Face it: O’Hara is worth your ‘Consideration’

< Prev | 1 | 2

Movie video

Box office preview
Dec. 10: NBC's Mark Barger previews Disney's "The Princess and The Frog" and director Clint Eastwood's "Invictus."

Eastwood, Freeman on new film

'Salt': July 23

Moore on new Tom Ford flick

Harry Potter is back, with a LEGO update

Slideshow

December movies
James Cameron’s spectacle “Avatar” hits theaters, along with George Clooney, who is “Up in the Air,” and Robert Downey Jr. as “Sherlock Holmes.”

more photos

Familiar voice in animated features
Born in Toronto the sixth of seven children, O'Hara followed a couple siblings into show business: singer-songwriter/actress Mary Margaret and improv actor Marcus, who dated Gilda Radner before Catherine's entree into the Second City comedy troupe. (Younger brother Michael is a writer.)

O'Hara, who lives in Southern California with her husband and 9- and 12-year-old sons, has recurringly supplied voices for animated features. Earlier this year, she was in "Monster House" and "Over the Hedge." She's also in "The Nightmare Before Christmas," recently re-released in 3D. Come April, she'll appear in "Penelope," starring Christina Ricci and James McAvoy.

And, of course, she's well-remembered as the mother in the "Home Alone" movies — too well, and apparently too true-to-life, in the case of one young fan she once encountered.

Story continues below ↓

advertisement | your ad here

She recalls a little boy, about 9, came up to her after she did the second "Home Alone" movie — "I know the second one was pushing it, for actually losing your kid twice" — and he asked, "Are you the lady who lost her son?"

"And I said, `In the MOVIE, yeah.'

"`And didn't you do it again?'

"`Yeah, it was a sequel. I know. Sorry. OK, I'm sorry. They offered a lot of money.' I'm telling this 9-year-old I'm sorry.

"`How could you do that twice to your son?'

"`I know, I'm sorry. But, you know it's a movie and hopefully that would never — '"

"`Isn't that called abandonment?'"

Adult fans can be no better, though.

"I get `You look like that actress — oh, what's her name?' ... And a few times I get, `You look like, what's her name, what's her name, Catherine O'Hara.' And for fun, a few times I tried this and it almost always, like, bit me in the ass for doing it ... I'd say, `I don't look anything like that dog.' And one guy said: `Well, she's not THAT bad.' OK, never mind."

< Prev | 1 | 2