Career
O'Hara was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario to a large Irish Catholic family. She started her acting career in 1974 as a cast member of The Second City in Toronto. She was an understudy for Gilda Radner until she left for Saturday Night Live. Two years later, this theatre troupe created the television series SCTV, on which she became a regular performer. Memorable O'Hara characterizations on the show included Las Vegas scorcher (I wanna bear your children!) Lola Heatherton, buzzer-happy game show contestant Margaret Meehan, raunchy nightclub comedian Dusty Towne, soap opera seductress Sue Ellen and stage actress Sue Bopper Simpson.
In the late 1970s, she did various voice-overs for a number of cartoons, which would continue throughout her career. During a short time in the early 80's when SCTV was in between network deals, she was hired to replace Ann Risley when Saturday Night Live was being retooled in 1981. However, she quit the show without ever having made an appearance on it, choosing to go back to SCTV when the show signed on with NBC and was back on the air. Her SNL position was then given to fellow Canadian Robin Duke, who had also replaced O'Hara for a season on SCTV.
She had roles in many films over the years, including Martin Scorsese's After Hours in 1985, as well as parts in two Tim Burton films, Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas. She played Kate McCallister in the first two Home Alone films. In 2006, she starred in her fourth Christopher Guest film, For Your Consideration (following Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, and A Mighty Wind).
On June 9, 2007, she was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. In May 2008, it was announced that she has signed on to star in the upcoming ABC dramedy Good Behavior.
Personal life
A naturalized U.S. citizen, she married production designer/director Bo Welch in 1992 and has two sons, Matthew (b.1994) and Luke (b.1997). She is the sister of critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter Mary Margaret O'Hara, though she is a singer-songwriter in her own right, having written and performed songs in the 2003 film A Mighty Wind. She has a condition known as Dextrocardia with situs inversus.
Films
Year Film title Character or Role
1983 Rock & Rule Aunt Edith
1985 After Hours Gail
1988 Beetlejuice Delia Deetz
1990 Home Alone Kate McCallister
1990 Betsy's Wedding Gloria Henner
1990 Dick Tracy Texie Garcia
1990 Little Vegas Lexie
1992 Home Alone 2: Lost in New York Kate McCallister
1992 There Goes the Neighborhood Jessie Lodge
1993 The Nightmare Before Christmas Sally and Shock (both speaking and singing)
1994 Little Giants Young Boy's Mother
1994 A Simple Twist of Fate Mrs. Simon
1994 Wyatt Earp Allie Earp
1994 The Paper Susan
1995 Tall Tale Calamity Jane
1996 The Last of the High Kings Cathleen
1996 Waiting for Guffman Sheila Albertson
1997 Hope (TV) Muriel Macswain
1997 Pippi Longstocking voice of Mrs. Prysselius
1999 Late Last Night (TV) the Shrink
1998 Home Fries Mrs. Lever
1999 Bartok the Magnificent voice of Ludmilla
1999 The Life Before This Sheena
2000 Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big voice
2000 Best in Show Cookie Guggelman Fleck
2001 Speaking of Sex Connie Barker
2001 Committed (TV Series)
2002 Orange County Cindy Beugler
2003 A Mighty Wind Mickey Crabbe
2004 Surviving Christmas Christine Valco
2004 The Wool Cap Gloria
2004 Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Justice Strauss
2005 Chicken Little Tina
2006 For Your Consideration Marilyn Hack
2006 Monster House DJ's Mother
2006 Brother Bear 2 Kata
2006 Over The Hedge Penny
2008 Penelope Jessica Wilhern
2009 Farlanders TBA
2009 Where the Wild Things Are Judith
Finale
Catherine O'Hara Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La, la, la (etc)
Jack's OK, and he's back, OK
[CORPSE KID & CHORUS]
He's all right
[MAYOR & CHORUS]
Scream it out, wheee
[CHORUS]
Jack is back now, everyone sing
In our town of Halloween
[CORPSE KID]
What's this?
[MUMMY]
What's this?
[HARLEQUIN DEMON]
I haven't got a clue
[MR. HYDE]
What's this?
[CLOWN]
What it's completely new
[OFF-SCREEN VOICE]
What's this?
