Catherine O'Hara was a Canadian actress known for her comedic work in film and television. Throughout her career she received various awards including two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award and four Actor Awards.
O'Hara started her career as a performer and writer on the Canadian sketch comedy show Second City Television (1976âÂÂ1984), where she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series in 1982. She starred in a string of Christopher Guest comedy films such as Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2005) for which she was nominated for various critics groups. For her performance as Temple Grandin's Aunt in the HBO television movie Temple Grandin (2010) she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie.
She gained a career resurgence and acclaim for her portrayal as Moira Rose in the Pop TV sitcom Schitt's Creek (2015âÂÂ2020). The role earned her the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress â Television Series Musical or Comedy, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series. For her work in the Apple TV+ series The Studio, O'Hara posthumously won both the Actor Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series and the Actor Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.
Over her career she received several honorary awards including the US-Ireland Alliance's Oscar Wilde Award in 2018, the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards's Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award (Broadcasting and Film) in 2019, the Dorian Award for Timeless Star in 2020, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Great Immigrants Award in 2020. She was also selected as Forbes 50 Over 50 in 2021 and named Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television's Icon Award at the 11th Canadian Screen Awards in 2023.