Macaulay Culkin Says He Had "Unfinished Business" With Costar Catherine O'Hara Before Her Death
Macaulay Culkin wants to have one more conversation with his onscreen mom.
The former child star—who played the son of Catherine O'Hara's character in Home Alone—shared why he doesn’t have complete closure with the legendary actress, who died following a brief illness on Jan 30.
"I definitely feel like I had unfinished business with her," Macaulay told The Gentlemen's Journal in an interview published on May 12. "I feel like I owed her a favor—and I don't like having an outstanding debt."
The 45-year-old—whose character Kevin McCallister made him a household name at 9 years old—went on to explain how the loss affected him.
"When Catherine passed away in January, that hit me,” he shared. "That hit me pretty good, 'cause, you know, it was just too soon.”
Macaulay's relationship with the Schitt's Creek actress spanned decades before her death at age 71, and he doesn’t take it for granted that he had so many opportunities with her and other greats by beginning in Hollywood at a young age.
"My life is unique to me,” Macaulay said of growing up in the spotlight. “I don’t really have that many contemporaries when it comes to this stuff. I can’t look left and right and think: ‘Oh, those people have had a similar experience to me.’ But I try to cherish that as much as I can. I feel like I’m living a really uniquely wonderful life.”
For Catherine, she was able to see him grow as an actor and make a lasting impact on pop culture with their Christmas classic, as she explained during his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in December 2023.
"Home Alone was, is and always will be a beloved global sensation," Catherine said in a speech in front of Macaulay's friends and family, including fiancée Brenda Song and their two children—Dakota Song Culkin and Carson Culkin, now age 4 and 3. "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."
(Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Macaulay returned the warm words in honor of his movie "Mama" in the weeks after her passing. "I thought we had time," he shared on Instagram at the 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," Macaulay wrote before continuing in the comments section, "I’m mad about this…"
Keep reading for more tributes to Catherine from her loved ones and former costars.
Dan Levy
"What a gift to have gotten to dance in the warm glow of Catherine O’Hara’s brilliance for all those years. Having spent over fifty years collaborating with my Dad, Catherine was extended family before she ever played my family. It’s hard to imagine a world without her in it. I will cherish every funny memory I was fortunate enough to make with her. My heart goes out to Bo, Matthew, Luke and every member of her big, beautiful family."
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Michael Keaton
"We go back before the first Beetlejuice. She’s been my pretend wife, my pretend nemesis and my real life, true friend. This one hurts. Man am I gonna miss her. Thinking about Beau as well."
Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock
Macaulay Culkin
"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."
Eric Charbonneau/Apple TV+ via Getty Images
Seth Rogen
"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. Getting to work with her was a true honour. She was hysterical, kind, intuitive, generous… she made me want to make our show good enough to be worthy of her presence in it. This is just devastating. We’re all lucky we got to live in a world with her in it."
rune hellestad/Corbis via Getty Images
Tim Burton
"Catherine, I love you... You were a special part of my life and after life."
Lisa OConnor/AFF-USA/Shutterstock
Michael Buble
"Heartbroken doesn’t even begin to cover it. Catherine O’Hara was one of a kind. A rare light in this world and her passing hits with a weight I can’t fully put into words.
She wasn’t just a legendary artist, actor and comedian. She was an ambassador for Canada in the truest sense: brilliant, fearless, deeply original, and so full of humanity. She made the world laugh, but she also made people feel seen.
As an artist, she inspired me more than she’ll ever know. She set the bar for what it means to represent your country with excellence and grace and all without ever losing warmth or humility.
My heart is broken for her family, her loved ones, and everyone who adored her, both here in Canada and around the world.
If you’re grieving this loss, you’re not alone. We’re all holding a piece of this sadness together. Rest easy, Catherine. Thank you for everything."
Araya Diaz/WireImage
Melanie Lynskey
"So grateful I got to tell her what she meant to me- how she inspired me, shaped my sense of humour and understanding of the work we do, that she was the pinnacle of greatness to me. I’m sure every actor she met told her similar things. She did not behave as though she’d heard it a million times, she listened and accepted it with grace and wit and tremendous kindness. Thank you to @jasonreitman for inviting me to do the Film Independent LACMA reading where I got to work with my hero and witness her genius first hand. It was incredible to watch her work and be in her presence. I’ll never forget a minute of it. That day, and again on an overlapping shoot day on Away We Go, I saw her be nothing short of wonderful to every single person she encountered, from the director to the PAs. When people say someone 'iit up a room,' this is what they mean. She was radiant; it was kind of otherworldly. Her talent was singular. There’s been nobody like her before and there won’t be again. What a genius. What a beautiful person."
Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock
Lea Thompson
"[Catherine] was the most glorious person. Kind, honest, smart, funny, and beautiful beyond words. She carried the spirit. You could feel her love of humanity in her brilliant work. And she had integrity, clarity and wisdom that made her a unique treasure. I know the greats are with her now trying to pick her wonderful brain as to how she could do it all. Here on earth or hearts are a bit broken. We needed you now more than ever. Rest in peace dear friend."
Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Hammer Museum
Rita Wilson
"Catherine O’Hara - a woman who was authentic and truthful in all she did. You saw it in her work, if you knew her you saw it in her life, and you saw it in her family. Bo, Luke and Matthew, our deepest sympathies. May Catherine rest in peace. May her memory be eternal."
Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank
Andy Cohen
"Catherine O’Hara. The absolute greatest. Only 71. An angel. The funniest. This is shocking."
FD Press/SIPA/Shutterstock
Pedro Pascal
"Oh, genius to be near you. Eternally grateful. There is less light in my world, this lucky world that had you, will keep you, always. Always. The one and ONLY #CatherineOHara."
Eric Charbonneau/Apple TV+ via Getty Images
Ike Barinholtz
"I never in a million years thought I would get to work with Catherine O’Hara let alone become friends with her. So profoundly sad she’s somewhere else now So incredibly grateful I got to spend the time I did with her. Thank you Catherine I love you."
Antonelli/AGF/Shutterstock
Justin Theroux
"Oh Catherine. You will be so so missed."
Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock
Elizabeth Banks
"She was an all-timer. Her memory and work is a blessing. Rest peacefully."
Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival
Josh Gad
"I don’t understand what I’m seeing. I can’t bring myself to believe she is gone. Why is the world such a heart breaking place right now? I truly cannot process how to say goodbye to someone so full of life who seemed to just be hitting her prime. Goodbye legend. Thank you for making us laugh until we hurt… which is why right now we are all hurting so damned much knowing we will never again get those laughs. RIP. My love and deepest condolences go out to her entire family."
Randy Holmes/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images
Ellen DeGeneres
"Catherine O’Hara was a brilliant comedian. Sending love to all who adored her, which might just be everyone."
Eric Charbonneau/Apple TV+ via Getty Images
Ron Howard
"This is shattering news. What a wonderful person, artist and collaborator. I was lucky enough to direct, produce and act in projects with her and she was simply growing more brilliant with each year. My heart goes out to Bo & family."
Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
Olivia Munn
"Absolutely heartbreaking. She was the kindest person in our business."
Emma McIntyre/Oscars/Getty Images
Francesca Scorsese and Martin Scorsese
"I have no words," Francesca shared, posting a photo of her dad's reaction on FaceTime. "F--king devastated. Literally in shock."
Todd Williamson/Getty Images for Amazon Studios
Sandra Bernhard
"What a terrible loss she was a class act nuanced humble a total natural she brought buckets of joy to this old planet she will be deeply missed she was an inspiration to anyone who fancies themselves humorous a masterclass every time she stepped in front of a camera."
Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images
Justin Trudeau
"From SCTV to Home Alone to her unforgettable role as Moira Rose on Schitt’s Creek, Catherine O’Hara was a beloved Canadian icon with a rare gift for comedy and heart. She made people laugh across generations and helped bring Canadian storytelling to the world in a way only she could. My thoughts are with her family, friends, and everyone who found joy in her work."
John Salangsang/Shutterstock
Jamie Lee Curtis
"BEST OF THE BEST IN SHOW!"
Earl Gibson III/Shutterstock
Candace Cameron Bure
"Legend."
Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock
Amy Schumer
"Ugggg legend. No one funnier."
Courtesy of We Do It Together
Sharon Stone
"Nooo my most profound condolences."
Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock for ASTRA Awards
Cheri Oteri
"What an inspiration. She carried a light with her comedy that you took in whenever you saw her. May perpetual light shine upon her beautiful soul."
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