While Hollywood continues to mourn Catherine O’Hara, sentiment is growing for an unprecedented tribute to the acclaimed actress.
The two-time Emmy winner (Best Comedy Actress, Schitt’s Creek; Best Variety Writing, SCTV Network) died last week at the age of 71 after what her representative described as a “brief illness.” In the days following O’Hara’s death, her odds surged 23 percent in Gold Derby’s prediction data for Best TV Comedy Actress at SAG’s Actor Awards for The Studio. She is now in second place with a 26 percent chance of winning, following Jean Smart (Hacks) at 72 percent. The other nominees are Jenna Ortega (Wednesday), Kristen Wiig (Palm Royale), and Kathryn Hahn (The Studio).
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Should O’Hara’s name be called on March 1, she would become the first woman in the history of the Screen Actors Guild to win an individual trophy posthumously.
In The Studio, O’Hara plays Patty Leigh, a disgruntled former studio head and the mentor to her younger replacement, Seth Rogen‘s Matt Remick. The Studio dominated last year’s Emmy Awards, winning a record 13 trophies for a comedy series. O’Hara was nominated for Best Comedy Supporting Actor, but lost to Hacks‘ Hannah Einbinder.
At the Actor Awards, O’Hara could win potentially receive two posthumous statuettes; she is also nominated as an ensemble member in The Studio, alongside Rogen, Hahn, Ike Barinholtz, and Chase Sui Wonders. The Apple TV satire, which has a leading five nominations, holds a commanding 97 percent lead in the race for Best TV Comedy Ensemble, followed by Only Murders in the Building, Abbott Elementary, Hacks, and The Bear.
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To date, four male performers have won individual Actor Awards posthumously: Raúl Juliá (The Burning Season) at SAG’s first ceremony in 1995, Jerry Orbach (Law & Order) in 2005, Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight) in 2009, and Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) in 2021.
Other stars with posthumous nominations include James Gandolfini (Enough Said individual nominee) in 2014, Brian Tarantina (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ensemble nominee) in 2020, and Luke Perry (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ensemble nominee) in 2020.
O’Hara won the Best TV Comedy Actress category at the 2021 Actor Awards for the final season of Schitt’s Creek. Smart then proved to be an unstoppable force with guild voters, prevailing in 2022, 2023, and 2025; she was not eligible in 2024, which is when Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) claimed victory.
Catherine O’Hara and Seth Rogen in ‘The Studio’Apple TV+
A member of the SAG-AFTRA nominating committee, speaking anonymously, told Gold Derby they are now voting for O’Hara to win. “This vote is pretty easy for me,” the voter said. “O’Hara was incredible in everything she did, but The Studio really encapsulates what made her such a brilliant performer: underneath the comedy, there was always a touch of pathos. There was so much life to everything she did. I know I’ll be rooting for her to win; I only wish she could be there to accept.”
The loss of O’Hara is still being felt across Hollywood. Apple TV canceled its press event for The Studio Season 2, which was supposed to take place on Feb. 3 at Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar. “We are all heartbroken by the loss of Catherine O’Hara,” the streamer said in a joint statement with Lionsgate.
O’Hara was also celebrated by her Studio costars. Rogen called her “hysterical, kind, intuitive, generous,” adding, “We’re all lucky we got to live in a world with her in it.” Barinholtz said, “I never in a million years thought I would get to work with Catherine O’Hara, let alone become friends with her.” And guest star Ron Howard wrote, “This is shattering news. What a wonderful person, artist, and collaborator.”
