Richard Wilkins leads heartbreaking Aussie tributes to Catherine O'Hara following her death at 71

Richard Wilkins has led the Australian tributes following the heartbreaking death of actress Catherine O'Hara at her home in Los Angeles on Friday.

The Canadian-American star died at the age of 71 'following a brief illness' just four months after her last public appearance, according to her reps. 

Now, stars from Down Under have begun reminiscing over the TV and movie star's incredible career, with Richard, 71, kicking it off with a message on Instagram.

The entertainment editor for Nine commented on a post made by Today when the breakfast show reported on the death early Saturday morning.

'What a loss… a unique talent and a beautiful person,' Richard penned beneath a photo of the Schitt's Creek star.

Angela Bishop followed suit, sharing a lengthy message to Instagram alongside a red carpet photo of Catherine.

'The one and only Catherine O'Hara has passed away aged 71, after a brief illness,' she wrote, before listing some of the actress' biggest roles. 

Angela, 58, noted that Catherine 'got her start' in the Canadian series Second City Television, where she became close with her Schitt's Creek co-star Eugene Levy. 

She then listed her popular role as Kevin's mother in Home Alone, and paid homage to her work in several Christopher Guest movies.  

'And of course she shone in Beetlejuice and its sequel,' Angela added, before giving mention to her Golden Globe nominated role on The Studio.

'She is up for a SAG (now called Actor award) on March 1 for the same role, a moment that will now take on special poignancy,' the TV presenter went on to write.

Elsewhere, Shaynna Blaze also penned a tribute to the late actress on her social media.

'This is one of those people truly ingrained in you from her sheer talent and joy that radiates from her. Fly high beautiful lady,' The Block host, 62, wrote. 

The likes of Lana Wilkinson, Toni Collette, Moana Hope, Georgie Tunny, Celeste Barber and Simone Holtznagel also paid tribute to Catherine, sharing photos of her and their favourite clips from Schitt's Creek. 

Catherine's death was announced in the early hours of Saturday morning, though the cause has yet to be released, with reps simply stating it was a 'brief illness'. 

A statement from CAA, the agency that represented Catherine, said she died Friday 'at her home in Los Angeles'.

A Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson told 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.'

Daily Mail has requested comment from reps for Catherine.

The actress leaves behind her husband of 30-plus years Bo Welch, and their sons Matthew, 32, and Luke, 29.

Catherine's last public appearance was at the Emmys in September, where she appeared frail on the red carpet.

She was notably absent from the 2026 Golden Globes on January 11, where she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress on Television for The Studio.

The ceremony saw her Home Alone co-star Macaulay Culkin take to the stage to present the award for Best Screenplay – Motion Picture, and reflect on his role in the holiday classic.

As news of Catherine's tragic death spread, Macaulay, 45, led the tributes on Instagram with a heartbreaking post.

He shared a split image: one from the classic Home Alone film and another from a more recent reunion at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in 2023.

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

Other stars also paid tribute, including Pedro Pascal, who appeared alongside O'Hara in season two of HBO's The Last of Us.

Posting on Instagram, he wrote, 'Oh, genius to be near you. Eternally grateful. There is less light in my world, this lucky world that had you, will keep you, always. Always,' adding a heart emoji.

Justin Theroux, who co-starred with Catherine in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, shared a photo of her on-set chair bearing her name, writing simply: 'Oh Catherine. You will be so so missed.'

And filmmaker Ron Howard, who worked with Catherine on the 1994 film The Paper, called the loss 'shattering news.' 'What a wonderful person, artist and collaborator,' he wrote.

'I was lucky enough to direct, produce and act in projects with her, and she only grew more brilliant each year. My heart goes out to Bo and family.'