Catherine O’Hara’s Legacy Lives on With Posthumous Win at the 2026 Actor Awards
The Actor Awards served as a poignant tribute to a comedy icon on Sunday, March 1, as the late Catherine O’Hara was honored just one month after her passing. The acclaimed actress, who died at 71 on January 30, was posthumously awarded Best Female Actor in a Comedy Series for her role in the Apple TV+ satire The Studio.
As her name was announced at the Shrine Auditorium, the room erupted into a thunderous standing ovation, a testament to the fifty-year legacy she left behind. Seth Rogen, the creator and star of The Studio, took the stage to accept the trophy on her behalf, having just won the award for Best Male Actor in a Comedy Series earlier in the evening.
Rogen’s speech was a mix of humor and deep respect, capturing the unique brilliance of the woman who brought characters like Moira Rose and Delia Deetz to life. I was asked to assume the very sad honor of accepting this award on O’Hara’s behalf, he told the audience. I know she would have been honored to receive this award from her fellow performers, who I know she respected so much.
The standing ovation for Catherine O’Hara at The 2026 Actor Awards.pic.twitter.com/owD1j3xX7g
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) March 2, 2026
During his tribute, Rogen revealed that O’Hara remained a dedicated collaborator until her final days, often sending polite but transformative suggestions for her scenes. He noted that she would frequently email him and co-creator Evan Goldberg with ideas that invariably improved the entire show.
She really showed that you can be a genius and be kind, and one of those things does not have to come at the expense of the other in any way, shape, or form, Rogen remarked. To conclude his speech, Rogen encouraged the audience and viewers at home to share O’Hara’s work with the next generation.
He specifically pointed to her iconic “Banana Boat Song” dance in Beetlejuice and her physical comedy in Best in Show as essential viewing. Tell the people, as they are laughing, that that’s Catherine O’Hara, and we were lucky that we got to live in a world where she so generally shared her talents with us, he added.
Catherine O’Hara’s career was marked by incredible versatility, spanning from the sketch comedy roots of SCTV to the worldwide phenomenon of Schitt’s Creek. In The Studio, she played Patty Leigh, a seasoned former studio head who served as a mentor to Rogen’s character.
The series, which has already been renewed for a second season, was O’Hara’s final project, and her win marks the first time a woman has received a posthumous Actor Award in this category.
Seth Rogen, meanwhile, continues to be one of the busiest figures in entertainment as he enters the spring of this year. Aside from his work on The Studio, he is currently promoting the comedy remake The Invite, which stars Olivia Wilde and Edward Norton and was a massive hit at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.
Rogen is also slated to host the “Seth Goes Greek” night for the Netflix Is A Joke Festival this May, a charity event benefiting his Alzheimer’s organization, Hilarity for Charity. Other upcoming projects for Rogen include a stoner comedy titled The Wrong Girls with Kristen Stewart.
The Studio itself was the big winner of the night, also taking home the prize for Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series. As the cast celebrated their victory, the absence of their “matriarch” was felt by everyone, yet the night ensured that O’Hara’s final performance would be remembered as one of her very best.
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