Catherine O Hara is a Canadian actress and comedian best known for her movie roles as Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice (1988), Kate McCallister in Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), and Sally in The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on March 4, 1954, as one of seven children, O Hara began acting in 1974 when she became a cast member of the Second City Theater troupe after working her way up from her job of waiting tables. In 1976 she appeared in her first feature called 1774.

The same year she became a regular cast member on Second City Television (SCTV) a television sketch comedy show created by the theater troupe. She acted with fellow cast members Rick Moranis, Martin Short, John Candy, Eugene Levy, Joe Flaherty, and Andrea Martin from 1976 to 1979. After short break she returned in 1981 and remained with the show until 1983.

The following year, in 1984, O Hara acted in the comedy movie The Last Polka along with most of the cast of SCTV. In 1985, she played Gail in the thriller/comedy After Hours.

Her next major job was in Beetlejuice with Alec Balwin, Geena Davis, Micheal Keaton, and a very young Winona Ryder. She played the frantic mom in both of Chris Columbus’s Home Alone and later in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, co starring Macauly Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, and John Candy. She had other significant roles in Dick Tracy in 1990, with Warren Beatty, Madonna, Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, and Kathy Bates; and Betsy’s Wedding in 1990, with Alan Alda, Joey Bishop, Madeline Kahn, Ally Sheedy, and Molly Ringwald. She also had a supporting role as Lexie in a little known 1990 indie film called Little Vegas.

During the late 1970s, O Hara did various voice-overs for a number of cartoons and returned to doing narrations in the 1990s. In 1992 she narrated the children’s film Rabbit Ears: Finn McCoul, a story about the life of an Irish hero. The following year she did the voice of Sally/Shock in the Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas.

In 1994 she appeared in the comedy, A Simple Twist of Fate. Other movies O’Hara has appeared in include The Paper in 1994; Waiting for Guffman in 1996; The Last of the High Kings in 1996; Goldie Hawn’s first directorial effort a made-for-television movie called Hope in 1997; and Home Fries in 1998, with Drew Barrymore, Luke Wilson, and Shelley Duvall.

In 2006, she did the voice of Penny the Porcupine in Over the Hedge; the voice of Kata in Brother Bear 2; and the voice of DJ’s mother in Monster House.

O Hara is a naturalized U.S. citizen and has been married to former motion picture production designer, turned director, Bo Welch, since 1992. They have two sons: Dylan, born in 1994, and Matthew, born in 1997.

YUDDY