US actor Macaulay Culkin paid an emotional posthumous tribute to his “Home Alone” on-screen mother Catherine O’Hara on Thursday, lamenting lost time in a heartfelt social media post days after the Canadian star’s death at age 71, recalling their tearful reunion at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony.
O’Hara, renowned for her roles in films like “Beetlejuice” and the series “Schitt’s Creek,” passed away Friday, prompting reflections on her enduring legacy and close bonds with co-stars from the 1990 holiday classic where she played the forgetful matriarch to Culkin’s mischievous Kevin McCallister.
In an Instagram message, Culkin expressed raw grief: “Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more. 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.”
The sentiment echoed their December 2023 encounter when O’Hara spoke at Culkin’s star unveiling, praising his resilience and humor amid early fame.
“Macaulay — this beautiful, dear little 10-year-old boy — was called a superstar, a moneymaker, one of the hottest leading young men in Hollywood by the world over. How does anyone survive that? Well, I believe you’d have to possess a certain quality, a gift that dear [writer-producer] John Hughes obviously recognized in you, Macaulay: your sense of humor,” O’Hara said.
She concluded warmly: “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.”
The pair’s embrace on stage, with Culkin wiping tears, captured a poignant full-circle moment from their collaborations in “Home Alone” and its 1992 sequel “Lost in New York,” films that cemented O’Hara’s comedic prowess and Culkin’s child stardom.
