Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Toronto's Own Catherine O'Hara: Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 1841

Episode Date: January 30, 2026

In this 1841st episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike pays tribute to Toronto's own Catherine O'Hara. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, Nick Ainis, and RecycleMyElectronics.ca. If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at [e-mail].

has lifted and the fairy tales have all been told. There's a kiss at the end of the rainbow, more precious than a pot of gold. In tales of ancient glory, every night and shall be joined when the quest is over. and a kiss is the oath that they swear And when the veins has lifted

And the fairy tales have all been told There's a kiss at the end of the rainbow More precious than a pot of gold My dear, you're so fond of tea The bridge of our love I never met Catherine O'Hara, but I feel compelled to talk about this, because as I speak at about 2 p.m. on Friday, January 30th, 2026, I find myself processing this news that Catherine O'Hara has passed away at the age of 71.

I was actually preparing for a visit from blues musician Johnny Max. I had it in the calendar for 2 p.m. today. But Johnny's not here. So here's my unscripted tribute to our very own Catherine O'Hara. The O'Hara family always seemed very Toronto to me. Yes, I know they're from Toronto. She went to Burnham Thorpe Collegiate Institute here in Atobico. but everybody has a personal connection with an O'Hara or two.

The most famous of the O'Hara's, of course, is Catherine, and I'll be talking more about her in a moment. But there's also Mary Margaret O'Hara, who coincidentally, I've been working on getting on Toronto Mike via a mutual friend. That was happening over the last couple of weeks. But there's also Michael O'Hara, a fellow podcaster who would call me up just to chat about the format,

to run ideas by me, to kind of pick my brain. Like I said, the O'Hara's are very Toronto. We've lost one of our own. Because I was born in 1974, the very same year, Catherine O'Hara became a cast member of the second city here in Toronto. She's been famous and delightful my entire life. I grew up watching SCTV.

SCTV made Catherine O'Hara very famous. famous to me. When was the last time you gave an old friend a long-distance call? Oh, I guess Mary and I have been friends for well over 50 years. She's always been like a sister to me. I never had any family of my own. None that I care to remember anyways. But Mary and I, oh, we shared everything from clothes to Bose. We even shared this apartment here until she moved away to live with her daughter somewhere up in the Yukon or some god off. awful place. Oh, I couldn't stand to see her go. But one thing she promised when she left was that she'd call me at least once a month. You know what? I believed her. But it's been two and a half years now and not one phone call. Some friend, huh? Some lawyer. I'd call up the old prune face myself and give her a piece of my mind, but I don't even know her number. Oh, I probably to be in the way anyways. Sure, she's got her daughter's family. Now, what have I got? Nothing. She owes me money, too. Seven dollars. I don't care about the money, though.

It's just Mary, I'd like to hear her voice again, just to hear her gum smacking together. Now, Mary and I have been friends for over 50 to me before. She'll call me. I know she'll call. Get her! She's still breathing. She's still breathing. Get her out of here, catch her. Get the long distance feeling. Before it's too late. Then, with Home Alone, she'd become a movie star. That's a movie that's going to live on forever. Every December, people are going to watch Home Alone,

and they're going to see Catherine O'Hara as Kevin's mom. What's the matter? Honey? A feeling. About what? That we didn't do something. Now you feel that way because we left in such a hurry. We took care of everything. Believe me, we did.

Did I turn off the coffee? No. I did. Did you lock up? Yeah. Did you close the garage? That's it. I forgot to close the garage. That's it. No, that's not it.

What else can we be forgetting? But beyond Home Alone and Beetlejuice, Catherine O'Hara would just show up in things you were watching, and she was always gold. I'm talking about HBO shows I loved, like The Larry Sanders show and Dream On, and then later, six feet under, and curb your enthusiasm.

