Catherine O’Hara, who passed away on January 30, recently gave speeches on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her “Home Alone” co-star Macaulay Culkin and her “Schitt’s Creek” co-star Eugene Levy.
Catherine O’Hara’s 2023 speech about Macaulay Culkin
Legendary actress Catherine O’Hara, known for her roles in “Home Alone,” “Best in Show,” and “Schitt’s Creek,” has reportedly passed away. She was 71 years old.
Actress Catherine O’Hara, who died on Friday, January 30, at the age of 71, left an impressive legacy on screen, both in movies and on the small screen.
The award-winning actress also didn’t hold back when it came to praising her colleagues. She honored Macaulay Culkin, who played her son in the 1990 holiday comedy classic Home Alone, in a speech honoring Culkin’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on December 1, 2023.
She said Macaulay Culkin was the reason moviegoers “couldn’t go a year without watching and loving ‘Home Alone’ together. Yes, he had a great script and a great director, but it was Macaulay’s flawless performance as Kevin McCallister that gave the little Everyboy an extraordinary adventure.”
Watch Catherine O’Hara’s speech to Macaulay Culkin’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
“Home Alone” made Culkin a child star, but O’Hara said it wasn’t easy for him.
“I think you need certain qualities, talents that dear John Hughes clearly recognized in you,” O’Hara said in her speech. “Macaulay, your sense of humor is an expression of a child’s intelligence and is the key to surviving life at any age. And as I see it, you’ve brought a sweet, twisted, yet completely relatable sense of humor to everything you’ve chosen to do since Home Alone.”
After learning of O’Hara’s death, Culkin posted a touching tribute on Instagram: “Mom. I thought there was still time. I wanted more.” “I wanted to sit in the chair next to you. I could hear your voice. But there was so much more I wanted to say. I love you. See you again.”
Catherine O’Hara talks about how ‘real’ Eugene Levy’s character was
Four months after her speech praising Culkin, O’Hara spoke at another Hollywood Walk of Fame event, this time honoring Eugene Levy, her frequent co-star from “SCTV” to “Schitt’s Creek.”
O’Hara credited Levy with “starting or nurturing the careers of many of my friends.” He welcomed me to the cast of the Second City Theater when I was fresh out of school. After that, he and[writer/director/actor]Chris Guest gave me some great improvised roles in really fun movies like “Waiting for Guffman,” “A Mighty Wind,” and “Best in Show.”
O’Hara said, “I knew Eugene was a great actor from the first time we worked together. Even in the dumbest sketches, Eugene’s characters were real. They were down to earth, and most of the time he kept it together.”
“It’s really impressive that Eugene was always able to blend into the role, especially considering the incredible hair on both the top of his head and his eyebrows,” she said.
Ms O’Hara said she was proud of Mr Levy, calling him “a very private person” and doubting he would be “just as happy standing outside the spotlight”.
Eugene Levy, who co-created Schitt’s Creek with his son Dan, said of O’Hara, his co-star in the series, in a statement to USA TODAY: “From our time on The Second City to SCTV, films with Chris Guest, and six glorious years on Schitt’s Creek, I have cherished our working relationship, but above all, our friendship.” “And she will be sorely missed. My heart goes out to Beau, Matthew, Luke and the entire O’Hara family.”
Watch Catherine O’Hara’s speech to Eugene Levy and Macaulay Culkin.
Mike Snyder is a national trends news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, and X, and email him at: mike snyder & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com.
