A criminally underrated but beloved star of film and television, the great Catherine O'Hara has been entertaining audiences for nearly fifty years. As a member of Second City Toronto, O'Hara joined the SCTV series in 1976. She appeared in 50 episodes from then until 1979, returning for a second stint in 1981 to 1983 for an additional 28 episodes. Known for her impressions, SCTV distinguished O'Hara as a rising female star in the comedy world dominated by men.

Audiences know and love her for her memorable onscreen and voice roles across the decades, working with filmmakers like Christopher Guest, Tim Burton, Jon Hughes, and Dan Levy. She's the voice of several animated characters from features like Frankenweenie, Elemental, The Addams Family, and Over the Hedge. Her name is attached to big-named projects like Argylle and the upcoming season two of The Last of Us. From her famous red hair to her expressive voice, O'Hara is a force on the big and small screens, and these are her best movies and shows.

10 'Penelope' (2006)

Director: Mark Palanski

In one of her many turns as a cinematic or television mother, O'Hara stepped into a fairytale rom-com with Penelope. The unfortunate recipient of her aristocratic family curse, Penelope (Christina Ricci), is born with a pig snout and ears, the spell only to be broken with true love and acceptance from "one of her own kind." The underrated 2000s rom-com includes a supporting cast of James McAvoy and Reese Witherspoon.

O'Hara stars as Penelope's mother, Jessica, who interprets the "one of her own kind" to mean social status, setting up Penelope with suitors for seven years. With each of her maternal roles, O'Hara brings a distinct uniqueness to each, making them never the same. Jessica isn't necessarily a villain here, but she's morally gray as she wants her daughter to find happiness, but not at the expense of her social standing. Her chemistry with Ricci further elevates this whimsical tale about love and self-acceptance.

9 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' (2017-2019)

Creators: Daniel Handler, Barry Sonnenfeld, Mark Hudis

Participating in both the film and television versions of the popular book series, O'Hara is forever tied to A Series of Unfortunate Events. Both productions are based on the children's novels written by Lemony Snicket about the three orphaned Baudelaire children as they bounce from guardian to guardian, attempting to escape the dreadful Count Olaf, who is after their inheritance fortune. The Netflix original series stars Neil Patrick Harris as Olaf.

For the Netflix adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events, O'Hara was cast as Dr. Georgina Orwell, the optometrist from the fourth novel, "The Miserable Mill." O'Hara had previously appeared in the movie adaptation, but her portrayal of Orwell is more engaging and entertaining. The scheming and decidedly cruel Orwell is just as hungry for the children's fortune as her former love, Olaf. Her wicked glee and chemistry with Harris go a long way in making Orwell memorable.

8 'A Mighty Wind' (2003)

Director: Christopher Guest

A Mighty Wind was Christopher Guest's third outing with his cast of quirky and reliable usual suspects. In one of her many onscreen relationships with Eugene Levy, O'Hara brings her musical A-game. The pair star as a folk-singing duo, Mitch & Mickey, one of the three aging bands participating in a reunion concert to honor the death of their manager.

Showcasing the cast's true versatility as entertainers, all the music was performed live, making Levy and O'Hara's performance of "When You're Next to Me" and "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" all the more perfect. Guest's signature mockumentary style of filmmaking makes A Mighty Wind a heartfelt tribute to folk music and camaraderie. O'Hara's portrayal of Mickey fills the film with a sensitive sweetness left out of other iconic roles.

7 'After Hours' (1985)

Director: Martin Scorsese

A completely underrated film not only in O'Hara's credits but in director Martin Scorsese's career. After Hours details the frantic and chaotic evening of Paul Hackett (Griffin Dunne) after taking a cab to visit Marcy (Rosanna Arquette), a girl he met earlier. As the night unfolds, it gets more crazy and unhinged as Paul tries to make his way back uptown.

During his evening escapade, Paul meets Gail (O'Hara), an ice cream truck vendor, who eventually leads a charge of locals chasing after Paul, believing him to be a burglar terrorizing the neighborhood. While the role doesn't command the entirety of the film, O'Hara's comedic versatility does for her time onscreen. Normally recognized for the light-hearted, gut-wrenching laughs style of the genre, After Hours is a dark, successful comedic departure from both Scorsese and O'Hara.

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6 'Waiting for Guffman' (1996)

Director: Christopher Guest

Playing a local town member in Waiting for Guffman is the perfect set-up for the role reversal O'Hara would see later in her career. A real estate agent, Shelia Albertson, is one of the amateur actors cast in the local production of "Red, White, and Blaine" by aspiring director Corky St. Clair (Christopher Guest). The play, he hopes, is his ticket back to Broadway when he learns that acclaimed theater agent Mort Guffman plans to make his way there for opening night.

Waiting for Guffman has become a timeless cult classic and a brilliant example of the excellence Guest brings out in his dynamic ensemble. Who can forget the "Midnight at the Oasis" audition with O'Hara's onscreen husband, Fred Willard, and the tracksuits? O'Hara adapts seamlessly to the deadpan style of the mockumentary, showcasing her versatile talent to adjust to the comedic medium, especially when there's no script and just a 29-day shoot schedule.

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5 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' (1993)

Director: Henry Selick

In her second collaboration with filmmaker Tim Burton, O'Hara brought out the soft and tender side of the spooky holiday tale The Nightmare Before Christmas. After discovering the world of Christmas Town, pumpkin king Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon) decides to try his hand at putting on Christmas after yet another successful Halloween celebration. O'Hara voices Sally, a rag doll creation and his love interest, who tries to stop Jack from taking over Christmas.

The Nightmare Before Christmas has become a certified classic and a triumph of animation, thanks to its wildly original story, beautiful art direction, and stellar voice cast. This is one of many films where O'Hara worked alongside Burton and is her most memorable voice role. Sally's intuition is a driving force contradicting Jack's innocent curiosity despite her sheltered existence. With this stop-motion character, O'Hara is brilliant in her execution of vocal range, creating a soft yet higher-pitched tone in a very dark and loud world.

4 'Beetlejuice' (1988)

Director: Tim Burton

A precursory role demonstrating O'Hara's eclectic potential, Delia Deetz is a scene-stealer in Tim Burton's dark fantasy comedy Beetlejuice. Following their accidental death, ghosts Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara (Geena Davis) enlist the help of a malicious demon exorcist named Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton) to remove the unbearable family who is trying to renovate their home.

Beetlejuice remains an iconic Halloween staple and one of the best collaborations between O'Hara and director Tim Burton. It's clear from the moment she arrives that Delia is in charge of the Deetz family. Her unique taste in art, interior decorating, and dramatics are the catalysts for Adam and Barbara to take action. O'Hara's ability to go from level one to ten with her voice and facial expressions creates an entertainingly manic mother to her doom-and-gloom daughter, Lydia (Wynona Ryder).

3 'Best in Show' (2000)

Director: Christopher Guest