Catherine O’Hara: Macaulay Culkin, Her Home Alone Co-Star, Has a ‘Wonderful Family’
More than thirty years after the release of Home Alone, Catherine O’Hara remains fond of her on-screen son Macaulay Culkin.
“He’s just a wonderful young man,” O’Hara, 70, shared exclusively with Us Weekly about Culkin, now 44, while promoting her Michelob ULTRA Super Bowl campaign.
The actress playfully mentioned that despite her role as his mother, Kate McCallister, in the 1990 classic, she feels more like Culkin’s “distant relative.” (Culkin played Kevin McCallister, the boy left home alone during Christmas who fends off two hapless burglars played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern.)
“I genuinely care about him and I’m thrilled to see how well he’s doing,” O’Hara expressed enthusiastically.
She mentioned that the two had recently collaborated on a commercial, allowing them a chance to reconnect. “[It] is just a joy to be around him,” O’Hara said.
The Schitt’s Creek star further elaborated that Culkin has matured into someone she proudly considers a friend. “He has a beautiful family of his own,” she noted, referencing Culkin’s two sons, Dakota, 3, and Carson, 2, with his fiancée Brenda Song. “He is such a lovely young man.”

Macaulay Culkin, Brenda Song, and their children. FREDERIC J. BROWN/Getty Images
O’Hara hinted that while much has changed since their initial collaboration or even the 1992 sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, some things remain the same.
“He still has the same face up close,” O’Hara shared. “It’s like, ‘Oh, my goodness. I’m still looking at that little 8-year-old boy.’”
O’Hara also praised Culkin’s “wonderful sense of humor,” believing this was why late writer John Hughes and director Chris Columbus cast him in those unforgettable holiday films.
“He’s always been funny,” O’Hara remarked. “I just adore him. I’m truly happy for his success.”
As the years have passed, both O’Hara and Culkin have found themselves frequently connected to the festive season, particularly due to the ongoing popularity of Home Alone. Therefore, it was fitting when she attended Culkin’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in December 2023.
During her speech, O’Hara humorously labeled herself as Culkin’s “fake mother who left him home alone not once, but twice.”
She went on to commend his charm—something that was evident even during his childhood. “This beautiful 10-year-old boy was called a superstar, a box office hit, one of the hottest young stars in Hollywood,” O’Hara reminisced. “How does anyone manage that? One must possess a certain quality—a gift that John Hughes clearly identified in Macaulay.”
The following year, both O’Hara and Culkin starred in a Chase commercial where they humorously referenced all the “Kevins” in O’Hara’s life, including Kevin Hart and the fictional Kevin McCallister.
As the new year begins, O’Hara is part of yet another exciting ad campaign, this time featuring Michelob ULTRA as part of the Super Bowl LIX commercial lineup. In the ad, she teams up with Willem Dafoe to play pickleball against professional players Jaume Martinez Vich and Emily Cederquist.

Catherine O’Hara and Willem Dafoe in Michelob Ultra Super Bowl commercial. Michelob Ultra
The actors humorously downplay their own skills while trying to win refreshing glasses of Michelob ULTRA. In the commercial, released on January 28, they “out-hustle” everyone on the court.
“When I got the script, I couldn’t help but laugh. Just the concept itself was hilarious,” O’Hara told Us about why she chose to participate in the ad. “Once I learned that Willem was involved, I was excited. I had briefly worked with him on Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, but we hadn’t really connected much. Spending time together was lovely, just as I hoped it would be.”
With reporting by Leanne Aciz Stanton