[WEREWOLF]
Must be a Christmas thing
[OFF-SCREEN VOICE]
What's this?
[MAYOR]
It's really very strange
[CHORUS]
This is Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
What's this?
What's this?
[Repeat]
[JACK]
My dearest friend, if you don't mind
I'd like to join you by your side
Where we can gaze into the stars
[JACK & SALLY]
And sit together, now and forever
For it is plain as anyone can see
We're simply meant to be
The song "Finale" from Catherine O'Hara's Jack Skellington in The Nightmare Before Christmas is a powerful moment of catharsis that brings together all the characters from Halloween Town as they finally come to an understanding about Jack's ill-fated attempts to take over Christmas. The chorus opens with Jack's return to Halloween Town after his failed attempt to celebrate Christmas in place of Santa Claus. The joyous tone of the chorus underscores Jack's safe return and sets the stage for a collective realization that the creatures of Halloween Town belong in their own holiday tradition.
As the song progresses, we hear various characters from Halloween Town proclaiming "What's this?" as they are bewildered by the unknown objects they encounter from the world of Christmas. From the Corpse Kid to the Mayor, each character sings a line asking "What's This?" in bewilderment. Eventually, Jack's efforts to take over Christmas are seen as the mistake they were, and the characters of Halloween Town come together to sing the final chorus, celebrating their own unique identity as creatures of Halloween.
The final verse sees Jack singing a duet with Sally, expressing his desire to join her in the stars and to sit together "now and forever." This powerful moment serves as a reminder that even though Jack's attempt to take over Christmas was misguided, he has found a new understanding of himself and his place in the world. Together with Sally, he is content to finally acknowledge that they are "simply meant to be."
Line by Line Meaning
La, la, la (etc)
Singing and celebrating Jack's return
Jack's OK, and he's back, OK
Jack has returned safely
He's all right
Confirming Jack's return
Let's shout, make a fuss
Encouraging everyone to celebrate
Scream it out, wheee
Urging everyone to make noise and enjoy themselves
Jack is back now, everyone sing
Repeating that Jack has returned, and urging everyone to sing
In our town of Halloween
Reminding everyone of the name of their town and the holiday they love
What's this?
Expressing confusion and surprise
I haven't got a clue
Admitting to not understanding what's happening
What it's completely new
Acknowledge it is something they have never seen before
Must be a Christmas thing
Trying to make sense of the new thing by relating it to Christmas
It's really very strange
Commenting on how bizarre and unexpected the new thing is
This is Halloween
Reminding everyone that they are celebrating Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
Chanting the name of the holiday
My dearest friend, if you don't mind
Jack asking Sally to join him
I'd like to join you by your side
Asking Sally to be his partner
Where we can gaze into the stars
Imagining a romantic setting under the stars
And sit together, now and forever
Stating a desire for permanent companionship
For it is plain as anyone can see
Suggesting that their connection is obvious and meant to be
We're simply meant to be
Declaring a deep, sincere love for Sally
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DANNY ELFMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@LezzyBugO3O
I started crying as those two hugged. In one word, it was heartwarming
@Toonking1985
No I think they kissed
@Ryan-zm6lp
That was pretty obvious
@pinkflower7783
Jarrod Osborne she meant during the live performance they hugged not the actual film. 😅
@sarahleroy465
How did y'all get tickets to this?
@krystalharwood4541
when i saw the ''kids'' in the movie i giggled
@yidneth
Who else cried? The movie is more romantic than titanic, i always get the chills. I just shared a tribute to sallys song but Sally is Catherine Ohara, love her
@krystalharwood4541
well you dont have to sound exactly like her to make a tribute. im sure you did just fine
@yidneth
@Krystal Harwood well I made it with love for the movie but as composer and songwriter I always admit originals are unbeatable, and among the many versions, including mine, the frailty of Sally is all hers
@fsmeli
I grew up with this movie and I still to this day love this movie. And this would be one of my favorite movies and the actors who played these roles are amazing with all the talent, it’s just amazing how Tim Burton Can make an amazing movie that is very creative and can have such a beautiful ending and lesson. Like this was one of the best endings I’ve have seen