Macaulay Culkin’s Heartbreaking Tribute to Catherine O’Hara: Remembering the ‘Mama’ Who Made Christmas—and Childhood—Feel Like Home
On January 30, 2026, the world lost one of its most beloved comedic and maternal icons when Catherine O’Hara passed away at the age of 71. The news arrived quietly at first—then like a sudden, collective gasp. Representatives confirmed that the legendary actress, known to generations as Kate McCallister in Home Alone and Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek, died at her home in Los Angeles after a brief illness. The exact cause has not been publicly disclosed, but reports indicate she was hospitalized in serious condition earlier that morning after experiencing severe breathing difficulties.
Within hours, tributes began flooding in from every corner of the entertainment world. Yet none struck quite as deeply, or felt quite as personal, as the one posted by Macaulay Culkin—the boy who once played her on-screen son Kevin McCallister, and who, in many ways, never stopped seeing her as his “Mama.”
On Instagram, Culkin shared a simple, devastating message:
“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 paired the words with two photographs. The first: a still from Home Alone (1990), showing eight-year-old Kevin clinging tightly to his mother in the emotional airport reunion scene that has made audiences cry for over three decades. The second: a candid moment from 2023, taken at Culkin’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, where O’Hara delivered a speech so funny, warm, and proud that Culkin—then 43—could barely hold back tears as he hugged her. The contrast between the two images told an entire story in silence: a little boy and his movie mom, and then a grown man and the woman who never stopped being his Mama.
Catherine O’Hara was never just an actress to the people who worked with her. She was a presence—sharp, generous, fearless in her comedy, and deeply human in her warmth. Born in Toronto in 1954, she first rose to prominence as part of the legendary SCTV ensemble in the late 1970s and early 1980s, where her characters (Lola Heatherton, Mrs. Mulch, the immortal “Merv Griffin Show” guest) displayed a rare combination of physical comedy and razor-sharp satire. She could make audiences laugh until they cried—and then, with the slightest shift of expression, make them feel seen.
But it was Home Alone that turned her into a permanent fixture in the collective holiday imagination.
When director Chris Columbus cast O’Hara as Kate McCallister—the mother who accidentally leaves her youngest son behind while rushing to Paris for Christmas—he found someone who could carry both the frantic comedy and the aching heart of the story. O’Hara’s Kate was never a caricature. She was exhausted, overwhelmed, loving, and fiercely protective. Her scream of “KEVIN!” when she realized what she’d done became instantly iconic. Her tearful reunion with her son at the end of the film remains one of the most emotionally honest moments in modern holiday cinema. She gave children watching a mother who could be flawed and still be everything.
For Culkin, who was only eight when they filmed the first movie and ten for the sequel, O’Hara became more than a co-star. In interviews over the years, he has spoken of how she protected him on set, how she made the long shooting days feel safe, how she treated him like family long after the cameras stopped rolling. When his own childhood became chaotic and public under the weight of early fame, O’Hara remained a quiet, steady presence—someone who never judged, never exploited, and never drifted away.
The bond stayed strong across decades. When Culkin began rebuilding his career and public image in the 2010s and 2020s, O’Hara was one of the first people to celebrate him. She attended his wedding to Brenda Song in 2022. She appeared with him at red carpets and events. And in 2023, when he received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, she gave one of the most unforgettable speeches of the ceremony—equal parts roast, affection, and maternal pride. She teased him about his childhood pranks, bragged about his talent, and ended by saying how proud she was of the man he had become. Culkin, visibly emotional, hugged her for a long time afterward. That moment now feels like a final gift.
O’Hara’s filmography is a masterclass in versatility. She brought manic energy to Delia Deetz in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice (1988). She delivered unforgettable improvised brilliance in Christopher Guest’s mockumentaries: Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind. And then came Schitt’s Creek—the role that finally gave her the universal acclaim she had long deserved.
As Moira Rose, O’Hara created one of the most beloved television characters of the 21st century. The former soap star turned motel resident, complete with ever-changing wigs, dramatic vocabulary, and unshakable self-confidence, became a cultural phenomenon. Lines like “fold in the cheese,” “the beep beep beep,” and “I am a god” entered the lexicon. O’Hara won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2020, and Schitt’s Creek swept the Emmys in its final season. Moira Rose gave O’Hara the kind of iconic role that comes once in a lifetime—and she made it unforgettable.
Tributes have poured in from every direction. Dan Levy called her “the heart and soul” of Schitt’s Creek. Eugene Levy said she was “irreplaceable.” Eugene and Dan both spoke of her generosity, her humor, and her unwavering support. Michael Keaton remembered her Beetlejuice days with affection. Seth Rogen, who worked with her recently, praised her kindness. Even Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a statement honoring her as a national treasure.
For millions of fans, though, O’Hara will forever be Kate McCallister—the mother who searched airports and police stations and New York streets in a bathrobe and panic, because nothing mattered more than getting back to her son. That image—of a woman running through O’Hare, wild-eyed and determined—has comforted people through countless Christmases. It still does.
Culkin’s tribute captured something deeper than grief. It captured gratitude, love, and the painful realization that time runs out even for the people we think will always be there. His words—“I thought we had time”—are the same words countless people have whispered when loss arrives too soon.
Catherine O’Hara leaves behind her husband of more than three decades, production designer Bo Welch, and their two sons, Matthew and Luke. She leaves behind a legacy of laughter, heart, and characters who felt real even when they were wildly exaggerated.
And she leaves behind a grown man who once played her son, who still calls her “Mama,” who still wishes he had more time to say everything he felt.
Rest well, Catherine. The world is a little quieter tonight. But it’s infinitely richer because you were here.
We’ll see you later.
