Catherine O’Hara was honored posthumously at the Actor Awards on Sunday, winning in the category of best actress in a comedy series for her role in “The Studio.”
The AppleTV+ show, co-created by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, is a wacky satire of modern Hollywood. O’Hara played Patty Leigh, a former Hollywood studio boss, opposite Seth Rogen’s aspiring mogul Matt Remnick.
O’Hara, best known for her performances in the Christmas classic “Home Alone,” the mockumentary “Best in Show” and the cult hit comedy “Schitt’s Creek,” died in January from a blood clot in her lungs as a result of rectal cancer, according to her death certificate. She was 71 years old.
An emotional Rogen accepted the award on her behalf, telling the audience of Hollywood stars: “I know it would have been an honor for her to receive the award from other artists.”
“I’ve obviously been reflecting on the time I was fortunate enough to spend with her, working with her,” he said. “Something that has amazed me these past few weeks was her ability to be generous, kind and courteous without ever minimizing her own talents.”
“I knew I could destroy and I wanted to destroy every day on set,” Rogen said.
He shared an anecdote about how O’Hara used to email him and Goldberg the night before filming and tell the two showrunners, “Hi, I hope you’ll consider the following.”
“…and then there would be a completely rewritten version of the scene she was in,” Rogen said. “It improved the scene and the whole show as a whole.”
Kathryn Hahn, who plays studio public relations expert Maya Mason in “The Studio,” appeared to cry as Rogen spoke. Hahn was also nominated in the category.
“She showed that you can be a genius and be kind, and one of those things doesn’t have to come at the expense of the other,” Rogen said.
Moments later, “The Studio” won best ensemble cast in a comedy series.
The Actor Awards, formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards, were broadcast live on Netflix. Kristen Bell hosted for the second year.
