Catherine O’Hara played unforgettable mothers on screen, but to Macaulay Culkin, the connection lasted long after the cameras stopped rolling, and Culkin paid tribute to that enduring connection in a bittersweet ceremony. During the 2026 Emmy Awards, Culkin joined Annie Murphy and Dan Levy to remember the beloved actress with stories that blended humor, affection, and decades of shared history.
According to AP News, the Catherine O’Hara tribute brought together three actors who once played her children across two very different eras of her career. Culkin knew her as Kate McCallister in Home Alone, while Murphy and Levy shared the screen with her on Schitt’s Creek. Together, they painted a picture of someone whose warmth and creativity reached far beyond the characters audiences loved.
Catherine O’Hara Tribute Brings Her On-Screen Children Together
Catherine O’Hara is honored by Macaulay Culkin, Annie Murphy and Dan Levy in an emotional tribute at the #Emmys: “She was our mama.”
(via NBC/EMMYS) pic.twitter.com/jeTsKMAG1n
— Variety (@Variety) September 15, 2026
Culkin offered one of the evening’s most emotional moments when he explained that O’Hara had become more than his movie mother. He simply called her “mama,” recalling how she continued to show up for him even decades after the two Home Alone films made them one of cinema’s most familiar mother-and-son pairings. He also encouraged viewers to reach out to their own mothers while they still had the chance.
Murphy remembered a different side of O’Hara: the unmistakable laugh and joy that followed her everywhere. After O’Hara’s death, strangers across Canada approached Murphy with their own memories and tributes, showing just how deeply the actress had reached people who never knew her personally. Those encounters, Murphy explained, reminded her that O’Hara’s gift went beyond making people laugh. She made them feel happier simply by watching her.
Dan Levy Remembers the Creativity Behind Moira Rose
Levy focused on the fearless imagination O’Hara brought to Moira Rose. He recalled learning to say yes to her unusual ideas, from towering heels and eccentric speech patterns to the famous collection of wigs that became part of Moira’s identity. Giving O’Hara room to experiment, he suggested, often led to the moments that made the character unforgettable.
Away from the set, Levy also treasured her generosity, stories, and wisdom. That combination of comic daring and personal warmth helped define a career that stretched from SCTV and Christopher Guest’s mockumentaries to Home Alone and Schitt’s Creek. O’Hara died Jan. 30 at age 71, leaving behind five decades of performances that crossed generations. The Catherine O’Hara tribute captured that range beautifully: one screen son remembered a second mother, while two others celebrated the woman who helped turn an eccentric television matriarch into one of modern comedy’s most beloved characters.
