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Published Jan 30, 2026, 6:30 PM EST
Ali is a former editor and seasoned list writer with Collider. She also has experience and bylines published by BridgeTower Media and Wealth of Geeks. While getting her Bachelor's in English and minor in creative writing, Ali studied film and literature at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. As a millennial and despite having just about every streaming service, Ali still maintains a large collection of DVDs and Blu-rays, with her all-time favorites including her box set of The Office and a 2-disc special features version of The Silence of the Lambs (yes, she's aware those are polar opposite genres). She's well-versed in navigating Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb scores because those windows are almost always open whenever she's watching a movie. Believing movies are best experienced in theaters, Ali still prints her tickets and has almost every stub from the last 15 years. Ali prefers movies to TV but never passes up the opportunity to binge through any limited Netflix series created by Mike Flanagan.
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Catherine O'Hara, an institution on the stage and screen for decades, has passed away and left the world a legacy of iconic projects and roles that have cemented her legacy as one of the greatest entertainers of our era. From her time with SCTV to her role as the matriarch of Schitt's Creek, O'Hara was one of the most engaging and comedic improv actors of her generation, but she was also a skilled dramatic actor. To pick your favorite role might be an impossible question to answer, but the question does force your brain to recall many of her amazing accomplishments throughout her career.
Audiences know and love her for her memorable onscreen and voice roles across the decades, working with filmmakers like Christopher Guest, Tim Burton, Jon Hughes, and Dan Levy. She's the voice of several animated characters from features like Frankenweenie, Elemental, The Addams Family, and Over the Hedge. Her name is attached to big-named projects like Argylle and the upcoming season two of The Last of Us. From her famous red hair to her expressive voice, O'Hara is a force on the big and small screens, and these are her best movies and shows.
15 'Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice' (2024)
Appeared as Delia Deetz
Image via Warner Bros. PicturesLydia Deets (Winona Ryder), now a successful television host of her own paranormal series, must return to her small Connecticut town with her step-mother, Delia (O'Hara), and her daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), to bury her father. As the women arrive back in town, Lydia is forced to confront her past with the ever-so-charming Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), who is soon up to his old tricks while trying to avoid his former flame who is on the hunt for him.
O'Hara returns as the eccentric Delia Deets in the sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, reuniting with familiar faces as well as new ones in this zany follow-up to Tim Burton's hit '80s film. Despite it being several years since the first film, O'Hara reprises her role with perfection and effortlessly revives Delia with her overly dramatic tendencies and weirdly wild style. She also has a few sentimental moments with her step-daughter, revealing a more emotional element of the women's relationship which was non-existent in the first film.
14 'Frankenweenie' (2012)
Appeared as Mrs. Frankenstein
Image via Walt Disney StudiosVictor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan) is a young scientist and aspiring filmmaker who lives with his parents in a small town with his Bull Terrier dog, Sparky. When Sparky is unfortunately hit by a car, Victor is devastated but, after being inspired by his teacher, he decides to try and bring his best friend back to life through electricity.
Frankenweenie is a parody and homage to Mary Shelley's famous 1818 novel, Frankenstein, as well as a remake of Tim Burton's 1984 short film of the same. O'Hara lends her voice to several characters in the film but her main role is Victor's kind mother, Mrs. Frankenstein, who encourages her son to embrace his interests and value his uniqueness. O'Hara's soft, delicate voice brings her character to life without coming off as a cliché Mrs. Beaver-type character, proving her immense talent as a voice-over actress.
13 'Home Alone 2: Lost in New York' (1992)
Appeared as Kate McCallister
Image via 20th Century StudiosThe McCallister family is headed for sunny Florida for Christmas but when they make the same mistake and wake up late, they rush to the airport to make their flight. They make sure Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) is with them when they leave the house, but as they get lost in the crowded airport, Kevin ends up on a flight to New York City. Initially, Kevin finds the mishap to be the perfect Christmas present, but when he runs into the Wet Bandits (now the Sticky Bandits), his vacation takes an unexpected turn.
O'Hara returns as Mother-of-the-Year, Kate McCallister, in the pretty much identical sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, who, despite her best efforts, loses her youngest son over the festive holiday....again. Similar to the first movie, O'Hara gives a heartfelt performance as a remorseful and devoted mother who will stop at nothing to find her son. Even though her character is almost frantic and concerned the entire film, she does have her moments of humor (notably slapping Tim Curry).
12 'Temple Grandin' (2010)
Appeared as Aunt Ann
Image via HBOClaire Danes stars as the famous innovator with autism, Temple Grandin, who has a passion for mechanics and makes the brave decision to get an education. Once in college, Temple struggles to overcome immense social and academic challenges, but eventually, she finds her strength and successfully defies the odds, inventing a more humane machine to slaughter cattle and becoming a pioneer in animal care.
Based on the inspirational true story, Temple Grandin features O'Hara as Temple's Aunt Ann, who owns a cattle ranch where Temple initially learns about the business of raising and producing cattle. O'Hara delivers one of her most overlooked performances, which is full of heart and passion, showcasing the actress' highly underrated talent in dramatic, serious roles. While she may not be the star of the movie, O'Hara is a pure delight, and it is refreshing for audiences to see her in a non-comedic role, making Temple Grandin one of her must-see films.
