Catherine O'Hara Reveals How She Landed Original 'Beetlejuice' Role Without an Audition

The great Catherine O’Hara has done maybe a thousand press interviews since 1988. She guesses that during “60 percent” of them she’s been asked about the potential of a Beetlejuice sequel.

“Isn’t that bizarre?” she says. “Like where is this coming from?!”

Each time, she’d politely explain that she had not heard a peep about a follow-up to the supernatural comedy about the slightly sinister foul-mouthed ghost trying to help a deceased couple scare a family out of their old house. As the decades passed, O’Hara just assumed it would never happen.

Then, three years ago, she received the call from director Tim Burton.

“He told me that he wanted to get that feeling back from the set when he was still a new director, and there weren’t so many expectations,” she says. “Then he asked, ‘If you have any ideas, let me know.’ I didn’t have any ideas, but then it all seemed to come together.”

Now, to quote the titular ghoul himself, “It’s showtime!” And fear not: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (in theaters Sept. 6) offers plenty of nostalgia for that haunted Connecticut home on a hill along with a fresh look at the exploits of the quirky Deetz family. O’Hara’s haughty Delia Deetz is still an artist and mourning the death of her husband; her stepdaughter, Lydia (Winona Ryder), has a strange boyfriend (Justin Theroux) and her hands full with her rebel daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega). Then a ghost-faced Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) shows up to wreak more havoc—and, yikes, he's still pining for Lydia.

As for why Burton didn't bring back stars Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin for the sequel. He tells People that he "didn't want to just tick any boxes."

“Tim says [the film is] about three generations of women,” O’Hara says. “Now that I’ve seen the movie, I agree.”

As for an O’Hara update? Well, for those still exclusively using 1980s-style rotary phones, the 70-year-old Toronto native has evolved from a semi-obscure Canadian SCTV favorite to one of the most beloved comedy actresses of our time. Thanks to a gift for fearless physical and improv humor, O’Hara has lit up both blockbusters (Home Alone and its sequel) and acclaimed indie darlings (For Your Consideration, Best in Show). In her 60s, she enjoyed a career renaissance playing hilariously self-absorbed matriarch Moira Rose in the breakout smash Schitt’s Creek from 2015-20. She was nominated for two Emmys for the role and won in 2020 (her second overall).

Related: 30 Fun Facts About 'Schitt's Creek' 

O’Hara’s innate sense of humor shines through even when she’s off the clock. For her chat with Parade, she’s checking in from her summer cottage in Ontario, Canada, that she shares with her husband of 32 years, production designer Bo Welch, and sons Luke and Matthew. (The couple met on the set of Beetlejuice!) The place is picturesque, and you can even hear birds cheerfully chirping in the background.

“Sorry to rub it in!” she says while lounging in a plush chair. “But this is very summer cozy.”

She took a break from the serenity to discuss her greatest hits and more for this week’s Parade cover story.

Mara Reinstein: So, after all these years, what was it like being on that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice set?

Catherine O’Hara: It was fun! Tim was just so excited and enthusiastic about doing it, and that was infectious. Everybody jumped in, and we kept saying, “Do you believe we’re doing this?” And to see Michael’s face for the first time as Beetlejuice … Like, his character doesn’t have to age because he was always dead!

Did you just get back into character like no time had passed?

Yes, except it’s scary because it’s 35 years later, I’m probably the oldest cast member, and I let myself age naturally. So I’m going on camera playing the same person! But that was also the lovely part. It was lovely to think about where these characters are now.

When was the last time you’d even seen the original?

It was on TV a week before I went to London to shoot the new movie. Like, oh my God, there it is! It’s a really good movie. But I did notice that I had this weird dancy-walk and spoke really quickly for some reason. I think because I came from a big family [sixth of seven kids] and I learned to get attention at the table by talking really quickly.

How did you land the role back in the day?

I was living in Toronto. I remember this guy named [producer] David Geffen kept calling me about it. I don't know if he watched SCTV because that was actually a pretty amazing door opener for everybody in that cast. I got called by people like Mike Nichols [for 1986’s Heartburn] and Martin Scorsese [for 1985’s After Hours] because they stayed up late to watch this weird Canadian sketch show that we were on. So I agreed to go meet Tim Burton—who I didn't know at the time—and flew to LA and rented a car. I think he was at Warner Bros. and it's on Warner Boulevard. I went to some other Warners in Orange County. I finally stopped at a payphone and called my agent. He said, “No, you're supposed to be on Warner Boulevard.” So I finally got there, and there was a note outside the door saying “I'm so sorry. I couldn't wait any longer. Tim Burton.” But I got the job. So it's a good thing I never met him or auditioned.

Related: Is 'Schitt's Creek' Finally Getting a Reboot or Movie?

Can you go back to the part where Martin Scorsese called you? What’s the story?

