Count Olaf's Ex Is Played By An Iconic Actress

(Warning: this post contains unfortunate spoilers from Episode 7.) Netflix's new series is filled with plenty of unfortunate events (hence the title), but it's the cast of characters that makes watching A Series of Unfortunate Events so delightful. Violet and Klaus Baudelaire are played by breakout stars Malina Weissman and Louis Hynes, respectively, while Emmy-winning actor Neil Patrick Harris plays the villainous Count Olaf. However, it's the continuous revolving door of supporting characters that really make the series especially strange and entertaining. For instance, Count Olaf's partner in crime, Georgina Orwell, is a fantastic addition to the final few episodes of the first season. So who plays Georgina Orwell on A Series of Unfortunate Events? You may recognize her from a certain Macaulay Culkin classic.

Catherine O'Hara plays Count Olaf's former lover. Georgina Orwell is an evil eye doctor who also knew the Baudelaire children's parents. Although Count Olaf once left her literally in the water under the bridge and stole all her things, when Count Olaf arrives on her doorstep with a new plan to steal the Baudelaire fortune, Georgina hops on board immediately. Apparently, Georgina is more than an optometrist, however. The Baudelaire's father always warned them to stay away from optimists and optometrists and it quickly becomes clear why.

Georgina is not so much an optometrist, but rather a hypnotist and uses hypnotism to gain control over Klaus and split up the Baudelaire children. Georgina seems just as strange as Count Olaf, which only makes her that much more fun to watch. O'Hara plays the character a bit too well and her work on the show is phenomenal but that's not surprising.

The actress has a long resume of work in film and TV, most notably as the mom in the original Home Alone films. She also appeared in the ASOUE movie as Justice Strauss back in 2004, so she's definitely familiar with the franchise. She currently stars on the show Schitt's Creek, and recently appeared on the shows What Lives Inside, Glenn Martin DDS, and Six Feet Under. She's also appeared in the movies When Marnie Was There, The Right Kind of Wrong, A Monster in Paris, Killers, and Where the Wild Things Are. And, of course, who could forget her memorable portrayal of Delia on Beetlejuice? Not to mention this iconic dance number...

You can see O'Hara and the rest of the cast in A Series in Unfortunate Events, which is now streaming on Netflix.