Catherine O’Hara was born on 4th March 1954, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and is a Primetime Emmy Award-winning actress, writer, and comedian, but best known for her roles in such movies as “After Hours” (1985), “Home Alone” (1990), “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” (1992), and “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993). O’Hara also played various characters in “SCTV” from 1976 to 1979. Her career started in 1975.
Have you ever wonder how rich Catherine O’Hara is, as of late 2016? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that O’Hara’s net worth is as high as $8 million, an amount earned through her successful acting career. In addition to being an on-screen actress, O’Hara has worked as a stand-up comedian and writer, which has also improved her wealth.
Catherine O’Hara Net Worth $8 Million
Catherine O’Hara was the sixth of seven children in a family of Irish descent, and was raised Catholic. She went to the Burnhamthorpe Collegiate Institute in Toronto, and there met Robin Duke, who played an instrumental role in her pursuit of an acting career.
O’Hara debuted in an episode of “The Wayne & Shuster Show” in 1975, and then appeared in 50 episodes of a popular TV series “Second City TV” from 1976 to 1979. In 1980, she played alongside Donald Sutherland and Suzanne Somers in “Nothing Personal”, and later in 27 episodes of “SCTV Network” from 1981 to 1982. O’Hara appeared in “The Last Polka” (1985), in Martin Scorsese’s Golden Globe-nominated “After Hours” (1985) with Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, and Verna Bloom, and in “Heartburn” (1986) starring Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson. In 1988, Catherine played in Tim Burton’s Oscar-winning “Beetlejuice” with Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, and Michael Keaton, while she ended the decade with a role in “I, Martin Short, Goes Hollywood” in 1989. Her net worth was well established.
O’Hara played in several blockbuster movies in the early ‘90s, including Warren Beatty’s Oscar-winning “Dick Tracy” (1990) with Beatty, Madonna, and Al Pacino. She also played Kate McCallister in Chris Columbus’ Oscar-nominated comedy “Home Alone” (1990) alongside Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, and Daniel Stern, which grossed over $530 million worldwide and helped O’Hara to increase her net worth significantly. Catherine also portrayed Kate in “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” in 1992, and lent her voice to the Oscar-nominated “The Nightmare Before Christmas” in 1993, which also grossed a lot of money and improved O’Hara’s wealth. In the mid-‘90s, O’Hara had important parts in Ron Howard’s Oscar-nominated “The Paper” (1994) alongside Michael Keaton, Glenn Close, and Robert Duvall, and in Oscar-nominated “Wyatt Earp” (1994) starring Kevin Costner, Dennis Quaid, and Gene Hackman.
O’Hara was quite busy in the early 2000s, as she played in such movies as the Golden Globe Award-nominated “Best in Show” (2000) with Fred Willard and Eugene Levy, “Orange County” (2002) starring Colin Hanks and Jack Black, and in Christopher Guest’s Oscar-nominated comedy “A Mighty Wind” (2003). She continued with “Surviving Christmas” (2004) alongside Ben Affleck, Christina Applegate, and James Gandolfini, “The Wool Cap” (2004) starring William H. Macy, and in Oscar-winning “A Series of Unfortunate Events” (2006) with Jim Carrey, Jude Law, and Meryl Streep. By the end of the 2000’s, Catherine appeared in “Penelope” (2006) with Christina Ricci, James McAvoy, and Reese Witherspoon, then she starred in “For Your Consideration” (2006) and played in Sam Mendes’ “Away We Go” (2009), adding further to her net worth.
In 2010, O’Hara played alongside Claire Danes, Julia Ormond, and David Strathairn in Golden Globe-winning “Temple Grandin”, and then she gave her voice to various characters in Tim Burton’s Oscar-nominated “Frankenweenie” in 2012. She currently appears in such TV series as “What Lives Inside” (2015- ), “Schitt’s Creek” (2015- ), and “A Series of Unfortunate Events”, which will be aired from 2017, also adding to her net worth.
Regarding her personal life, Catherine O’Hara married production designer Bo Welch in 1992 and has two sons with him.
I think the best dramatic actors know how to tap into their character's humor. I have more respect for those who take their comedy seriously.
2
I started working in the 1970s, when women's lib was a daily subject. A lot of what women were fighting for then is a given now. In comedy it has gotten so much better. So many women are creating their own material. If anything, I think more about being older than being a woman in comedy. (2015)
3
I think everyone is born funny. Sadly, some lives beat it out of them. I don't know what allows someone to keep being funny and actually make a career of it. I was encouraged to see the humor in life and have always been around people who think funny, but I know some hilarious people whose sense of humor saved them from their lives.
4
[on doing voiceover work with Martin Short in 'Frankenweenie'] In a live-action film, the focus is on the set and the lighting and everything that's there. In animation, it's all right in the headphones. As Marty says, it uses a different set of muscles. In this case, we were given some beautiful illustrations to guide us, and I think we just tried to honor that.
5
I never went to the prom or anything. I got asked by a couple of weird guys, but no one I wanted to show up at a formal with. Mostly I thought about being an actress. I wasn't conscious of wanting to be a comic actress. I wasn't really funny or anything, and I didn't think about it. It wasn't supposed to be ladylike for a girl to joke. To this day, I've found that it doesn't matter what a guy looks like if he's really funny. His sense of humor makes him attractive. On the other hand, you don't hear men saying, "No she's not pretty, but is she ever funny!"