I went to a film festival in Toronto one year in the ‘80s. So my sister and I came in the back of the theater, and Martin Scorsese was right there waiting to be introduced because he was being honored. He looks over and goes, “Hey, SCTV!” Like, what?! Then he invited us to join him, Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel and other people for dinner. At the dinner, he rips out a piece of his passport to give me his phone number, which I held on to forever but never called because I'm shy. That’s how I ended up in After Hours. He did end up telling me that he got into a lot of trouble for that page missing from his passport.

You were such a successful sketch comedy actress. Would you have been satisfied staying in that lane throughout your career?

I definitely knew people who had more ambition than I did. I lucked into doing Second City [Improv Comedy] in Toronto because my brother was dating Gilda Radner. She got into Second City, and I waitressed there. And then I got to be her understudy. She went to do National Lampoon [Radio Hour], and I got it. It was just good fortune. And then I was in Second City at the right time because a producer decided to turn it into a TV show. I was not overly confident. But I was taught that if you're fortunate enough to have some talent, you should take care of it.

Do you attribute your background to your brand of comedy?

When you work with collaborative, good and talented people then you do feel safe. You know that nobody is afraid to turn down an idea, and there's a sincere goal in making the project as good as possible. My training was also in front of a live audience who didn't have a phone held up to the stage, and they could only tell their friends and family about it. So I loved having the freedom to fail. I feel bad for people starting out now in any work in any kind of career.

You also showed those chops in the Home Alone movies. What was it like presenting your onscreen son Macauley Culkin with his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last year?

It was a really sweet and happy occasion. He’s just such a dear young man and seems so happy with his partner [actress Brenda Song] and his dear little kids. I was just happy for him. You know, people used to talk about how much trouble he was…just because he was famous and had to deal with so much at such a young age. On the set of that second movie, it was just crazy to see the way adults treated him—not like a child but like this little gold bullion. It was a lot to go through. And this dear little guy survived it. He’s still got a great sense of humor, and I love that [writer] John Hughes saw that in him.

Every year at Christmas, there’s a lot of internet talk about what Mrs. McCallister did for a living. What’s your theory?

She definitely ran a company. She's the boss. Let's say it was life coaching before life coaching existed.

But then why is there a mannequin in the house? Wouldn’t she be in fashion?

Because she has a bunch of kids and at some point, she thought, I'm going to sew them clothes. I actually have two sewing machines, one in LA and one here. I’ve sewn bits and things. And the thinking was like, I'm going to be a mother. I'm going to be doing some crafts. I always felt like that character had no sense of humor, which killed me to play. She was just so Type A. So her business would be drier than fashion.

In your business, you won an Emmy for Schitt’s Creek in 2020. Was it surreal to be in a sudden breakout hit?

It was crazy. You know how that show happened to be? Daniel [Levy] went to [dad] Eugene with the idea of parents and grown children who, because of some crisis, are suddenly living under the same roof. It started on CBC in Canada and people were lovely about it, but then the show went on Netflix and it just opened up this whole world. So then COVID happened, and suddenly, all these parents and grown children were living under one roof. I hate to say COVID was good for something. There was a sweetness to the show, and it seemed to bring out sweetness in others.

Related: How Winona Ryder's Famous 'Beetlejuice' Line Made Her a TSA Target

Let’s talk about your own family. You and your husband actually met on Beetlejuice …

Yeah, he’s a production designer. It’s a lovely memory. My husband and I love to laugh—we’d laugh 50 times a day if we could. Even when we have a fight, we'll somehow say something to make fun of the other person, so you just have to laugh at the ridiculousness of us.

Are your sons funny, too?

Our kids are funny. They’re lovely. They’re both in the art department. One of them [Matthew] does set construction and actual construction with a contractor. He’s in LA, and he's learning to build things that actually have to stand the test of time, which is nice. Our younger son [Luke] lives in Vancouver and is a set dresser. There’s a lot of work for him there.

Are you at all burned out on working?

I love working and then I love not working. So if I'm lucky enough to have a job or two every year, sheesh, I should be so lucky.

You mentioned earlier that you’ve aged naturally. Is that subject scarier than any movie?

It's funny—I rarely look in the mirror at home. I'm not avoiding it. I just don't think of it. You know, I go to the bathroom, wash my hands. I look up and I go “Oh, OK.” Then you go to work and the first thing you do is sit and look in a mirror and get your makeup and hair done. Then I'm suddenly aware of it. I've evolved with the help of great makeup artists. And at any age, you really depend on lovely lighting but especially as you get older on camera. I don't mind looking my age but I don't want to look older. I should get way more facials. I'm happy to do anything that's non-invasive.

What’s the best part of being 70?

Still being alive!

And alive to do another Beetlejuice! What’s the appeal of the movie, anyway?

I don't know. I think [the sequel] worked out to be good timing because the people who first watched it are now at an age of nostalgia. If it had been done earlier, it wouldn't have been the same. So I hope people are pleased with what we've done because it was a fun experience. But let expectations go. Pretend it’s your first time.

This interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity

Next, Kevin Is All Grown Up! Find out Where the Cast of the Original 'Home Alone' Is Now