Bullseye with Jesse Thorn Remembering Catherine O'Hara
Feb 17, 2026
Catherine O’Hara, legendary actress and comedian known for SCTV, Christopher Guest films, Home Alone, and Moira Rose on Schitt’s Creek. She recalls breaking into Second City, the male‑dominated writers’ room, and creating characters with Eugene Levy. She also reflects on film hits, improvisation in Guest’s ensembles, and balancing career choices with personal life.
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Early Second City Break
- Catherine O'Hara got into Second City at 19 after following Gilda Radner and auditioning off the street.
- She worked as a waitress there and learned improvisation by doing five characters in quick auditions.
From Stage Improv To TV Parody
- SCTV was shaped as TV parody and stretched into longer character-driven sketches over time.
- The cast adapted stage improv formats into television by developing recurring behind-the-scenes concepts like Guy Caballero's network.
Gender Bias On SCTV
- On SCTV Catherine says male castmates sometimes spoke her ideas aloud and got the laughs.
- She and Andrea Martin were also paid less than the men as writers early on, reflecting gender inequality then.
