Macaulay Culkin says he had ‘unfinished business’ with ‘Home Alone’ mother Catherine O’Hara

SHERMAN OAKS, CALIFORNIA: Actor Macaulay Culkin has reflected on the emotional weight of losing his 'Home Alone' co-star Catherine O’Hara, who portrayed his on-screen mother in the widely loved holiday films, sharing memories of their long-standing connection.

In a recent interview with Gentleman’s Journal on Tuesday, May 12, Culkin also described her passing as deeply personal and spoke about the thoughts and emotions that surfaced for him in the aftermath of the loss.

Macaulay Culkin mourns Catherine O’Hara’s death

The former child star, now 45, spoke about the recent loss of O’Hara, who died on January 30 after coping with a “brief illness” in private.

The actor said he wished he had more time with O’Hara, who starred in 1990’s 'Home Alone' as Kate McCallister, the mother of Culkin’s Kevin, and also appeared alongside him in the 1992 sequel 'Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.'

He told the outlet, “When Catherine passed away in January, that hit me. That hit me pretty good, ‘cause, you know, it was just too soon. And I felt that we had unfinished business. I definitely feel like I had unfinished business with her, you know?”

“I feel like I owed her a favor, and I don’t like having an outstanding debt,” he added. Shortly after her death, Culkin wrote an emotional message in her honor on Instagram, sharing two photos, one showing their 'Home Alone' characters embracing and another more recent image of the pair recreating the same pose years later.

“Mama. I thought we had time,” he began in the caption. “I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you. But I had so much more to say.” He concluded by saying, “I love you, I’ll see you later.”

Culkin was just 10 years old when he played Kevin, the mischievous yet well-meaning boy whose family accidentally leaves him behind during their holiday trip. The beloved franchise also starred John Heard and John Candy, both of whom have since passed away.

Catherine O’Hara supported Macaulay Culkin through Hollywood

“This is the lot of a child star,” Culkin told GJ. Because many of his co-stars were significantly older than him, he has experienced the loss of several people who were deeply meaningful in his life over the years. “I’m not the tip of the sphere. I’m the butt of the sphere. I’m the caboose,” he said.

Culkin continued, “I’m bringing up some of that old Hollywood guard kind of thing, I’m going to be one of the last people standing when it comes to that kind of stuff.” O’Hara had also supported Culkin at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in December 2023, where she reflected on how she was “older than I was when I played his mother.”

“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 that day.

“You so deserve your star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And 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,” she concluded.

O’Hara said that when she wrote her speech, she didn’t realize that he would be next to her. “I didn't know he'd be standing beside me when I spoke. So it was much more personal than I knew it would be. I really wanted to honor him because he worked so hard as a child. You don't appreciate that. It's hard to appreciate that a child is really working. But he really made it look natural.”