(Credit: Netflix)

In this world exist some names you never expect to hear in the same sentence as the word “gone”, and Catherine O’Hara was one of them because what do you even mean she is not here anymore?

She was the reason you clicked on things you had never heard of, the voice behind your comfort rewatches, and the one person who could steal a whole scene by just blinking in disbelief or with her iconic smirk. And now everything feels weird, like the world suddenly lost colour.

Are you telling me Moira Rose is gone? Because I cannot stop thinking about her saying “bébé” or panic-screaming “Kevin!” or walking into any film like she was already in on the joke. She could make silence hilarious, and grief feel bearable, and it’s impossible not think anyone else will ever do it as she did. Not because they cannot, but because Catherine made it look like no one else should even try.

And now everyone’s sharing clips and tributes, but all you might want to do is watch her be again. No edits, just Catherine O’Hara being Catherine O’Hara; her warm, brilliant, timeless self. If you want to remember how good she made everything feel, here are five Netflix titles that bring her right back to us.

Five Netflix titles to remember Catherine O’Hara

The Wild Robot (2024)

Okay, but tell me why Pinktail, that literal scrappy little rodent with attitude, ends up being one of the most lovable, emotional voices in The Wild Robot? We’ll tell you why: because it’s all Catherine O’Hara. She did not just give her a voice; she gave her this personality that makes you want to adopt her and throw hands for her in the same breath. Every time she speaks, it sounds like she is about to scam someone or cry about the meaning of life, and that range?? Insane.

She is not even the main character, but walks away with the scenes like it’s light work. Her voice has this bounce and rhythm that turns Pinktail from a background rat into a fully fleshed-out emotional support icon. You hear her once, and suddenly you are quoting her. And none of it would’ve been possible without Catherine O’Hara.

A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017–2019)

And then there is Justice Strauss, the one neighbour who actually cared, the only grown-up who made the Baudelaires feel a little less alone. And who made her unforgettable? That’s right, Catherine O’Hara. She brought a sparkle to that role, the sparkle that doesn’t overshadow the sadness but sits right beside it. The way she said “courtroom” with such flair? Totally iconic.

She played it like she knew what the kids watching needed: someone kind, someone safe, someone fun. That’s always been her power. Taking characters that could’ve been cartoons and filling them with sincerity. Even in a world built on misery and misfortune, she gave us something gentle. Rewatch it just for her scenes, or her smile or her dresses. Her little courtroom dreams make the whole thing feel worth sitting through the gloom.

Over the Hedge (2006)

If you grew up on this one, you already know: Catherine’s porcupine mom was everything. Catherine O’Hara voicing a possum should not work as well as it does, and yet Penny is just so lovable because of her. She made sure to turn every single line into a little surprise, which undoubtedly is comedy gold.

And she never overplays it, never makes it feel forced. Instead, she gives Penny this sincerity, this confidence in her weird little possum world, and it makes you love her more with each scene. Remember, when the whole family go into dramatic fainting mode? She nails the timing. She keeps it low-key chill in a way that makes you care even when the plot’s all nuts and nachos.

Best in Show (2000)

Now this is where she unleashed the full Catherine effect. Her performance in Best in Show is so funny, so painfully specific, that even people who don’t like mockumentaries end up quoting her lines. Cookie Fleck, with her jazz hands, her ex-boyfriends, and her wobbly dog, is still one of the most memorable characters from any Christopher Guest film.

She delivered awkwardness as if it were poetry. Every time she says something that makes her husband visibly panic, it is pure gold. You get the sense she improvised half of it, but with the control and timing of a genius. And that is the biggest quality of Catherine O’Hara. She makes her comic timing look so effortless that it becomes impeccable. People forget how hard it is to be that funny while staying fully in character.

Pain Hustlers (2023)

You want proof she was still in her prime till the end? Pain Hustlers. She played a boss so sharp, so terrifyingly poised, that you could feel her presence before she even walked into the scene. It wasn’t a funny role, not at all. It was power and pain and polish. And it was difficult because it wasn’t her usual space: no wigs, no oddball side characters.

Her character was part of this brutal pharmaceutical empire, and you can see in her eyes that she knows she’s running something morally rotten, but she is too far in to stop. It’s cold. Calculated. Catherine could have made it flat or robotic. But instead, she gave her layers. She never yelled, never overdid it. Just walked in, owned the room, and reminded you that she could do drama just as effortlessly as comedy. That’s the final trick she pulled. She left us floored, one last time.