Home Alone director Chris Columbus and Beetlejuice's Tim Burton honor Catherine O'Hara after her death at 71

Directors Chris Columbus and Tim Burton have honored Catherine O'Hara in emotional tributes after her death at age 71. 

The Hollywood icon passed away on Friday 'at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness,' per a statement from her agency CAA. A cause of death has not been released.

According to audio dispatch obtained by the Daily Mail, the star was having 'difficulty breathing' before she was taken to the hospital. Hours later, O'Hara was declared dead. 

Columbus - who is known for directing Home Alone and Home Alone 2 - penned he is 'heartbroken' in a post shared to Instagram. 

O'Hara had played the role of Macaulay Culkin's onscreen mother Kate McCallister in the two films.

'Today we lost Catherine O'Hara. I'm stunned and heartbroken, along with the rest of the world.'

The filmmaker added, 'I was an obsessive fan of Catherine's brilliant comedic work on SCTV and was thrilled when she agreed to play Kevin's Mom in Home Alone.'

Columbus then reflected on O'Hara's memorable performance in the beloved 1990 movie. 

'What most people don't realize is that Catherine carries the weight of 50% of that film. The movie simply would not work without her extraordinary performance.'

He continued, 'Catherine grounds the picture with a profound emotional depth. I will miss her greatly. 

'Yet there is a small sense of comfort, realizing that two of the finest human beings I've ever known, Catherine and John Candy, are together again, brilliantly improvising, making each other laugh.' 

Candy had also taken on a role in Home Alone, and passed away at the age of 43 from a heart attack in 1994. 

Columbus additionally shared a photo as he posed with O'Hara and Culkin that appeared to have been taken last year in March. 

Burton - who directed O'Hara in Beetlejuice and the 2024 sequel - also honored the late actress on Instagram. 

Alongside a behind-the-scenes image from the set of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the filmmaker wrote, 'Catherine, I love you.

'This picture shows how much light you gave to all of us. You were a special part of my life and after life.' 

In the photo, O'Hara flashed a cheerful smile while standing next to Jenna Ortega, Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder as well as Burton. 

She appeared in other Burton projects including The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) where she voiced Sally and also the 2012 animated movie Frankenweenie.  

A number of tributes poured in on Friday following the news of the actress's heartbreaking passing. 

Culkin took to Instagram to share a throwback photo of them in Home Alone as well as their 2023 reunion.

'Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more,' he wrote in the caption.

'I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you but I had so much more to say. I love you. I'll see you later.'

Their final tearful reunion took place in December 2023 when O'Hara introduced the actor as he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

O'Hara recently took on a role in Seth Rogen's Apple TV+ series The Studio, and the actor also shared a tribute. 

'Really don't know what to say… I told O'Hara when I first met her I thought she was the funniest person I'd ever had the pleasure of watching on screen.'

Rogen added, 'Home Alone was the movie that made me want to make movies. Getting to work with her was a true honour. 

'She was hysterical, kind, intuitive, generous… she made me want to make our show good enough to be worthy of her presence in it. This is just devastating. We're all lucky we got to live in a world with her in it.' 

Other stars also reflected on O'Hara's life and legacy through moving tributes such as Eugene Levy, Michael Keaton, Francesca Scorsese, Pedro Pascal, Justin Theroux, Jamie Lee Curtis and Brooke Shields. 

Creative Arts Agency (CAA) - which represented O'Hara - said in a statement that the late actress died at 'at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness.'

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department told the Daily Mail, 'At 4:48 am we responded to a request for medical aid to that address and transported an approximately 70-year-old female in serious condition.'

And according to audio dispatch obtained by the Daily Mail, the star had been having 'difficulty breathing' before she was taken to the hospital. 

Around 5 AM on Friday, first responders were called to O'Hara's Brentwood residence and was then rushed to the hospital while listed in serious condition, per the Los Angeles Fire Department. 

Hours later, the actress was declared dead and her cause of death has yet to be released.

O'Hara's last public appearance was when she attended the Emmy Awards last year in September. 

She is survived by her husband Bo Welch - whom she had tied the knot with in 1992 - and their children Matthew, 32, and Luke, 29. 

Her family will have a 'private celebration of life' following her passing, per an obituary seen by Just Jared. 

Along with taking on roles in Home Alone and Beetlejuice, O'Hara had other notable appearances in projects such as Schitt's Creek, The Last Of Us and Six Feet Under. 

The star was also known for appearing on the Canadian sketch comedy series SCTV from 1976 through 1979. 

Her acting performances had also been recognized over the years, with O'Hara receiving awards such as two Emmys and one Golden Globe.