In Memory of Catherine O'Hara: A Story of Kindness

Hello magical friends,

The Mug, The Timing & The Memory

In a bizarre stroke of the universe universing, I unearthed my beloved Schitt's Creek mug from storage last week. It had been packed in one of those dreaded "misc" boxes where favorite things go to hide for years at a time. I was so excited to find it.

The next day, Catherine O'Hara passed away.

My kids bought me this mug because I'm such a fan. My husband and I even dressed up as Moira and Johnny for a Halloween party a few years ago. But I was already a fan long before the series aired, for a simple reason: I met Catherine many years ago, and she was the nicest, kindest, most genuinely humble celebrity I've ever met.

Another Life, Another World

To tell you this story, I must travel back almost two decades to what feels like another life. I was a new mom and an entrepreneur, caught up in the buzzy, busy world of mom bloggers (we were the OG influencers), brands, and events. I was a clothing designer—designing, sewing, and manufacturing children's clothes that were carried in over 250 boutiques and stores across the USA.

It was a labor of love, much like writing. I loved the design aspect: dreaming up and creating new collections, sketching them out, sewing samples. Production... not so much of a joy, but that's another story.

One of the ways I marketed my clothing line (and met some lifelong creative-preneur friends in the process!) was by participating in celebrity gifting suites here in Los Angeles. These events were always a thrill and so fascinating. They usually happened around events like the Oscars or the Grammys. Brands would set up booths at a venue—usually a hotel, occasionally a private residence—and the celebrities and their reps would descend, "shopping." I use quote marks because they weren't shopping, per se. They were just getting it all for free.

We'd have some advance notice, so we could pre-pack gifts for some of the attendees and their kids. But with the rest, it was a free-for-all. If you were lucky, you'd get a write-up in People Magazine. I got lucky a few times... it didn't hurt that Shiloh Pitt loved wearing clothes from my collection—but always the boys' stuff, which I actually kind of loved.

The Day She Chose My Table

To be honest, we didn't get a ton of A-listers at these events. There were several faces I recognized from current tv shows but mostly it was reality TV cast-offs and their entourages. So when Catherine O'Hara walked in, I was like OMG 😻💫

I loved her in Home Alone and Beetlejuice, and possibly even more in Best of Show. I knew about her improve background and that was a pursuit we shared.  I met my husband in an improv troupe.  I don't think I was very good at it, by the way - hence my awe of people who are naturally gifted. She was so quick witted, quirky and funny!

Catherine just seemed so... normal. She wasn't all dressed up and posturing like most of the other attendees. She seemed almost uncomfortable to be there.

I had already been mostly cleaned out by D-listers who had the audacity to ask me for hundreds of dollars worth of handmade clothing for their maid's cousin's sister's kid's birthday. (Later I'd catch them selling it all on eBay.)

Catherine approached my table and saw that I had a chair free. She asked if I'd mind if she hung out—hid out—with me for a bit. I don't know why she chose my space, but I was beyond flattered and thrilled.

We chatted a bit. She was a little shy. She was a lot horrified by how so many of the selfish, entitled attendees were just hoovering up products from small brand manufacturers like me with zero intentions of posting about it, sharing it anywhere, or even saying thank you.

Maybe it was because I'd just been dressed down by a certain housewife for not having enough stock on hand in her older kids' sizes. Maybe it was just because I already loved Catherine so much. But I could have hugged her.

She wouldn't take anything from me at all. But she gave me back a lot of faith in humanity and Hollywood for the fifteen minutes or so that we hung out.

Why This Memory Matters

I have met a ton of celebrities over the years, but Catherine O'Hara was one of the kindest and most genuine artists I've ever encountered. It made her characterization as Moira all the more amazing for me because I could see the contrast with the woman I met that day—and yet it totally made sense. She understood kindness. She understood humility. She understood what it was like to be real in a world that often rewards fakes.

I was gutted by the loss of her unique and quirky humor, as is the rest of the world. But I also mourn the loss of someone who chose, in that moment, to be kind to a frazzled small business owner at a chaotic gifting suite. She didn't have to do that. She could have breezed through like everyone else.

While I got to meet her and see this first hand, I think her presence and these qualities she embodied, was felt by all. That's a big part of why we will all miss her so very much.  She was everything we need right now, and now she's gone. 

It's up to us to carry the torch.