Macaulay Culkin has opened up about his grief over the loss of his Home Alone costar Catherine O’Hara, revealing in a recent interview that he felt they had “unfinished business” when she died in January at age 71.
Quick Facts
- Catherine O’Hara died on January 30, 2026, from a pulmonary embolism with rectal cancer as an underlying condition
- Culkin told Gentleman’s Journal that O’Hara’s death “hit me pretty good, ’cause, you know, it was just too soon”
- The two starred together in Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), which combined grossed over $830 million worldwide
- They reunited in December 2023 when Culkin received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with O’Hara giving an emotional speech at the ceremony
“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,” Culkin told the publication in an interview published in May 2026.
The actor elaborated on the weight of that 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 said.
Macaulay Culkin opens up about ‘unfinished business’ with late Home Alone co-star Catherine O’Hara
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O’Hara played Kate McCallister, Kevin’s mother, in the beloved holiday films that launched Culkin’s career as a child star in the 1990s. Their bond extended far beyond the screen, as demonstrated when O’Hara delivered a heartfelt tribute at Culkin’s Walk of Fame ceremony in December 2023. “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,” she said at the event. “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.”
Shortly after O’Hara’s death, Culkin posted a tribute on Instagram that read: “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.”
Sources
- People.com — Culkin’s full interview with Gentleman’s Journal and details of O’Hara’s death
- Variety — Culkin’s statement about unfinished business and O’Hara’s cause of death; details of the Walk of Fame ceremony speech
