LOS ANGELES – “Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more.”

That was how Macaulay Culkin, who played Catherine O’Hara’s son in the Home Alone films, remembered the Emmy-winning actress and comedian after she died Jan. 30 at age 71 following a brief illness, her representative confirmed. Tributes from co-stars, friends and fans quickly spread across social media, reflecting the lasting impact of a performer whose roles in Schitt’s Creek, Home Alone, and Beetlejuice made her one of the most beloved figures in entertainment.

O’Hara’s career spanned more than five decades, beginning with her early work in sketch comedy at Second City and continuing through her acclaimed portrayal of Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek. The performance earned her an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. According to People, she died in Los Angeles after experiencing difficulties earlier that day.

Tributes from Colleagues:
Culkin shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram remembering the woman many fans knew as the mother from Home Alone.

“Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you . . . I had so much more to say,” Culkin wrote. “I love you. I’ll see you later.”
Dan Levy, O’Hara’s Schitt’s Creek co-star, also reflected on the years they spent working together.

“What a gift to have gotten to dance in the warmth and glow of Catherine O’Hara’s brilliance for all those years,” Levy wrote on social media, adding that she felt like “extended family before she ever played my family before she ever played my family.”

Michael Keaton, who starred alongside O’Hara in Beetlejuice, described her as both a collaborator and a close friend.

“My pretend wife, my pretend nemesis, and my real-life true friend,” Keaton wrote on Instagram. “This one hurts. Man, am I going to miss her.”

Other actors, including Seth Rogen, Pedro Pascal, Neil Patrick Harris, and Amy Sedaris, also honored O’Hara online, praising both her comedic talent and the kindness she showed behind the scenes.

Legacy and Impact:
Across Hollywood, colleagues remembered not only O’Hara’s comic timing but also the warmth she brought to every project. Filmmaker Christopher Guest, who collaborated with O’Hara on several mockumentary films, once described her as one of the “comic giants of our age.”

Actor Rita Wilson also praised O’Hara’s authenticity, noting that she brought honesty and generosity to her performances and the people around her.

Together, those tributes painted a portrait of a performer admired not only for her talent but also for her humility, generosity, and enduring kindness.

O’Hara is survived by her husband, production designer Bo Welch, and their sons, Luke and Matthew.

Remembering Catherine O’Hara:
Fans and fellow actors say O’Hara’s work shaped their lives in lasting ways, creating characters that were both hilarious and deeply human. Levy reflected on that influence while remembering the years they spent together, writing that being around O’Hara meant constantly witnessing “brilliance” paired with generosity.

Though O’Hara is gone, her legacy lives on in the laughter she inspired, the characters she created and the warmth she shared with audiences around the world.