What you need to know
Although they played mother and son in 1990’s Home Alone, the real-life relationship between Catherine O’Hara and Macaulay Culkin was just as close.
The Canadian actress’ manager confirmed to PEOPLE on Friday, January 30, that the comedy icon known for her roles in films such as Beetlejuice, Home Alone and the Christopher Guest mockumentary Best in Show has died at the age of 71. No further details were disclosed.
Culkin remembered O’Hara in a post shared to Instagram shortly after she was confirmed dead, writing, “Mom, I thought I had time. I wanted more. I wanted to sit in the chair next to you. I heard you, but there was so much I wanted to say. I love you. See you soon.” The actor shared a photo of the two from Home Alone and a photo taken at the 2023 Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony.
In a 2024 Q&A with The New York Times, Culkin, 45, revealed that she still calls O’Hara “mom,” adding that every time she sees him, “she opens her arms and says, ‘Son.'”
In Home Alone, Culkin played 8-year-old Kevin McCallister, who is accidentally left behind at home while his family vacations in Paris. O’Hara played Kate McAllister, a mother who embarks on a mission to leave Paris and return to her hometown of Chicago for the sake of her son.
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O’Hara was also in attendance when Culkin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023, and she spoke at the ceremony about watching Culkin evolve in the decades since the two starred in Home Alone.
“Home Alone was, is and always will be a beloved global sensation… Macaulay Culkin is the reason families around the world can’t go a year without watching and loving Home Alone together,” the actress said.
O’Hara, who co-produced 1992’s “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” with Culkin, said Culkin brings a sense of humor that is “sweet, twisted, and yet completely relatable” to all of his films. “This is a sign of a child’s intelligence and is key to survival at any age,” she says.
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She added: “Thank you for letting me, the fake mother who left you home alone not once but twice, be a part of this happy occasion. I’m so proud of you.”
Speaking to PEOPLE in 1990, when the film was first released, O’Hara described the then 9-year-old Culkin as “a sweet little boy who’s been acting since he was 4 years old and very professional.”
“He comes in knowing all his lines and knowing where to put his marks. He knows all the other actors’ lines too. I think he’ll be the head of a studio by the time he’s 12,” she joked.
