Seth Rogen Honors Catherine O’Hara with Posthumous Actor Award

Los Angeles, CA – Seth Rogen delivered a moving tribute to his late co-star Catherine O’Hara at the 32nd Annual Actor Awards on Sunday, March 1, 2026, as O’Hara posthumously received the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series for her role in Apple TV’s “The Studio.” O’Hara passed away on January 30, 2026, at the age of 71.

A Legacy of Kindness and Talent

Rogen, visibly emotional, accepted the award on O’Hara’s behalf, expressing her respect for her fellow performers. “I know she would have been honored to receive this award from her fellow performers, who I know she respected so much. She was such a big fan of all of yours,” he said according to TODAY.

He highlighted O’Hara’s unique ability to balance immense talent with genuine kindness and generosity. “Something that I’ve just been marveling at over the last few weeks was really her ability to be generous and kind and gracious while never, ever minimizing her own talents and her own ability to contribute to the work that we were doing,” Rogen shared. Deadline reported that Rogen added, “She knew she could destroy, and she wanted to destroy every day on set.”

Rewriting for the Better

Rogen recounted O’Hara’s creative process, revealing that she would frequently email him and co-creator Evan Goldberg with rewritten scenes before filming. “And it said, ‘Hello, I hope you’ll consider the following.’ And then there would be a completely rewritten version of the scene she was in. And literally 100% of the time, it made not just her character better, but it made the scene better and the entire present better as a whole,” he explained. TODAY.

Cause of Death

According to her death certificate, Catherine O’Hara’s cause of death was a pulmonary embolism, with rectal cancer listed as a contributing factor. USA Today reported on this information.

Emotional Reactions

The ceremony saw emotional reactions from fellow actors, including Jenna Ortega, who was also nominated in the same category for her role in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and was seen wiping away tears. Deadline noted this moment during the broadcast.

Rogen concluded by praising O’Hara’s ability to be both a genius and a kind person, stating that these qualities did not necessitate to be mutually exclusive. The Associated Press reported that Rogen said O’Hara “showed that you could be a genius and you could be kind.”