Forgotten Home Alone star returns to spotlight to honor ‘mom’ Catherine O’Hara with never-before-seen photos

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A former child actor from the movie Home Alone, who stepped away from Hollywood, recently shared a touching message remembering Catherine O’Hara.

Hillary Wolf Saba, who played Meghan in the popular 1990 film and its 1992 sequel alongside Macaulay Culkin, recently shared a heartwarming old photo of the cast. This came shortly after the passing of Catherine O’Hara, who sadly died in Los Angeles on January 30th at age 71 from a blood clot in her lungs.

Saba fondly remembered her ‘Home Alone’ mom, Catherine O’Hara, sharing that she was kind and funny to all the child actors on set. She expressed her sadness at O’Hara’s passing.

I was so surprised to learn what Saba did after ‘Sister Act 2’! I always loved her in that movie, but she stepped away from acting soon after and dedicated herself to judo. It’s incredible – she became a nationally-ranked athlete and actually made the U.S. Olympic team in 2000! It’s amazing to see someone pursue their passions so fully.

Even though she’s moved on with her career, she recently reminisced about her time in ‘Home Alone’ on social media. Over the holidays, she posted, ‘I usually only share photos of the rescue dogs I volunteer with, but I’m making an exception because it’s ‘Home Alone’ season!’

She wrote an article for Newsweek in 2021, praising O’Hara as a highlight of the film’s production.

Saba fondly remembered Catherine as a genuinely kind and humorous person who was also wonderful around children. He specifically enjoyed filming their scene together running through O’Hare airport, attributing the fun to her presence.

She remembers filming ‘Home Alone’ and ‘Home Alone 2’ as a really enjoyable experience. With so many kids on set – both the McCallister family and their cousins – it felt like a fun, playful place to be.

She described working with Macaulay Culkin as a pleasant experience, saying he was a fun-loving, typical young boy whose personality was very apparent.

Saba reminisced about the fun they had making the sequel, sharing that she and Macaulay Culkin would often go to Navy Pier in Chicago and playfully lip-sync to music videos. She specifically remembered them performing to Michael Jackson’s “Black or White,” which Culkin actually appeared in.

While filming in Chicago one day, a dark-tinted car pulled up, and someone joked that it looked like Michael Jackson. To everyone’s surprise, it actually was him, she recalled.

The experience felt incredibly strange and unbelievable – it was a total shock to see Michael Jackson! I don’t usually get starstruck, but he was truly exceptional.

Saba recently told Newsweek that quitting acting was actually simpler than leaving her career in sports.

I didn’t want people to assume I thought I was cool just because I was in those films, so I generally didn’t mention being in them when I met new people.

I kept it so close to the vest that it felt like I didn’t fully enjoy or appreciate how unique and fun it was to be in the Home Alone films.

Her dedication to sports was impressive. 

She became a world champion in judo in 1994, winning the Junior World Championships in her weight category. She then represented the United States in the Olympics in both 1996 (Atlanta) and 2000 (Sydney), establishing herself as a leading American judoka.

Similar to Saba, Culkin fondly remembered the actress, sharing that she was like a mother to him while they worked together.

When news of O’Hara’s death became public, he was among the first to share a touching tribute on Instagram.

He posted a side-by-side photo comparing a scene from the movie Home Alone with a picture from his 2023 Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony, where he reunited with cast members.

He wrote a message saying, “Mom, I thought we had more time together. I still had so much I wanted to tell you, just to sit with you and talk. I love you, and I’ll see you again.”

Director Chris Columbus shared his sadness about Maureen O’Hara’s passing in an Instagram post, saying he was ‘heartbroken’.

He shared that he was shocked and deeply saddened by the passing of Catherine O’Hara, saying many others feel the same way.

He also shared that he’d admired her work for years, saying, ‘I was a huge fan of Catherine’s funny performances on SCTV and was really excited when she took on the role of Kevin’s Mom in Home Alone.’

Columbus highly commended her memorable acting in the 1990 film, explaining that she was essential to its success. He believed the movie wouldn’t have worked at all without her remarkable performance, as she carried half of the film’s weight.

He added that Catherine brings a deep emotional resonance to the film and that he will be very sad to see her go.

He found some solace in picturing Catherine O’Hara reunited with her ‘Home Alone’ co-star, John Candy. He shared that it brought him a little comfort to think of these two incredibly kind and talented people together again, playfully improvising and enjoying each other’s company as they always did.

Candy, who also starred in Home Alone, passed away in 1994 at the age of 43 from a heart attack.

Columbus also posted a picture with O’Hara and Culkin, seemingly taken last March.

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2026-02-11 21:07