‘She was our mama’: Macaulay Culkin, Annie Murphy, Dan Levy honor Catherine O’Hara at 78th Emmys

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Late comedy legend Catherine O’Hara was honored by her onscreen children, ‘Home Alone’ star Macaulay Culkin and ‘Schitt’s Creek’ actors Annie Murphy and Dan Levy, at the 78th Emmy Awards. 

Culkin, who shared a lifelong bond with O’Hara, was only nine years old when he played the late actor’s son, Kevin McCallister, in the 1990 classic Christmas comedy, ‘Home Alone.’ Meanwhile, Murphy and Levy played O’Hara’s children Alexis and David, respectively, in the beloved Canadian sitcom ‘Schitt’s Creek.’

Macaulay Culkin delivers heartfelt speech for ‘mama’ Catherine O’Hara

In true ‘Home Alone’ fashion, Culkin took to the stage to callback on Kate McCallister, O’Hara’s character from the film franchise. “Catherine O’Hara. You remember her as the forgetful mother, right?” Culkin began, adding, “Yeah. But, no. I’ll never forget about her.” 

“You know, there are all kinds of words I could use to describe Catherine. She was encouraging. She was warm. She was funny. But the word that I think of is mama,” he stated. 

The actor continued, “You know, she wasn’t just a wife and mother to Bowe and Matthew and Luke, she was my mom. She was our mama. And by extension, she’s all of our mama. By the way, call your mother again, for real.”

Culkin further shared, “And like a good momma, she always showed up when I asked her to. And because I was Catholic, that’s what she did. She showed up.” 

“And this is the best that we can do for her tonight. Show up for her. So, she may have forgotten me, twice, but we will always remember her,” he concluded.

Catherine O’Hara’s ‘Schitt’s Creek’ children honor her at the 78th Emmys

Not just Culkin, O’Hara’s ‘Schitt’s Creek’ children Murphy and Levy, also remembered her during the 78th Emmy Awards. “Catherine’s laugh was a perpetual ‘yes and,’” Murphy began. “It challenged anyone who heard it to join in and be as delighted as she was, and she spread that delight everywhere,” she added.

“After we lost Catherine, I was passed a note on an Air Canada flight that said, ‘She was so special. I hope you’re doing okay,'” Murphy recalled. “On a drive up north, I was hugged by an extremely gruff-looking gas station attendant who was also grieving her loss,” she shared. 

“While buying wine at the LCBO, I was treated to a very lively Catherine mashup, which was a woman saying, ‘Ew, David, where’s the baby?’ while doing what I can only assume was Catherine’s exquisite hobble from ‘Best in Show.’ These are only a very few of the interactions I’ve been lucky enough to have that remind me how profoundly Catherine has impacted the world,” Murphy noted. 

Speaking about O’Hara, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ creator and actor, Levy said, “the greatest lesson I learned from Catherine, both professionally and personally was to always say yes.” 

He added, “Say yes to her instincts, all of them. As radical as they may sometimes seem, she is miles ahead of you and you will learn to catch up.” 

Levy continued, “Say yes to helping her build a TV character over the age of 60 that wears leather miniskirts and 8-inch heels and speaks in a strange, sometimes unintelligible transatlantic accent, and know that she will not scare an audience away.”

He further mentioned, “Say yes to that rewrite she emailed you sometimes the night before. ‘Dear Dan, some thoughts.’ It will always improve the story.”

Levy continued to list, “Say yes to the concept of a wig ball. Say yes to her asking to wear a wig as a hat. Say yes to her naming that wig. Say yes to giving her space to experiment and create. It will amaze you on a daily basis and it will change your life. Say yes to her dinner invites and her stories, and her wisdom and her generosity,” before adding, “Those are the things you will hold on to the tightest. Always say yes to any opportunity to revel in the presence of greatness.” 

O’Hara passed away at the age of 71 on January 30, 2026, at her home in Los Angeles, California. The news of her death was confirmed to Variety by her manager, with CAA revealing that the actor died following a “brief illness.”