Catherine O’Hara‘s Iconic “Kevin!” Moment
Catherine O’Hara’s portrayal of Kate McCallister in the Home Alone films is celebrated for many reasons, but perhaps most memorably for her frantic reaction upon realizing her son, Kevin, has been left behind.In the original Home Alone, the realization hits her while en route to Paris that the McCallister clan has left their youngest alone back in a suburb of Chicago.In Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, it happens at a luggage carousel in Florida. In both instances, O’Hara’s eyes widen, her neck tightens, and she lets out a banshee cry of “Kevin!” In the sequel, Kate actually passes out.
The line is just a single word, but O’Hara’s panicked delivery made it one of the most quoted moments from either movie. Over the years, she has been asked to recreate it repeatedly.A TikTok video from 2018 shows her nailing the delivery, and she recreated it again in a Chase commercial alongside Kevin Hart around the same time.
In early 2025, Macaulay Culkin proposed an idea for a potential Home Alone sequel to Variety.He envisioned playing a divorced or widowed father who accidentally leaves his own child behind, with the child then setting traps for him.
While a sequel remains speculative, the enduring popularity of Home Alone suggests the possibility of future installments. The absence of Catherine O’Hara would undoubtedly be felt, making any continuation bittersweet.