Catherine O’Hara honored with emotional tributes at 2026 SAG Actor Awards a month after death

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Hollywood honored the late comedy actress Catherine O’Hara at the 2026 Actor Awards, celebrating her joyful and brilliant contributions to acting. 

Also, Seth Rogen paid an emotional tribute as she posthumously won the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series for her role in Netflix’s 'The Studio.'

O’Hara died on January 30 at the age of 71. Her representative confirmed she died “after a brief illness.” In February, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed the actress died of a pulmonary embolism, according to her death certificate, with rectal cancer listed as the underlying cause.

The Actor Awards paid tribute to Catherine O’Hara's work and legacy

The Actor Awards honored performers who died over the past year, including Catherine O’Hara, James Van Der Beek, and Eric Dane. O’Hara, known for 'Home Alone' and 'Schitt’s Creek', was among the final celebrities remembered in the "In Memoriam" segment, with several clips from her celebrated career shown in her honor.

These three were just a few of the many stars, including Diane Keaton, Gene Hackman, and Rob Reiner, who were recognized during the ceremony.

On the official X (formerly Twitter) page of The Actor Awards, they wrote, "She brought joy, depth, and brilliance to every role. With deep gratitude for her work and legacy, the Actor® for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series goes to Catherine O’Hara." 

Catherine O’Hara wins posthumous award for her role in comedy series 'The Studio'

Catherine O'Hara was honored after her death at the 2026 Actor Awards. On Sunday, March 1, the actress won the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series for her role as Patty Leigh in 'The Studio'. 

Seth Rogen, who stars in and created the Apple TV series, accepted the award for her, giving an emotional speech that moved the audience to tears. 

O’Hara made history as the first woman to win a SAG Actor Award after her death. The tribute moved many in the audience, including her 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' co-star Jenny Ortega, who was seen wiping away tears.

"I was asked to assume the very sad honor of accepting this award on O’Hara’s behalf," Rogen said. "I know she would have been honored to receive this award from her fellow performers, who I know she respected so much. She was such big fans of all of yours."

Seth Rogen recalls working with Catherine O’Hara at Actor Awards

Rogen reflected on working with her, saying, "I’ve just been marveling at over the last few weeks was really her ability to be generous and kind and gracious, while never, ever minimizing her own talents and her own ability to contribute to the work that we were doing."

He shared a story about her dedication: before many shooting days, she would email him and Evan Goldberg with rewritten scenes that improved not just her character, but the whole show.

He added that O’Hara showed "you can be a genius and be kind, and one of those things does not have to come at the expense of the other in any way, shape or form."

Rogen ended his speech with a suggestion: "If you have people in your lives that don’t know her work, if there are kids in your lives or just people who are out of touch or stupid or something, just show them O’Hara dancing to Harry Belafonte in 'Beetlejuice'. Show them O’Hara hurting her knee in 'Best in Show' and doing that amazing thing where she hobbles around and tells the people, as they are laughing, that that’s Catherine O’Hara."

He concluded, "We were lucky that we got to live in a world where she so generously shared her talents with us."