Catherine O’Hara Talks Pickleball, Super Bowl Ads, and Unexpected Fan Encounters

Catherine O’Hara Talks Pickleball, Super Bowl Ads, and Unexpected Fan Encounters

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Written By : TNN - News Room
Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Yes, Catherine O’Hara knows how to play pickleball—and she enjoys the occasional beer, too.

That might explain why she appears so effortlessly in a new Super Bowl commercial for Michelob Ultra.

In the ad, the Emmy-winning actress stars alongside Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe as they take on both professional and amateur pickleball players, all in pursuit of a Michelob beer.

Though O’Hara has been in a Super Bowl commercial before—a brief appearance in a 2022 Nissan ad—this latest project required a bit more effort. But it also revealed a hidden talent for pickleball, she said.

“Everyone was so kind, and the director was so encouraging and great,” O’Hara shared. “So you immediately think, ‘Yeah, wait a minute, I’m good. I know what I’m doing.’”

She also enjoyed working with Dafoe.

“It was really fun to do this with Willem,” the Schitt’s Creek star said. “He was very collaborative. Willem is loose and funny. He’s played so many incredible serious roles, but he doesn’t take himself too seriously.”

Neither does O’Hara.

Her comedic legacy spans from Beetlejuice to Best in Show and beyond. But one of her most iconic roles remains that of Kevin McCallister’s mother in the beloved 1990 film Home Alone. She has a theory about its lasting appeal.

“It’s just an everlastingly great story,” she said. “And so beautifully executed.”

Even today, the movie continues to resonate with audiences of all ages.

“So many times, children come up to me and say, ‘Why would you do that to your child?’” O’Hara said, laughing. “‘Why would you lose your child?’”

Not all of her fan encounters have been quite as innocent. She recalled a particularly amusing run-in at a Trader Joe’s in Los Angeles.

“A couple kept saying, ‘You don’t remember us, do you?’ I apologized and asked if we had worked together, but they just kept insisting with this knowing look,” she said, holding back laughter. “Finally, they told me they knew me from Sex Positive, an LA sex club! I know I haven’t been there—I’m not a member—but apparently, my doppelgänger is quite the regular. This couple had some fond memories, but it wasn’t me.”

As for the Super Bowl, O’Hara is supporting the Philadelphia Eagles in solidarity with her husband, a lifelong fan. However, she admits she’s not as invested in the game itself.

So what is she most excited about on game day? Like many viewers, it’s all about the commercials.

“I think half the people who watch it are really watching for the ads,” she said. “I’m honored to be in one.”

Catherine O’Hara Talks Pickleball, Super Bowl Ads, and Unexpected Fan Encounters

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