United Kingdom, Jan. 31 -- Martin Short has hailed Catherine O'Hara as the "greatest, most brilliant, kindest, sweetest angel".

The 75-year-old comedy star first met Catherine - who passed away on Friday (30.01.26), aged 71 - when she was still a teenager, and he's paid a heartfelt tribute to the actress during a recent stage show with Steve Martin.

Speaking on stage in Texas with his comedy pal, Martin said: "Catherine O'Hara, I met when she was 18 years of age, and in all these years later, she has been the greatest, most brilliant, kindest, sweetest angel that any of us worked with. So God bless Catherine."

Martin and Steve, 80, subsequently raised their glasses to the actress, who died at her home in Los Angeles following a brief i...