Meryl Streep, Pedro Pascal and Ben Stiller are among celebrities to have paid tribute to Emmy-winning actor Catherine O’Hara, who died on Friday aged 71.

The Canadian-born star was best known for her roles in the films Beetlejuice and Home Alone, as well as comedy TV series including Schitt’s Creek and The Studio.

Streep said O’Hara brought “love and light to our world, through whipsmart compassion for the collection of eccentrics she portrayed”, while The Last of Us co-star Pascal said he was “eternally grateful” to have worked with her.

Ben Stiller said it was “hard to explain the impact she had on comedy”, adding that for him there was “no one better”.

O’Hara died on Friday at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness, her agent told the BBC.

After starting her career in Canada’s comedy scene, she turned out a series of unforgettable film performances netting her critical acclaim.

Streep, who appeared alongside O’Hara in the 1980s comedy Heartburn, described her death as “such a loss for her family and friends, and the audience she graced as friends”.

Michael Keaton, who co-starred in 1988’s Beetlejuice and its 2024 sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, remarked: “We go back before the first Beetlejuice. She’s been my pretend wife, my pretend nemesis and my real life, true friend.

“This one hurts. Man am I gonna miss her.”

Tim Burton, who directed both films, shared a picture of the cast of the latter film on Facebook.

“Catherine, I love you,” he said. “This picture shows how much light you gave to all of us. You were a special part of my life and afterlife.”

Alec Baldwin, who also starred in the film, said O’Hara possessed “a quality that was all her own” and described her as “one of the greatest comic talents in the movie business”.

In his tribute, Pascal said “there is less light in my world” adding: “This lucky world that had you will keep you, always.”