11 'The Wild Robot' (2023)
Appeared as Pinktail
Image via DreamWorks AnimationWhen a highly advanced robot, Roz (Lupita Nyong'o), is stranded on an island, she struggles to adapt to not only her new environment but also the vast variety of animals who call the island home. As Roz tries to send a signal to her manufacturer, she accidentally becomes the surrogate mother of a baby goose and, with the help of a fox and supposed goose expert, Fink (Pedro Pascal), she must raise and prepare the gosling to fly south for the next winter.
O'Hara provides the voice of a straight-forward, no-nonsense mother opossum, Pinktail, in the 2024 hit animated feature, The Wild Robot. While Pinktail isn't a main central character, she does play a vital role in Roz taking on the responsibility of raising Brightbill and serves as a source of motherly advice for the robot. O'Hara brings a sincere and nurturing tone to her character while still sneaking in a bit of her sarcasm and witty humor which audiences know and love her for. Despite not being a major character, O'Hara's performance in The Wild Robot is one of her best in recent years and should be on everyone's watchlist.
10 'Penelope' (2006)
Appeared as Jessica Wilhern
Image via Summit Entertainment In one of her many turns as a cinematic or television mother, O'Hara stepped into a fairytale rom-com with Penelope. The unfortunate recipient of her aristocratic family curse, Penelope (Christina Ricci), is born with a pig snout and ears, the spell only to be broken with true love and acceptance from "one of her own kind." The underrated 2000s rom-com includes a supporting cast of James McAvoy and Reese Witherspoon.
O'Hara stars as Penelope's mother, Jessica, who interprets the "one of her own kind" to mean social status, setting up Penelope with suitors for seven years. With each of her maternal roles, O'Hara brings a distinct uniqueness to each, making them never the same. Jessica isn't necessarily a villain here, but she's morally gray as she wants her daughter to find happiness, but not at the expense of her social standing. Her chemistry with Ricci further elevates this whimsical tale about love and self-acceptance.
9 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' (2017–2019)
Appeared as Dr. Georgina Orwell
Image via Paramount PicturesParticipating in both the film and television versions of the popular book series, O'Hara is forever tied to A Series of Unfortunate Events. Both productions are based on the children's novels written by Lemony Snicket about the three orphaned Baudelaire children as they bounce from guardian to guardian, attempting to escape the dreadful Count Olaf, who is after their inheritance fortune. The Netflix original series stars Neil Patrick Harris as Olaf.
For the Netflix adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events, O'Hara was cast as Dr. Georgina Orwell, the optometrist from the fourth novel, "The Miserable Mill." O'Hara had previously appeared in the movie adaptation, but her portrayal of Orwell is more engaging and entertaining. The scheming and decidedly cruel Orwell is just as hungry for the children's fortune as her former love, Olaf. Her wicked glee and chemistry with Harris go a long way in making Orwell memorable.
8 'A Mighty Wind' (2003)
Appeared as Mickey Crabbe
Image via Warner Bros. A Mighty Wind was Christopher Guest's third outing with his cast of quirky and reliable usual suspects. In one of her many onscreen relationships with Eugene Levy, O'Hara brings her musical A-game. The pair star as a folk-singing duo, Mitch & Mickey, one of the three aging bands participating in a reunion concert to honor the death of their manager.
Showcasing the cast's true versatility as entertainers, all the music was performed live, making Levy and O'Hara's performance of "When You're Next to Me" and "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" all the more perfect. Guest's signature mockumentary style of filmmaking makes A Mighty Wind a heartfelt tribute to folk music and camaraderie. O'Hara's portrayal of Mickey fills the film with a sensitive sweetness left out of other iconic roles.
7 'After Hours' (1985)
Appeared as Gail
Image via Warner Bros.A completely underrated film not only in O'Hara's credits but in director Martin Scorsese's career. After Hours details the frantic and chaotic evening of Paul Hackett (Griffin Dunne) after taking a cab to visit Marcy (Rosanna Arquette), a girl he met earlier. As the night unfolds, it gets more crazy and unhinged as Paul tries to make his way back uptown.
During his evening escapade, Paul meets Gail (O'Hara), an ice cream truck vendor, who eventually leads a charge of locals chasing after Paul, believing him to be a burglar terrorizing the neighborhood. While the role doesn't command the entirety of the film, O'Hara's comedic versatility does for her time onscreen. Normally recognized for the light-hearted, gut-wrenching laughs style of the genre, After Hours is a dark, successful comedic departure from both Scorsese and O'Hara.
6 'Waiting for Guffman' (1996)
Appeared as Sheila Albertson
Image via Warner Bros. Playing a local town member in Waiting for Guffman is the perfect set-up for the role reversal O'Hara would see later in her career. A real estate agent, Shelia Albertson, is one of the amateur actors cast in the local production of "Red, White, and Blaine" by aspiring director Corky St. Clair (Christopher Guest). The play, he hopes, is his ticket back to Broadway when he learns that acclaimed theater agent Mort Guffman plans to make his way there for opening night.
Waiting for Guffman has become a timeless cult classic and a brilliant example of the excellence Guest brings out in his dynamic ensemble. Who can forget the "Midnight at the Oasis" audition with O'Hara's onscreen husband, Fred Willard, and the tracksuits? O'Hara adapts seamlessly to the deadpan style of the mockumentary, showcasing her versatile talent to adjust to the comedic medium, especially when there's no script and just a 29-day shoot schedule.
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