EXCLUSIVE: How Catherine O'Hara 'Left Lorne Michaels at the Altar' — Late Funnywoman Jilted 'SNL' Mastermind for Her First Love… SCTV!
Catherine O'Hara left Lorne Michaels at the altar, choosing 'SCTV' over 'Saturday Night Live.'
March 3 2026, Published 7:00 a.m. ET
Beloved comedy legend Catherine O'Hara got her big break on American TV when she was cast on the sixth season of Saturday Night Live by showrunner Lorne Michaels, but quit after just one week – and before she appeared on a single episode, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The actress, who went on to star in dozens of hit shows and movies, died at age 71 on Jan. 30 after a brief illness.
Comedy Queen’s Quick Exit
Catherine O'Hara quit 'Saturday Night Live' just one week after being cast by Lorne Michaels, insisting rumors she was 'scared by somebody' were untrue.
Back in the early '80s, the actress was a regular on SCTV, the Canadian sketch comedy show that has become a cult classic.
But the show's producer struggled to keep it on the air. "We'd have [a deal for the] show for a season or two, and then that deal would go away. There'd be a break, then we'd do the show again," Schitt's Creek vet O'Hara explained in a 2024 interview.
During one of those hiatuses, "I got asked to be on Saturday Night Live," O'Hara recalled. "And of course I said yes. Who doesn't want to do that?"
Then O'Hara quit the coveted gig after only a week.
The Home Alone actress said, "There's been BS stories about I was supposedly scared by somebody," but she insisted that wasn't not the case.
Loyalty Over Late-Night Fame
Loyalty to her 'SCTV' castmates, including Martin Short, John Candy and Eugene Levy led O'Hara to leave 'SNL' before filming an episode.
But fans won't be surprised at the real reason – for O'Hara, loyalty trumped ambition.
Just a week after being hired, she learned SCTV had gotten picked up again, so she returned to Toronto before she ever got a chance to film an episode of SNL.
"Basically, I said, 'Oh, sorry, I gotta go be with my family,'" referring to her SCTV castmates, including Martin Short, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Andrea Martin and longtime collaborator Eugene Levy.
Looking back, the funny lady admits she was "stupid" for not waiting longer to see if SCTV got picked up again.
"Yeah, not cool to take a job and leave it. You know what I mean?" she said.
A Sweet Tribute
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Alexander Skarsgard's Jan. 31 episode of 'SNL' featured a tribute card honoring O'Hara before the final curtain call.
She did finally appear on SNL, first in a cameo in 1988, then as host in 1991 and 1992.
On the Jan. 31 episode, hosted by Alexander Skarsgard, a tribute card for O'Hara appeared before the final curtain call.
