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By Claire Dodds
Life & Trends Reporter
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Eugene Levy is mourning the loss of one of his closest friends and most enduring creative partners, Catherine O’Hara, following news of the actress’ death at age 71.
Levy, 79, shared a statement through Us Weekly on Friday, January 30, reflecting on a bond that stretched across more than five decades.
“Words seem inadequate to express the loss I feel today,” he said.
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“I had the honor of knowing and working with the great Catherine O’Hara for over fifty years.”
From their earliest days in Toronto’s comedy scene to international acclaim, Levy and O’Hara built a rare partnership rooted in trust, humor and deep affection.
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“From our beginnings on the Second City stage, to SCTV, to the movies we did with Chris Guest, to our six glorious years on Schitt’s Creek, I cherished our working relationship, but most of all our friendship,” Levy added.
“And I will miss her.”
The actor also offered condolences to O’Hara’s family, including her husband Bo Welch and their sons Matthew and Luke.
O’Hara and Levy first crossed paths in the early 1970s at Second City in Toronto, Canada, a formative space that launched a generation of comedic talent.
In a past interview with People, O’Hara recalled being just 18 when she met Levy, then already performing with legends like Martin Short and Gilda Radner.
She worked as a waitress at the theater before eventually joining the cast, beginning what would become one of comedy’s most beloved collaborations.
A Natural Chemistry
Over the years, the pair frequently portrayed couples on screen, from Christopher Guest’s improvisational films like Best in Show and A Mighty Wind to their Emmy-winning roles as Johnny and Moira Rose on Schitt’s Creek.
Levy once credited their ease on camera to a long-standing natural chemistry, saying their relationship was simply, "comfortable.”
Tributes have poured in from those who considered O’Hara both a comedic icon and a personal inspiration.
Dan Levy, Eugene’s son and co-creator of Schitt’s Creek, described her as, “extended family before she ever played my family.”
In an Instagram post, he wrote, “What a gift to have gotten to dance in the warm glow of Catherine O’Hara’s brilliance for all those years.”
Annie Murphy, who played Alexis Rose, honored O’Hara with a message that captured her spirit and signature laugh.
“Her laugh was a perpetual Yes, And…” Murphy wrote, calling audiences, “lucky to have her.”
'Devastating'
O’Hara’s impact also extended beyond longtime collaborators. Actor and filmmaker Seth Rogen, who worked with her on The Studio, called her, “the funniest person I’d ever had the pleasure of watching on screen,” adding that her kindness and generosity made her loss “devastating.”
O’Hara died at her Los Angeles home following a brief illness, according to her manager. While an official cause of death has not yet been released, her legacy is already being celebrated through the many lives and careers she shaped.
For Levy, the grief is deeply personal—the loss of a partner in comedy and more importantly, a friend of more than 50 years.
Newsweek has reached out to representatives of Eugene Levy and Dan Levy for comment.
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