Actress Catherine O’Hara has passed away at 71. According to People, the actress passed on Jan. 30, 2026 after being taken to the hospital for health complications early in the morning. The beloved star began her acting career in the 1970s and continued taking on roles up until her death. From TV to film, O’Hara had a vast resume that included films such as “Home Alone,” “Beetlejuice,” “Best In Show” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
O’Hara is best known, though, for her role as Moira Rose on the TV show “Schitt’s Creek,” for which she won an Emmy for outstanding leading actress in a comedy series in 2020.
“Schitt’s Creek” depicts a wealthy family’s fall from grace, following their journey after moving to a small town in the middle of nowhere. The punchline? This small, middle-of-nowhere town is their only remaining asset.
O’Hara’s character, Moira Rose, is the matriarch of the Rose family who led an incredibly posh life prior to the move and remains the most glamorous of all the characters throughout the show’s six-season run.
Known for her eccentric — yet luxurious — style, wigs that changed constantly and an accent nobody can really place, O’Hara helped make her character an icon. In many cases, eccentric outfits can out-wear the person wearing them. O’Hara, though, was always in control.
Rose’s style was primarily inspired by Daphne Guinness, heiress to Guinness Brewing, fashion designer and muse to Lee Alexander McQueen.
“I didn’t want to just look like a cliché rich lady,” O’Hara said. “So I went online and I found Daphne Guinness.” O’Hara shared this in Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: A Schitt’s Creek Farewell, which was made by the cast to explain how the show was created and their lives behind the scenes. Seeing the two side-by-side, it’s easy to see how Guinness influenced O’Hara for Moira’s fashion choices.
With the passing of Catherine O’Hara, we believe we should all take inspiration from the way she portrayed Moira Rose: fearlessly herself and always fabulously dressed, no matter the occasion.
Below are some of our personal favorite looks O’Hara wore as Moira on “Schitt’s Creek.”
