Catherine O’Hara‘s Emmy tribute became an emotional celebration when her beloved on-screen children gathered to honor her.
Macaulay Culkin, Annie Murphy, and Dan Levy remembered the late actress through stories that left fans deeply touched. Their words celebrated her warmth, humor, generosity, and the lasting joy she brought to audiences.
Catherine O’Hara died on January 30, 2026, at 71, following a brief illness. Months after her death, the Emmy tribute gave her former co-stars another opportunity to celebrate her extraordinary impact.
The 2026 Emmys In Memoriam tribute became especially emotional when Culkin, Murphy, and Dan spoke about their late co-star. The camera also captured Martin Short and Steve Martin, who moved to tears during the tribute. Fans quickly reacted to the emotional moment online.
One X user described the tribute as “soooo sweet” while admitting, “I’m not okay.” Culkin remembered O’Hara as more than the woman who played his mother in Home Alone. He described her as encouraging, warm, funny, and, most importantly, his “mama.”
He explained that O’Hara was not only a wife and mother to Bo, Matthew, and Luke, but also a mother figure to him. Culkin then encouraged viewers to call their mothers, before remembering how O’Hara always showed up whenever he asked her to.
The X post highlighting the Emmy tribute highlighted how deeply her three on-screen children remembered her. Culkin also joked that she may have forgotten him “twice,” but promised that “we will always remember her.” Some fans revealed how much they miss O’Hara: “I miss her [a sad emoji],” a fan wrote.
The Emotional Tribute From O’Hara’s Screen Children
Murphy described O’Hara’s laugh as a perpetual “yes, and…” that encouraged everyone to join her delight. She recalled several unexpected reminders of how loved O’Hara was after her death. On an Air Canada flight, she said someone passed her a note saying O’Hara was special and hoping she was doing okay.
She also remembered being hugged by a “gruff-looking” gas station attendant during a drive up north. Murphy revealed that she heard a lively Catherine mashup featuring one of O’Hara’s famous moments while buying wine at the LCBO. Murphy said those experiences were only a few of the interactions that showed O’Hara’s impact.
Dan remembered O’Hara for the creative lessons she gave him professionally and personally. He said her greatest lesson was always to say yes. He recalled saying yes to her character choices, including leather miniskirts, eight-inch heels, and a strange transatlantic accent. He urged people to say yes to every opportunity to revel in the presence of greatness.
Culkin’s relationship with O’Hara began when she played his mother in the “Home Alone” film. Culkin admitted O’Hara’s death left him feeling they had “unfinished business” that they never got to address. “I feel like I owed her a favor, and I don’t like having an outstanding debt,” Culkin said.
O’Hara had also supported him during his 2023 Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony. She even delivered a touching speech when Culkin received his Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2023. After her death, Culkin shared two photographs showing their relationship across decades.
One came from “Home Alone,” while the other captured them together at his Walk of Fame ceremony. He called her “Mama” in the emotional Instagram tribute. Culkin said he wanted more time with her, wished he could sit beside her, and admitted he still had so much more to say, as per The Blast.
Dan had described O’Hara’s death as a “collective loss” during his appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s “The Tonight Show” on Tuesday, March 31. He also called her “irreplaceable” during an appearance on “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon.
Dan said it was comforting to see how many people spoke about O’Hara as though they knew her personally. Her ability to make audiences feel connected to her characters had clearly reached far beyond “Schitt’s Creek.”
O’Hara’s longtime collaborator Eugene Levy, Dan’s father, also remembered their longtime friendship and working relationship. Emily Hampshire additionally praised O’Hara’s kindness, recalling how she helped facilitate her move from Canada to the United States.
O’Hara’s career also continued to receive recognition after her death. Her posthumous SAG Award for her role in “The Studio” made her the first woman to win an individual Screen Actors Guild Award posthumously.
The award was accepted by Seth Rogen, who praised O’Hara’s talent and kindness. Catherine O’Hara’s Emmy tribute gave her on-screen children another chance to celebrate the woman whose talent and warmth made her unforgettable.
The Blast reported that colleagues repeatedly described O’Hara as talented and kind, while her family and friends continued mourning her sudden absence.
O’Hara’s career left behind characters that remain recognizable long after her passing. Her work in “Home Alone,” “Schitt’s Creek,” “Best in Show,” “Beetlejuice,” and “The Studio” introduced her to different generations.
Catherine O’Hara Appeared In Her Brother’s Dream
In the “Tip O The Iceberg” podcast, Michael explored the “value of dreams,” and in season 3, episode 1, titled “Dreams of Our Loved Ones.” He shared some dream encounters she had with her sister. He said he dreamed about Catherine several days before she died. In his words:
“I was hugging her, which was really beautiful. And I guess it was sort of a goodbye.”
Michael also described another dream after her death. Catherine appeared to him in a new house under renovation and told him he could come over and stay anytime.
He remembered how they once stayed connected through phone calls and how she had become quieter shortly before her passing. O’Hara died on January 30, 2026, at 71 years old.
Her death certificate later listed pulmonary embolism as the immediate cause. Rectal cancer was identified as the underlying cause. Michael recalled that she was in serious condition when emergency responders came to her Los Angeles home.
She had also previously discussed being born with dextrocardia with situs inversus. The Blast revealed that the rare congenital condition was discovered when she was in her 40s and was not identified as a factor in her death.
Catherine O’Hara’s Emmy honor was an emotional one for her fans and loved ones!
