Catherine O’Hara, the actor known for the hit comic series Schitt’s Creek, died of a pulmonary embolism. According to her death certificate in the United States, rectal cancer has been listed as the underlying cause.
The Home Alone actor’s sudden demise on January 30 came as a shock for many, with tributes pouring in from her co-actors and even Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. She most recently appeared in the Emmy-winning comedy The Studio and The Last of Us.
What is pulmonary embolism, O’Hara’s cause of death? We take a look.
Catherine O’Hara’s cause of death revealed
Catherine O’Hara died from a pulmonary embolism, the death certificate released by the Los Angeles County Public Health Department and shared by TMZ on Monday (February 9) revealed.
It also listed rectal cancer as the long-term cause of death. As per BBC, the certificate indicated she had been receiving treatment for the cancer since March 2025.
The oncologist who signed off on the certificate last saw her on January 27. The Canadian-born comic actor passed away at a hospital in Santa Monica, California, last month.
An initial statement from her representatives had said that she died “following a brief illness.”
Collaborators, including Eugene Levy and Dan Levy, paid tributes to
O’Hara, who won an Emmy as the dramatic, wealthy matriarch Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek.
Show creator and co-star Eugene Levy told People magazine that he has had the “honor of knowing and working with the great Catherine O’Hara for over fifty years”.
“Words seem inadequate to express the loss I feel today,” he said.
Co-creator Dan Levy, who played O’Hara’s son David on the show, described her as “family before she ever played my family”.
He further wrote on Instagram that he would “cherish every funny memory I was fortunate enough to make with her”.
O’Hara’s another on-screen son in Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, Macaulay Culkin, also paid an emotional tribute on Instagram.
“Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you,” he wrote. “I heard you. But I had so much more to say. I love you. I’ll see you later.”
What is pulmonary embolism?
A pulmonary embolism occurs when a blood vessel in the lungs is blocked by a blood clot. The clot restricts and stops blood flow to an artery in the lung, according to Mayo Clinic.
The life-threatening condition happens when a clot forms in another part of the body, such as the leg or arm, and travels through the veins to the lung. Deep vein thrombosis is a blood clot that forms in one or more of the deep veins in the body.
A pulmonary embolism hinders the flow of blood to the lungs, reduces oxygen levels and raises blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries, as per the Cleveland Clinic.
Symptoms of pulmonary embolism
The symptoms of a pulmonary embolism can differ, depending on the severity of the clot.
These include difficulty in breathing, chest pain that rises with breathing and coughing up blood. Some may even faint if their heart rate or blood pressure drops suddenly.
Other symptoms entail fever, dizziness, excessive sweating, leg pain or swelling or both, and discoloured skin, called cyanosis
How dangerous is a pulmonary embolism?
Pulmonary embolism can be life-threatening as the clot blocks blood flow to the lungs. This can result in heart or lung damage and even death, as per the Cleveland Clinic.
Pulmonary embolism is one of the most common heart and blood vessel diseases globally, following heart attack and stroke.
Who’s at risk?
People suffering from a blood clot in their leg, or deep vein thrombosis, are more vulnerable to developing pulmonary embolism. Those sitting in cramped positions during long periods of time when travelling via plane or car are at a higher risk of
blood clots.
People suffering from trauma or injury to a vein, possibly from surgery, a fracture or varicose veins, those using hormonal-based contraception or hormone replacement therapy, smoke or have diabetes are also vulnerable.
Age, weight, history of heart failure, heart attack or stroke and pregnancy are also risk factors for the condition.
What is rectal cancer?
Rectal cancer slowly forms on the inner lining of the rectum. It is the third most common cancer in the digestive system, after colon cancer and pancreatic cancer.
Cancer screening like colonoscopies help detect clumps of abnormal cells, or polyps, that can turn into cancer.
Its symptoms include rectal bleeding, diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain, weakness, and sudden weight loss.
With inputs from agencies
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