The 2026 Emmy Awards ceremony concluded with one of the most emotional moments of the evening — the traditional tribute to actors and industry figures who passed away over the past year. It was during this segment that Macaulay Culkin took the stage to honor the memory of Catherine O'Hara, who for decades had been not just a colleague to him but a true "screen mother." According to the outlet Wave RBC.UA, citing the Television Academy's official YouTube channel, the actor could not hold back his tears as he addressed the audience and his peers.

A Touching Moment on Stage

Culkin did not take the stage alone: Annie Murphy and Dan Levy, who played the star's on-screen children in the series "Schitt's Creek," joined him in honoring O'Hara. The three actors together recalled the woman who had united them in their profession and beyond. Addressing the audience, Culkin admitted that he remembered O'Hara as a "forgetful mother," but emphasized: "I will never forget her." He described his colleague as a warm, funny, and caring person and noted that the first word that comes to his mind when thinking of O'Hara is "mom."

"She Was Our Mom"

The most piercing part of the actor's speech was his confession about his personal connection with O'Hara. "She was my mother. She was our mother, and therefore a mother to everyone," Culkin said, he himself admitted, without hiding his emotion. He recalled that many years after the completion of the cult film "Home Alone," O'Hara had still remained close by. "Like a good mother, she always came when I asked her to, because that was Catherine. That is exactly what she did — she came. And that is the best thing we can do for her tonight," the actor added, effectively calling on the industry to keep living and creating in memory of the departed colleague.

A Call to Call Your Mom

Concluding his address, Culkin turned to all the viewers with a simple yet deeply personal request. "By the way, call your mom tonight, really," he said, turning a personal tribute into a universal message about the value of loved ones. This gesture, observers noted, became one of the most sincere moments of the entire ceremony and united the audience in a shared silence for a few seconds.

Remembering Catherine O'Hara

Catherine O'Hara passed away in January 2026 at the age of 71. She achieved world fame for her role as Kate McCallister in the comedy "Home Alone," and a new wave of recognition for her portrayal of Moira Rose in the series "Schitt's Creek." Her filmography also includes the Canadian comedy show SCTV, the film "Beetlejuice," as well as the series "The Last of Us," "The Studio," and "A Series of Unfortunate Events." For Culkin, who grew up on screen before millions of viewers precisely thanks to his work with O'Hara, her passing became a personal loss about which he spoke publicly with a candor rare for Hollywood ceremonies.

The Context of the Award

The tribute to departed figures of film and television is a constant part of the Emmy ceremonies, and in 2026 it became the emotional center of the evening. The performance by Culkin, Murphy, and Levy showed how deep and lasting the bonds formed between actors who worked together for years, and how these bonds survive even the completion of projects. In a time when the industry regularly sees off its legends, such moments remind viewers of the human dimension of the profession standing behind every frame.