anderson set to drop on May 5.
“I love the fact that in a Renaissance man kind of way, I get to do it all,” he said of his busy schedule. “I’d love to continue to have a career that resonates 10, 20, 30 years from now.”
When asked about retirement, he added, “Let’s go until the wheels fall off.”
Lucy van Pelt and Snoopy in ‘It’s the Small Things, Charlie Brown.’ (Apple TV)
Sony has announced plans to acquire control of the Peanuts franchise.
The franchise created by Charles M. Schulz that stars beloved characters like Snoopy, Charlie Brown and Linus will be majority owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) through a definitive agreement they’ve entered into with the media company WildBrain, Sony has confirmed to ABC Audio.
Sony will indirectly acquire the 41% stake held by WildBrain in Peanuts Holdings LLC. This, combined with Sony Music Entertainment (Japan)’s existing approximately 39% stake, comes to Sony owning 80% of Peanuts Holdings LLC, while Schulz’s family members will continue to own the remaining 20%.
Deadline reports Sony is set to pay roughly $457 million for WildBrain’s 41% stake. Its closing is subject to certain conditions, such as regulatory approvals.
Shunsuke Muramatsu, the president and group CEO of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan), said in a statement that the company has been proud to partner with Peanuts since 2018.
“With this additional ownership stake, we are thrilled to be able to further elevate the value of the Peanuts brand by drawing on the Sony Group’s extensive global network and collective expertise. We are deeply committed to carrying forward the legacy of Charles Schulz and the Schulz family,” Muramatsu said.
Ravi Ahuja, the president and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, said that “Peanuts is enduring and iconic. We value the deep collaboration we have with our SMEJ colleagues and look forward to building on their meaningful partnership with WildBrain and the Schulz family. With our combined strengths, we have the unique capability and extraordinary opportunity to protect and shape the future of these beloved characters for generations to come.”
Schulz’s first Peanuts comic strip debuted on Oct. 2, 1950. The franchise has grown in the decades that followed, now including TV specials, theme park attractions, cultural events and comic strips available in all formats.
