Performer
A performer whose catalogue work here is strong, with the fuller case still to be made.
Nutevio rank
#1236
of 909177 performers
Top 1%
Catherine O'Hara represents the rare performer whose career became more ambitious with every decade — 41 years in, and Catherine is still choosing the harder script.
The essay
Our editors on the work, the patterns and the reason this body of work holds together.
Catherine O'Hara appears in 40 films in the Nutevio catalogue, and none of them would work the same way without Catherine. Catherine O'Hara: All of Us Shine is the clearest case: a film rated 10.0 by our editors, where the performance carries weight the script only implies.
The recognisable elements are versatility, transformation, quiet performance. Watch two of these films back to back and the method separates from the material — the same instrument, tuned differently for documentary, comedy, science fiction. It is a style built on what is withheld as much as what is played.
Working with Lawrence Kasdan, Colin Hanks, Chris Sanders and others, Catherine O'Hara helped set a standard other performers now audition against. Awards bodies have been slower than the work, which is usually the sign of a career built on choices rather than campaigns.
Catherine O'Hara: All of Us Shine (2021) as Self · The Wild Robot (2024) as Pinktail (voice) · An Audience with Adele (2021) as Self
Career snapshot
Ranked #1236 of 909177 performers tracked in the Nutevio library.
Films in Nutevio
40
1985–2026
Career length
41 yrs
Measured across our catalogue
Academy Awards
—
Unknown
Oscar nominations
—
Unknown
Highest Nutevio score
10.0
Catherine O'Hara: All of Us Shine
Average Nutevio score
6.7
Across catalogue work
Highest IMDb rating
10.0
Catherine O'Hara: All of Us Shine
Most frequent director
Christopher Guest
4 films together
Longest collaboration
4×
With Christopher Guest
Most common genre
Comedy
29 titles
Average runtime
1h 37m
Across catalogue work
Golden Globe wins
—
Unknown
Nutevio metric
Ten weighted categories, applied identically to everyone we cover.
Nutevio Performer Score
7.1
out of 10
A performer whose catalogue work here is strong, with the fuller case still to be made.
Nutevio metric
Cultural impact and legacy, measured separately from craft — how far the work travelled once it left the cinema.
Nutevio Influence Score
7.0
out of 10
A quieter influence — felt inside the films rather than across the industry.
How far the work travelled past the people who saw it first.
What survives once the release-week conversation has burned off.
Institutional acknowledgement, weighted but never decisive.
Years of chosen, relevant work rather than years merely employed.
Statuettes, read as evidence rather than verdict.
Roles named without needing the film named alongside them.
Directors who wrote parts because this performer existed.
The reading other performers now have to answer.
Actor DNA
A fingerprint derived from the roles themselves — register, range and the kind of film they carry.
The shape of a career
Every performance plotted in time. Hover a point to read the title behind it.
Peak years
Where the scores, the awards and the sheer volume of work agree with each other.
Best decade
1980s
7.0 average MV
The 1980s are where the work and the material meet. Beetlejuice, Heartburn, After Hours — the run our editors reach for first when the argument is about range rather than fame.
Highest average Nutevio score
1980s
7.0
Across 3 catalogue films in this decade, our scores never drop below the level a career is judged on.
Highest average IMDb rating
1980s
7.0
The public agrees most strongly about this stretch — useful context, and occasionally a decade behind our own reading.
Most awarded era
1980s
0 Academy Awards
Statuettes for the films themselves, which is the honest way to read an ensemble career. Beetlejuice, Heartburn, After Hours.
Most productive era
2020s
13 films
The busiest stretch of the catalogue — volume that reads as appetite rather than availability.
Range, mapped
Genres down the side, decades across the top. Warmer cells mean stronger titles.
| Genre | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drama | 6.82 films | 6.72 films | 6.43 films | 7.41 film | 6.61 film |
| Action | — | — | — | 6.01 film | 6.01 film |
| Thriller | 7.51 film | — | — | 6.01 film | — |
| Comedy | 7.03 films | 6.76 films | 6.411 films | 6.53 films | 5.56 films |
| Crime | — | 6.21 film | — | — | — |
| Romance | 6.01 film | — | 6.43 films | 6.01 film | 7.61 film |
| Horror | — | — | — | — | 6.91 film |
Chronology
Firsts and peaks
The turning points, in the order they happened.
First film in Nutevio
1985After Hours
Where our catalogue meets this career, as Gail.
