Spoiled, spooky, harried: 10 of O’Hara’s best roles

She portrayed a spoiled socialite turned impoverished rural motel manager in “Schitt’s Creek.”

- BY LORRAINE ALI

DOANE GREGORY Castlerock Entertainment. CATHERINE O'HARA with Eugene Levy in Christopher Guest's 2000 mockumentary "Best in Show."

She played a self-centered stepmom who, when possessed by an evil entity, channeled Harry Belafonte’s voice singing “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” in 1988's “Beetlejuice.” She was the harried, forgetful mom who left her son behind in “Home Alone,” a goofy ‘90s comedy that would become a Christmas classic.

Catherine O’Hara, who died Friday at the age of 71, brought to life dozens of characters over her 50-year career across film and television, and no two of her performances were alike. She might play an eccentric artist one moment, an insufferable snob the next, then a deceptively “normal” housewife, animating each with their own personality, quirks and ticks.

Though a comedic performer at heart, O'Hara, as they say, had range. From her recurring role as a grieving therapist in Season 2 of HBO’s dystopian drama “The Last of Us” to voicing and acting a plethora of bizarre characters in Tim Burton's films, O'Hara made her mark.

Here are 10 of her most memorable roles.

‘SCTV,’ Lola Heatherton (1976-1984)

O'Hara started out on the Canadian sketch TV show “SCTV,” a series similar to “SNL” but nicer because it was Canadian. There, O'Hara forged iconic, recurring characters that supercharged the show. They included the melodramatic performer and actress Lola Heatherton, a Spandex-clad lounge singer known for her manic performances. When overwhelmed with emotion, which she was often, she would scream, “I wanna bear all your children!” to audiences. O’Hara was part of a cast that included Eugene Levy, who she'd end up working with throughout her career. She won awards for her work on the show, including an Emmy, and won over audiences with her impressions of Hollywood stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and Meryl Streep.

‘After Hours,’ Gail, the ice cream truck lady (1985)