At the 2026 Emmy Awards, Catherine O’Hara received a deeply personal tribute from her former Home Alone co-star Macaulay Culkin. O’Hara, who played Kevin McCallister’s mother in the beloved Christmas films, shared a special bond with Culkin that continued long after the movies ended. When Culkin received his Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2023, O’Hara proudly attended and spoke warmly about the qualities she had recognized in him as a child. Her words moved Culkin to tears, reflecting the affection that had grown between them over the years. After O’Hara passed away at 71 on January 30, tributes poured in from across Hollywood. Culkin remembered her as “Mama” in a heartfelt Instagram message, writing that he wished they had more time together. Her death certificate later listed a pulmonary embolism and rectal cancer, adding further context to the loss that deeply affected those who knew her.

During the Emmy ceremony, Culkin joined Schitt’s Creek stars Dan Levy and Annie Murphy to honor O’Hara following the In Memoriam segment. Speaking onstage, the 46-year-old actor explained that while audiences remembered her as Kevin’s forgetful movie mother, he would never forget what she meant to him personally. He described O’Hara as encouraging, warm, and funny before choosing one word that seemed to capture their relationship: “mama.” Culkin recalled that she always showed up when he needed her, turning a professional relationship that began on a movie set into something that felt much more like family. His final message encouraged viewers to appreciate their own mothers and make time for them. The tribute ended with a touching reminder that although O’Hara’s movie character sometimes forgot Kevin, Macaulay said he and countless fans would always remember Catherine.