6
Night time really is the best time to work. All the ideas are there to be yours because everyone is asleep.
7
I know. I'm lazy. But I made myself a New Years resolution that I would write myself something really special. Which means I have 'til December, right?
8
I think the success of my work stems from being truthful.
9
I lived in LA for a few months. It seemed like no one there had parents. Or if they did have parents, they would deny it.
10
I'm pretty much a good Catholic girl at heart and I believe in family. I also have a basic belief that God takes care of me. I believe in prayer, even though I'm not that religious. I just have that foundation from my family. I mean when you think that you're just a human being and one of God's creatures, you can't take anything that seriously.
Her good friend John Candy passed away on her 40th birthday.
3
Pictured on one of a set of five nondenominated Canadian commemorative postage stamps honoring Great Canadian Comedians, issued 29 August 2014. In addition to the main portrait, she is shown in her roles as Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice (1988), Marilyn Hack in For Your Consideration (2006), and Mickey Crabbe in A Mighty Wind (2003). Others honored in this set are Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Martin Short, and Olivier Guimond. Price of each stamp on day of issue was 85¢.
4
In 2013, she participated in "Danny Elfman's Music from the Films of Tim Burton" to perform "Sally's Song" from The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). She received a standing ovation when she entered the stage, as well as when she left.
Often cast in Tim Burton films. Her most famous being The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) where she provided the acting and singing voices of Lead female Sally and the female trick-or-treater Shock. Other Burton films are Beetlejuice (1988) and the upcoming animated October 2012 release Frankenweenie (2012).
7
Has a congenital condition called "Situs Inversus" in which the organs of the chest and abdomen are arranged in a perfect mirror image reversal of the normal positioning. Most people with situs inversus have no medical symptoms or complications resulting from the condition and it only occurs in less than 1 in 10,000.
8
Does an excellent impersonation of Katharine Hepburn, as seen on SCTV (1976). (AKA: SCTV).
Wrote SCTV (1976)'s famous sketch "High-Q", considered one of the funniest sketches on SCTV (1976).
19
Third generation Irish/Canadian/Catholic.
20
She is a naturalized a U.S. citizen.
21
Is one of 7 children.
22
Has 2 sons, Matthew Welch (born 1994) and Luke Welch (born 1997), with Bo Welch.
23
A high school friend of Robin Duke at Burnhamthorpe Collegiate in Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada. They first acted together in a school production of "Harvey".
24
Crowned Queen of Comedy after her years as a regular on SCTV (1976), better known as SCTV. Catherine O'Hara has an almost religious cult following around the world.
25
She was part of the group Northern Lights who sang the song "Tears Are Not Enough" which was on the "We Are The World" album.
Dave Thomas: The Incredible Time Travels of Henry Osgood
1986
TV Movie
Marie Antoinette
George Burns Comedy Week
1985
TV Series
After Hours
1985
Gail
The Last Polka
1985
TV Movie
Lemon Twin
SCTV Channel
1983-1984
TV Series
Lola Heatherton / Melissa Humphries / Essie / ...
The New Show
1984
TV Series
Various
Julie Andrews
Kathy Lee Crosby
Rock & Rule
1983
Aunt Edith (voice)
SCTV Network
1981-1982
TV Series
Various / Lola Heatherton
The Steve Allen Comedy Hour
1981
TV Series
Various
You've Come a Long Way, Katie
1980
TV Mini-Series
From Cleveland
1980
TV Movie
Various
Double Negative
1980
Judith
Easter Fever
1980
TV Movie
Scarlett O'Hare (voice)
Nothing Personal
1980
Audrey
Intergalactic Thanksgiving or Please Don't Eat the Planet
1979
TV Short
Ma Spademinder (voice)
SCTV
1976-1979
TV Series
Various / Lola Heatherton / Liv Ullman / ...
Witch's Night Out
1978
TV Movie
Malicious (voice)
The Wayne & Shuster Superspecial
1978
TV Series
The Rimshots
1976
TV Movie
Coming Up Rosie
1975
TV Series
Myrna Wallbacker (1976-77)
The Wayne & Shuster Comedy Special
1975
TV Series
The Wayne & Shuster Show
1975
TV Series
Various
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Andrea Martin... Together Again
1989
TV Movie special material
The Best of SCTV
1988
TV Movie
Really Weird Tales
1987
TV Movie segment "I'll Die Loving"
SCTV Channel
1983-1984
TV Series writer - 3 episodes
SCTV Network
1981-1982
TV Series written by - 28 episodes
From Cleveland
1980
TV Movie
SCTV
1976-1979
TV Series writer - 51 episodes
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Schitt's Creek
2016
TV Series consulting producer - 13 episodes
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
For Your Consideration
2006
performer: "The Purim Song"
The 76th Annual Academy Awards
2004
TV Special performer: "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" - as Mickey
A Mighty Wind
2003
performer: "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow", "When You're Next to Me", "One More Time", "A Mighty Wind" - as Mickey / performer: "The Catheter Song" - as Mickey Crabbe / writer: "One More Time", "The Catheter Song"
Best in Show
2000
performer: "God Loves A Terrier", "Terrier Style"
Waiting for Guffman
1996
performer: "Midnight At The Oasis", "Nothing Ever Happens In Blaine" uncredited
$8 Million