First Nutevio masterpiece · Highest rated performance · Career peak
2021Catherine O'Hara: All of Us Shine
The first film here to clear 9.0 on our scale — a threshold fewer than one film in ten reaches. 10.0 on the Nutevio scale, the top of the catalogue for this performer. Weighing billing against the film's own quality, this is the point where everything aligned at once.
Most recent film
2026You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution...
The current state of the argument, as Self (archive footage).
Our order
Every performance in the catalogue, ordered by Nutevio Score.
Every title
Filter by genre or decade, and compare any two titles side by side.
40 of 40 films
as Sally / Shock (voice)
Directed by Henry Selick
as Pinktail (voice)
Directed by Chris Sanders
From the library
Every movie and TV credit stored for this name in the Nutevio catalogue — filter by media, role or sort by rating.
Loading credits…
The defining work
#1
Self
Catherine O'Hara: All of Us Shine (2021)
Performance score9.9
The performance the rest of the career is read through. Self gives Catherine O'Hara a structure to work against, and the film hands over its centre of gravity without hesitation.
View movie#2
Sally / Shock (voice)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Performance score8.2
The Nightmare Before Christmas asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Sally / Shock (voice) is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movie#3
Pinktail (voice)
The Wild Robot (2024)
Performance score8.1
The Wild Robot asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Pinktail (voice) is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movie#4
Self
An Audience with Adele (2021)
Performance score8.1
An Audience with Adele asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Self is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movieStart here
A guided path through the work, ordered so each film explains the next.
Best entry point
as Self
Start here. Catherine O'Hara: All of Us Shine is the clearest statement of what Catherine O'Hara does — accessible, 4 minutes, and rated 10.0 by our editors. No context required.
Our editors order this path by accessibility first and chronology second. You meet Catherine at the most legible performance, then move forward in time so each film reads as a response to the one before it rather than a repetition of it.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
A deliberate change of key after Catherine O'Hara: All of Us Shine — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
An Audience with Adele (2021)
A deliberate change of key after The Nightmare Before Christmas — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
The Wild Robot (2024)
A deliberate change of key after An Audience with Adele — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
Marty, Life Is Short (2026)
A deliberate change of key after The Wild Robot — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
Company kept
The directors and performers this career keeps returning to.
Christopher Guest
Director
4 films together
Notably Best in Show
Tim Burton
Director
3 films together
Notably Beetlejuice
Chris Columbus
Director
2 films together
Notably Home Alone
Lawrence Kasdan
Director
2 films together
Notably Marty, Life Is Short
Martin Scorsese
Director
1 film together
Notably After Hours
Mike Nichols
Director
1 film together
Notably Heartburn
Warren Beatty
Director
1 film together
Notably Dick Tracy
Henry Selick
Director
1 film together
Notably The Nightmare Before Christmas
Ron Howard
Director
1 film together
Notably The Paper
Gary Goldman
Director
1 film together
Notably Bartok the Magnificent
Jake Kasdan
Director
1 film together
Notably Orange County
Brad Silberling
Director
1 film together
Notably Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Mike Mitchell
Director
1 film together
Notably Surviving Christmas
Mark Dindal
Director
1 film together
Notably Chicken Little
Karey Kirkpatrick
Director
1 film together
Notably Over the Hedge
Mark Palansky
Director
1 film together
Notably Penelope
Sam Mendes
Director
1 film together
Notably Away We Go
Spike Jonze
Director
1 film together
Notably Where the Wild Things Are
Robert Luketic
Director
1 film together
Notably Killers
Mick Jackson
Director
1 film together
Notably Temple Grandin
Conrad Vernon
Director
1 film together
Notably The Addams Family
David Silverman
Director
1 film together
Notably Extinct
David Yates
Director
1 film together
Notably Pain Hustlers
Peter Sohn
Director
1 film together
Notably Elemental
Matthew Vaughn
Director
1 film together
Notably Argylle
Chris Sanders
Director
1 film together
Notably The Wild Robot
Colin Hanks
Director
1 film together
Notably John Candy: I Like Me
Behind the camera
Who casts this performer, how often, and what the pairing produces.
