- - Video shows Catherine O'Hara's emotional tribute to Macaulay Culkin

Mike Snider, USA TODAY January 31, 2026 at 10:27 PM

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Actress Catherine O'Hara, who died Friday, Jan. 30, at the age of 71, left behind an impressive on-screen body of work, whether she was performing in films or for the smaller screen.

The award-winning actress also didn't hold back when it came to praising her peers. She honored Macaulay Culkin, who played her son in the 1990 holiday comedy classic "Home Alone," in a Dec. 1, 2023 speech for Culkin's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The reason movie lovers "can't let a year go by without watching and loving 'Home Alone' together (was) because of Macaulay Culkin. Yes, yes, he had a most excellent script and a wonderful director, but it is Macaulay's perfect performance as Kevin McCallister that gave us that little Everyboy on an extraordinary adventure," she said.

Watch Catherine O'Hara's speech for Macaulay Culkin's Hollywood Walk of Fame star

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"Home Alone" made Culkin a child star, which couldn't have been easy for him, O'Hara said.

"I believe you'd have to possess a certain quality, a gift that dear ('Home Alone' writer and producer) John Hughes obviously recognized in you," O'Hara said in her speech. "Macaulay, your sense of humor, it's a sign of intelligence in a child, and a key to surviving life at any age. And you have, from what I see, you have brought that sense of sweet, yet twisted, yet totally relatable sense of humor to everything that you have chosen to do since 'Home Alone'."

After learning of O'Hara's death, Culkin posted an emotional tribute on Instagram, saying, "Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more," he wrote. "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."

Catherine O'Hara on how Eugene Levy's characters 'were real'

Four months after her speech lauding Culkin, O'Hara spoke at another Hollywood Walk of Fame event, this time honoring Eugene Levy, her frequent co-star from "SCTV" to "Schitt's Creek."

O'Hara credited Levy with having "jumpstarted and or nurtured the careers of so many of his friends. He welcomed me in his cast of Second City theater when I was just out of school. He and (writer/director/actor) Chris Guest then offered me some great roles to improvise in some really fun movies," including "Waiting for Guffman," "A Mighty Wind" and "Best in Show."

O'Hara said she recognized "from our very earliest days working together that Eugene is a great actor. Even in the silliest sketches, Eugene's characters were real. They were grounded and more often than not, he held the scene together."

"It is really impressive, especially considering the amazing head of hair on his head, both on top and in those eyebrows, that Eugene has always been capable of disappearing into his characters," she said.

O'Hara said she proud of Levy, calling him "a very private man" who she suspected "would be just as happy standing outside the limelight."

(L-R) Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy and Sarah Levy attend the ceremony honoring Eugene Levy with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on March 8, 2024 in Hollywood, California.

Eugene Levy, who co-created "Schitt's Creek" with his son, Dan, said in a statement about O'Hara, who co-starred in the series, "From our beginnings on the Second City stage, to SCTV, to the movies we did with Chris Guest, to our six glorious years on 'Schitt's Creek,' I cherished our working relationship, but most of all our friendship," Levy said in a statement sent to USA TODAY. "And I will miss her. My heart goes out to Bo, Matthew, Luke, and the entire O'Hara family."

"I will miss her': Eugene Levy mourns Catherine O'Hara after decades of collaboration

See Catherine O'Hara's speeches for Eugene Levy, Macaulay Culkin

Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & [email protected].

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Video shows Catherine O'Hara's emotional speech about Macaulay Culkin

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