Jenna Ortega Breaks Silence After Catherine O’Hara’s Death

Jenna Ortega is the latest star to honor Catherine O’Hara following the legendary actress’ death at 71. Ortega, who starred alongside O’Hara in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” shared a two-photo tribute on Instagram remembering their time working together. The post included a close-up photo of O’Hara, as well as a black-and-white image showing Ortega with O’Hara and other cast members on set. Alongside the photos, Jenna Ortega shared a heartfelt message about the impact Catherine O’Hara had on her.

“Catherine is one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever had the honor of getting to work with and know,” Ortega wrote. “I’ll forever cherish the time we shared together, and everything she taught me.”

She went on to call O’Hara “a giant and an inspiration in many ways,” adding, “One of the greats. Thank you so much for it all.”

Fans quickly flooded the comments with condolences. “She will be missed, may she rest in peace,” one user wrote as another said, “Rest in peace to an absolute legend.” A third chimed in with, “I’m sure she learned a lot from you, too. You’re strong, Jenna.”

Ortega and O’Hara worked together on the long-awaited sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 classic, where O’Hara reprised her iconic role as Delia Deetz. The project brought together a new generation of stars with one of comedy’s most enduring figures.

Just last year, O’Hara and Ortega reflected on their time working together while promoting “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” offering fans a glimpse into how their on-screen moment came together.

Speaking to NME, O’Hara revealed that the scene’s movements were largely developed by the two actresses themselves, with help from a choreographer. Ortega credited her co-star with shaping the creative direction, telling O’Hara, “You were the inspiration behind the performance art aspect of it. I think it read on the page as a proper dance, and you sparked an idea.”

O’Hara expanded on that approach, explaining that she wanted the movements to feel unexpected rather than traditional. “I wanted the more… illogical to my mind… dance moves that kind of mean nothing,” she said, clarifying that her goal was to lean into something eccentric rather than structured.

Ortega recalled the pair experimenting together off-set, saying they were in a tent nearby when ideas started flowing. “We were like, ‘Oh, it’s funny when you do that,’” she said. O’Hara added that Ortega suddenly “laid down on the floor and did” a dramatic pose, and from there, they simply committed to it.

In another interview that fans are now revisiting, O’Hara spoke candidly about the role humor played in her life and work. Opening up to Fashion Magazine, the actress shared a perspective that many now see as deeply reflective of her legacy.

“Life is dark,” O’Hara said at the time. “It’s hard to grow up, and it’s hard to be a grown-up. It’s hard to deal with life. But finding a way to laugh at the darkness is the best gift we could be given.”

Ortega then chimed in, “Weird is original. Especially in a time like this, where everyone is starting to look the same and sound the same, [when] you’re only allowed to say or do certain things, it’s good to not conform.” To which O’Hara added, “God forbid you have an original thought,” letting out a theatrical sigh before cracking a smile.

During the closing moments of Saturday night’s episode, the longtime NBC sketch series briefly displayed a tribute card on screen, featuring a throwback photo of O’Hara alongside her name.

The show later shared the tribute on X, posting an image of the card followed by a heart emoji, sparking an outpouring of reactions from fans who applauded the gesture and shared their own memories of the comedy icon.

Emergency crews were dispatched to her home early that morning after reports of breathing difficulties. O’Hara was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she later passed away.