Macaulay Culkin fought back tears as he paid tribute to Catherine O'Hara during the emotional In Memoriam segment at the 78th annual Primetime Emmy Awards. O'Hara, who passed away at age 71 on January 30, 2026, after a private battle with cancer, was remembered for her extensive career, including her roles in "Home Alone," "Beetlejuice," and the Emmy-winning sitcom "Schitt's Creek." Macaulay Culkin, now 46, shared the stage with O'Hara's "Schitt's Creek" co-stars Dan Levy and Annie Murphy to honor her life and legacy. Culkin and O'Hara first worked together when he was a child actor, with O'Hara playing the mother to his iconic character Kevin McCallister in the "Home Alone" film franchise.
Culkin described O'Hara with words like "encouraging," "warm," and "funny," but ultimately settled on "Mama" as the term that best described her. The tribute highlighted their close working relationship, which began in the 1990s.
Separately, the Emmy Awards recognized "The Pitt" for Outstanding Drama Series and "Widow's Bay" for Outstanding Comedy Series. Other notable wins included "DTF St. Louis" for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. Rhea Seehorn took home the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for "Pluribus," while Noah Wyle won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for "The Pitt." In comedy acting categories, Jean Smart was awarded Outstanding Lead Actress for "Hacks," and Matthew Rhys won Outstanding Lead Actor for "Widow's Bay." The award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series went to "Pluribus," and "Widow's Bay" secured Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. "Slow Horses" and "Widow's Bay" also received accolades for Outstanding Directing in their respective drama and comedy categories.