Former child star Macaulay Culkin reflected on the devastating loss of his “Home Alone” mom, Catherine O’Hara.
The actress, who starred as Culkin’s mother in the 1990 classic and its sequel, tragically died at age 71 in January.
“When Catherine passed away in January, that hit me,” Culkin said during a recent interview with Gentleman’s Journal. “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?”
He added, “I feel like I owed her a favor — and I don’t like having an outstanding debt.”
Macaulay Culkin’s Touching Tribute
Culkin was just 10 years old when “Home Alone” debuted in November 1990.
After the 1992 sequel, he and O’Hara kept in touch before her passing. The “Schitt’s Creek” actress even showed her support for her onscreen son during his December 2023 Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony.
“‘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 during her speech, according to People.
Following her January 30 death, Culkin took to social media to share a moving tribute to his dear friend.
“Mama. I thought we had time,” he began in the caption alongside before-and-after photos of the pair. “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 added, “I love you. I’ll see you later.”
Catherine O’Hara’s Death
Hollywood mourned the sudden loss of the “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” actress.
Days after her shocking death, TMZ confirmed via a death certificate that the beloved star died after suffering a pulmonary embolism. She was also privately battling rectal cancer at the time of her death.
It remains unclear how long she had been fighting the disease prior to her death. However, her representatives noted that she died “after a brief illness.”
Days before her passing, the legendary actress was seen attending a Supermodels Unlimited Magazine event at SUR Restaurant in West Hollywood, according to Daily Mail.
“She was in great spirits,” the source told the outlet. “As quickly as she was seen, she left, but she looked healthy for a 71-year-old.”
Tributes poured in from across Hollywood as friends and former co-stars mourned the loss.
“Fell in love at first sight on SCTV, and it only got stronger. Rest In Peace, Angel Catherine O’Hara,” Bravo legend Andy Cohen shared.
“Really don’t know what to say… I told O’Hara when I first met her, I thought she was the funniest person I’d ever had the pleasure of watching on screen. ‘Home Alone’ was the movie that made me want to make movies,” O’Hara’s “The Studio” co-star Seth Rogen penned.
“Schitt’s Creek” co-star Dan Levy got emotional during an appearance on “CBS Sunday Mornings.”
“It’s tough. It’s tough being back,” he said while visiting the set. “I didn’t think that I’d have quite an emotional reaction. Just a lot of memories … lot of memories with Catherine.”