But if I'm going to recommend any movie to see how bright Catherine O'Hara's star would shine, I'm recommending the Christopher Guest mockumentary films. The song we heard off the time, top was from a mighty wind. That's her and Eugene Levy, but more on him in a moment. So you start with waiting for Guffman in 96, which I loved. But then you get best in show from 2000, which I think is the best of the bunch. And I just thought she was the prettiest thing that I'd ever seen. And she was there with somebody else. She was very popular back then. She had dozens of

boyfriends. Hundreds. Hundreds. Yeah, hundreds. I did not know that. Hundreds. Well, not that, not that, not that I didn't have a reputation myself, uh, because, you know, I was, uh, considered, uh, you know, by some, uh, to, to be quite the Casanova myself back at, uh, Ponce Dillian Jr. High. But we started dancing. He didn't want to dance. I was like dancing about my. I did not want to dance because... Get up, get up, Jerry. No, no.

I can't dance. I can't say... I've got two left feet. I got two left feet. I thought he was kidding. But I wasn't. But then you're hit with a mighty wind in 2003, which I can watch over and over again.

And then for your consideration in 2006. So if you only have time to consume a limited amount of Catherine O'Hara, you want SCTV and... the Christopher Guest mockumentary films. But like I said, she showed up in everything. She's a voiceover actress in Rock and Rule, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Chicken Little, Where the Wild Things Are,

and then later in her life, she has a resurgence on Schitts Creek, again with Eugene Levy. Schitt's Creek wins her, a primetime Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series. She also won a Golden Globe. She won a bunch of awards, but who's counting?

I mean, she got six Canadian Screen Awards for that role. Oh, hello, you. Raise your swords. Marine does not like to be manhandled. Certain things that are just not done. I think these people deserve a little glamour in their political campaign. Awards. I've had enough waking hours.

for one day. You do realize that Bebe is crying. My girls. What girls? A yes. It should have been you. Boy. Sleep in heavenly peace. I'm sorry. Which rumor are you talking about? As you can see, we can't even afford her meds right now. Yeah, she's just sleeping. You keep everything inside like a bashful clam. Good riddance is what they're. This is what they said.

Oh, wow, I'm really bored. Are we thinking studio or on location? I feel terrible you had to do that just for me. Nobody knew where you were? I am approachable. Dressed in theme to support. They shelved the Crows movie. It's Fruit Wine, What's Not to Like?

Ding. Ding. Dong. I was on the board of some of the most profitable non-profits. non-profits. David, stop acting like a disgruntled pelican. Every party has a pauper. I would like to keep

that memory safe. It's just as sweet as the liqueur wafting off your breath. Although I haven't yet watched the studio, I hear she's in it and I hear she's very good. But the last time I actually saw Catherine O'Hara was in The Last of Us. But like I said, she seemed to show up in

everything. And every time I saw her, I thought two things. One, she's always great. And two, she is so Toronto. By the way, moments ago when I said the last time I saw her was in The Last of Us, I lied. She plays herself in John Candy. I like me. I tell me, have you ever gone on vacation and left your child home?

No. But I did leave one at a funeral parlor once. Yeah, I was sure. It was terrible, too. You know, I was all distraught and everything, you know, the wife and I. We left the little tyke there in the funeral parlor all day. All day. You know, we went back at night when, you know, when we came to our senses,

and there he was. Apparently he was there alone all day with a corpse. Now, he was okay, you know, after six, seven weeks. And I came around and started talking again. But he's okay. You know, they get over it. Kids are resilient like that. Maybe we shouldn't talk about this.

You brought it up. I was just trying to cheer you up. I'm sorry, I didn't. We lost John Candy too long ago. We've lost Joe Flaherty. And now we've lost Catherine O'Hara. And if Martin Scorsese is listening, release the reunion. I hope Jimmy Kimmel's working on it right now. Two people who are at that SCTV reunion are no longer with us.

Get her done. In Catherine O'Hara, Toronto has lost a good. one. But let's face it, the world has lost a good one. My sincere condolences to all who knew and loved Catherine O'Hara. I sense that feels like tragedies at hand. And the...