Macaulay Culkin Pens Heartfelt Tribute to 'Home Alone' Co-Star Catherine O'Hara
Macaulay Culkin shares an emotional tribute to Catherine O'Hara, his 'Home Alone' co-star, following her recent passing at age 71. Celebrities like Pedro Pascal and John Grant also shared their condolences.
Macaulay Culkin has paid a touching tribute to his late Home Alone co-star, Catherine O’Hara, who passed away at the age of 71.
O’Hara famously portrayed Kate, the mother of Culkin’s character Kevin, in the beloved 1990 Christmas classic, where he is accidentally left behind in Chicago. They reunited on screen for the 1992 sequel, Home Alone: Lost In New York.
The pair maintained a close bond, with Culkin telling The New York Times in 2024 that he still affectionately called O’Hara “mom,” and she referred to him as “son.”
In an emotional Instagram post, Culkin wrote: “Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you but I had so much more to say. I love you. I’ll see you later.” He included photos of them in the film and a more recent image from his Hollywood Walk Of Fame ceremony in 2023.
He added in the comments: “I’m mad about this…”
At the 2023 ceremony, O’Hara delivered a heartfelt speech reflecting on Culkin’s evolution as an actor.
"Home Alone was, is and always will be a beloved global sensation … the reason families all over the world can’t let a year go by without watching and loving Home Alone together is because of Macaulay Culkin,” she said.
“Thank you for including me, your fake mom who left you home alone not once, but twice, to share in this happy occasion. I’m so proud of you.”
Culkin joins a chorus of voices from the entertainment industry honoring O’Hara’s memory.
Pedro Pascal, who shared the screen with O’Hara in The Last Of Us, posted a photograph of them with the caption: “Oh, genius to be near you. Eternally grateful. There is less light in my world, this lucky world that had you, will keep you, always. Always. The one and ONLY Catherine O’Hara.”
John Grant expressed that O’Hara’s passing is “the worst one i’ve experienced next to my mother’s death”.
He wrote: “Felt like a punch in the throat. She’s simply another one of those humans I can’t imagine the world without. I guarantee you Catherine probably pulled millions of people back from the brink with her incredible talent and of course she will continue to,” he wrote. “She certainly has enriched my life ever since i first came across her in Beetlejuice or SCTV decades ago. Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, For Your Consideration, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Last of Us, The Studio, Schitt’s Creek!!!!!, The Nightmare Before Christmas, After Hours!!!, A Mighty Wind just to name a few of my favorites from what is nothing short of an astounding body of work.
Gesturing to the picture in his post, he continued: “The pic above is a still from For Your Consideration which I think is actually my favorite performance of hers in a Christopher Guest film. Her monologue at the end in which she addresses her acting students is so incredible. (Funny as hell of course, but at the same time exceedingly tragic) But then she was incredible in every single role she played. She will always be remembered as one of the greatest of the great. Absolutely devastating news.”
Rita Wilson remembered O’Hara as “a woman who was authentic and truthful in all she did. You saw it in her work, if you knew her you saw it in her life, and you saw it in her family.”
Josh Gad admitted, “I don’t understand what I’m seeing. I can’t bring myself to believe she is gone,” in his own tribute.
“Why is the world such a heart breaking place right now? I truly cannot process how to say goodbye to someone so full of life who seemed to just be hitting her prime.
“Goodbye legend. Thank you for making us laugh until we hurt… which is why right now we are all hurting so damned much knowing we will never again get those laughs. RIP. My love and deepest condolences go out to her entire family.”
Devin Ratray, who played Buzz McAllister in the Home Alone franchise, shared on Instagram that he was “bewildered and numb” by the loss of “one of the greatest people I ever met” and the news “just doesn’t register”.
Check out more tributes below:
Heartbroken doesn’t even begin to cover it.
Catherine O'Hara was one of a kind. A rare light in this world and her passing hits with a weight I can’t fully put into words.
She wasn’t just a legendary artist,
actor and comedian. She was an ambassador for Canada in the truest… pic.twitter.com/06jGk7OyCP— Michael Bublé (@MichaelBuble) January 30, 2026
**Catherine O’Hara** changed how so many of us understand comedy and humanity. From the chaos and heart of Home Alone to the unforgettable precision of Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek, she created characters we’ll rewatch again and again.
— Kevin Nealon (@kevin_nealon) January 30, 2026
This is shattering news. What a wonderful person, artist and collaborator. I was lucky enough to direct, produce and act in projects with her and she was simply growing more brilliant with each year. My heart goes out to Bo & family. #RIPCatherineO’Hara https://t.co/7pWcpYARai
— Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) January 30, 2026
O’Hara’s manager confirmed that she passed away at home in Los Angeles today (January 30) after a brief illness.
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