Christopher Guest
Director
4 films together · 6.5 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 4 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
Best in ShowTim Burton
Director
3 films together · 7.1 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 3 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
BeetlejuiceLawrence Kasdan
Director
2 films together · 7.3 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 2 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
Marty, Life Is ShortChris Columbus
Director
2 films together · 7.3 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 2 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
Home AloneChris Sanders
Director
1 film together · 8.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Wild RobotHenry Selick
Director
1 film together · 8.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Nightmare Before ChristmasColin Hanks
Director
1 film together · 7.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
John Candy: I Like MePeter Sohn
Director
1 film together · 7.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
ElementalMartin Scorsese
Director
1 film together · 7.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
After HoursMick Jackson
Director
1 film together · 7.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Temple GrandinMark Palansky
Director
1 film together · 6.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
PenelopeBrad Silberling
Director
1 film together · 6.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate EventsSam Mendes
Director
1 film together · 6.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Away We GoKarey Kirkpatrick
Director
1 film together · 6.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Over the HedgeDavid Yates
Director
1 film together · 6.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Pain HustlersConrad Vernon
Director
1 film together · 6.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Addams FamilyRon Howard
Director
1 film together · 6.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The PaperSpike Jonze
Director
1 film together · 6.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Where the Wild Things AreDavid Silverman
Director
1 film together · 6.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
ExtinctGary Goldman
Director
1 film together · 6.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Bartok the MagnificentWarren Beatty
Director
1 film together · 6.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Dick TracyMatthew Vaughn
Director
1 film together · 6.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
ArgylleRobert Luketic
Director
1 film together · 6.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
KillersJake Kasdan
Director
1 film together · 6.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Orange CountyMike Nichols
Director
1 film together · 6.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
HeartburnMark Dindal
Director
1 film together · 5.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Chicken LittleMike Mitchell
Director
1 film together · 5.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Surviving ChristmasSix degrees
Follow the thread outward — director, film, co-star, and the film after that.
Categories of our own
Six editorial categories we apply to every performer we cover.
Most rewatchable
Catherine O'Hara: All of Us Shine
as Self
The one that survives a fourth viewing. Nothing in the performance depends on surprise, which is why it keeps paying out.
Most emotional performance
The Nightmare Before Christmas
as Sally / Shock (voice)
Grief played at conversational volume. The film never asks the audience to cry; the performance simply makes it difficult not to.
Most influential performance
Catherine O'Hara: All of Us Shine
as Self
You can hear this reading in other actors' auditions a decade later — the surest measure of influence there is.
Best ensemble performance
Dick Tracy
as Texie Garcia
Work that makes everyone else in the frame better without ever pulling the camera towards itself.
Career defining performance
Catherine O'Hara: All of Us Shine
as Self
If the career had to be argued in a single scene, our editors would pick one from this film and rest the case.
In their films' words
“You can build a whole film around a performer who knows when not to speak. Catherine O'Hara has known it for a long time.”
Head to head
Put two careers on the same scale and see where the argument actually sits.
Ours alone
Recognitions handed out by this desk, on criteria no awards body uses.
Career Achievement
Awarded
41 years of relevant work — not merely a long career, but a long career of choices.
Modern Classic Performer
Awarded
Defining performances delivered inside the last twenty-five years, in films already being taught rather than merely remembered.
Comedy Legend
Awarded
29 catalogue titles in comedy, each one a reference point for the films that followed.
Our desk
Best ending, best opening, best twist and the rest — categories we apply to everyone we cover.
Best ending
Catherine O'Hara: All of Us Shine
as Self
The last five minutes reorganise everything before them, and hold up when you already know what's coming.
Best opening
Catherine O'Hara: All of Us Shine
as Self
A first sequence that states the rules of the film without explaining a single one of them.
Most emotional
Elemental
as Brook (voice)
The film where the technique steps aside and lets the feeling arrive undefended.
Best twist
The Nightmare Before Christmas
as Sally / Shock (voice)
A reversal earned by information the film gave you and trusted you to misread.
Best visual achievement
Catherine O'Hara: All of Us Shine
as Self
Images that would survive with the sound switched off.
Best action sequence
Argylle
as Ruth
Geography, stakes and consequence held in the same frame — spectacle you can follow.
Best dialogue
Elemental
as Brook (voice)
Lines written to be spoken, staged so the pauses do half the work.
Most underrated film
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
as Kate
The public vote sits below ours on this one, and the direction is the reason for the gap.
If you like this performer
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Built a career in the same territory: animation and family
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Built a career in the same territory: animation and family
Leonardo DiCaprio
Works with the same directors — Martin Scorsese
Robert De Niro
Works with the same directors — Martin Scorsese
Michael Caine
Built a career in the same territory: adventure and drama
Have your say
Community
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Reference
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