Catherine O'Hara and the onscreen mothers we always come back to.

When a beloved actor dies, there's a universal comfort in knowing their life's work has been immortalised on screen, even as we're left mourning someone we never knew in real life.

The same goes for a musician, whose legacy is crystallised in song.

Or an author, whose words are fossilised on paper.

How lucky are we to tap into a portfolio of memories on demand? How lucky are they to have their talent live on in this way?

For Catherine O'Hara, who died overnight at age 71, her on-screen legacy is one that will outlive us all.

Watch: How the world was introduced to the iconic Moira Rose. Post continues after video.

The Canadian actress, who burst onto the comedy scene in the mid 70s, went from playing the eccentric Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice (where she met her husband, Bo Welch), to embodying the frantic matriarch Kate McCallister in Home Alone, to stealing scenes as the melodramatic Moira Rose in Schitt's Creek.

These mothers, though not at all similar, have resonated with viewers in different ways.

From Kate's panicked determination to reunite with her youngest son, to Moira's frustration that a crying "beh-beh" wasn't "dormant," O'Hara was a chameleon, able to tap into an array of maternal (or-not-so-maternal) characters.

Yes, the actor's death means her repertoire can't keep growing. But that reality is made less confronting when we consider how her talent transcends her lifetime.

Almost nothing in this world is predictable, particularly when it comes to relationships. Parents get divorced, children become estranged, mothers and fathers are there one minute, and gone the next.

O'Hara, like many actors, was (and remains) the on-screen mum that will always be there, wearing whatever hat the viewer needs at the time.

For the daughter spending Christmas without her mum, Kate McCallister can be by her side with the touch of a remote.

For the mother in desperate need of a laugh, Moira is just one click away from saying: "Gossip is the devil's telephone. Best to just hang up."

The iconic Moira Rose. Image: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

For queer viewers, Moira, in particular, offers something radical. True, she is self-absorbed and dramatic… but she is also deeply accepting, never asking her children to be smaller, quieter, or more palatable.

She is a mother who celebrates difference, often without fully understanding it, but without needing to. Love comes first. Always.

During the isolating years of COVID-19, that kind of unconditional presence took on new weight. O'Hara and Schitt's Creek weren't just a comfort watch; they offered a lifeline.

The sitcom became a soundtrack to nights when the world felt frighteningly small. In a time defined by distance and loss, O'Hara's Moira reminded viewers that joy, absurdity, and connection were still allowed.

For many, especially those estranged from family, or navigating acceptance on shaky ground, Moira became a stand-in for the mum they wished they had, or the one they could be themselves with.

She was excessive, yes, but she was also unwavering. She showed up. She defended her children fiercely. She loved loudly, even when she got the words wrong.

She, like so many of O'Hara's characters, is the on-screen mother we always come back to. When everything else is uncertain, they remain constant.

Though she may be gone, O'Hara's on-screen presence lives on. Generations that don't yet exist will stumble upon her films and find comfort in her characters. (What I would give to watch Schitt's Creek again for the first time).

Talents like O'Hara provide joy, safety, and consistency to so many of us, long after they are gone. It's an incredible legacy, and one of the many reasons art and entertainment should not be underestimated.

I'll leave you with a quote from the movie Babylon that has been circulating since the actor's death; one that encapsulates the importance of performers like O'Hara.

"A child born in 50 years will stumble across your image flickering on a screen and feel he knows you, like... like a friend, though you breathed your last before he breathed his first.

"You've been given a gift. Be grateful. Your time today is through, but you'll spend eternity with angels and ghosts."

So, long after the credits roll, O'Hara will always be there whenever we need an on-screen mum.

Feature Image: Getty