Catherine O’Hara’s longtime stylist will never forget the late actress’ authentic joy and kindness away from any cameras.
“Catherine uplifted us in a world that often tears us down,” O’Hara’s stylist Andrew Gelwicks wrote in a personal essay for Vogue published on Tuesday, February 3. “That, to me, was her greatest talent — even greater than the brilliance of her performances: her unique ability to make us fall in love with her and, by doing so, make us feel less alone.”
For nearly 10 years, Gelwicks would work alongside O’Hara, 71, to make sure she landed on the Best Dressed list after her red carpet appearances.
Over time, Gelwicks said the pair formed a relationship “built on trust, creativity and friendship.”
“In an industry built on the tenets of new, now, next, she showed unparalleled loyalty and always made it known she was appreciative,” the stylist shared. “In contrast to much of the world we experience today, Catherine personified genuine kindness, warmth, love, humor and joy. It poured out of her. Wherever she went, she made people feel special and seen. She was a nurturer, a trait reflected in the many beloved characters she played throughout the years.
News broke on Friday, January 30, that O’Hara had died at the age of 71 following “a brief illness.” Her official cause of death has yet to be revealed.
According to Creative Artists Agency, a private celebration of life will be held by the family at a later date.
During her 50-year career in Hollywood, the actress brought the laughs in shows like The Studio and Schitt’s Creek. She also found success on the big screen in films like Beetlejuice and the first two Home Alone movies.
In her private life, O’Hara enjoyed spending time with her family, including husband Bo Welch and their two sons, Matthew and Luke.
“I’m with my family as much as I can be,” O’Hara once told 519 Magazine in August 2019. “In deciding what work I might get involved in for my whole working life, my family’s always come first. I have two sons, and when they were babies, I thought what’s the point? What’s the point of having children if I’m not going to be with them, so that was always number one consideration and always will be.”
When recalling his very first photo shoot with O’Hara nearly a decade ago, Gelwicks described a woman who “not only saw me” but also “embraced me.”
“She didn’t care that I was new or that I didn’t have any other actors of her caliber on my roster,” he explained. “She cared about connection, trust, joy, delight.”
O’Hara’s final red carpet appearance before her death came in September 2025 at the 2025 Emmys. At the time, Gelwicks posted a photo via Instagram of the actress attending a party in a look he styled.
“It should come as no surprise that she never cared about what designer she was wearing, the season it was from or whether anyone had worn it before,” Gelwicks wrote. “She was drawn to what made her smile and laugh, what she would genuinely have fun wearing.”
He added, “I loved being Catherine’s warrior. I loved searching for the one piece that was worthy of her elegance and brilliance. It was both a badge of honor and armor as I found my voice in this noisy industry.”
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