The Emmys placed Catherine O'Hara at the centre of Monday night's in-memoriam, prompting heartfelt recollections from the actors who worked closest with her.
Macaulay Culkin opened the segment by calling O'Hara "our mom," recalling her steady presence on the Home Alone films. He described her as encouraging, warm and funny, and quipped of the franchise's plot, "She may have forgotten me... twice! But we will always remember her." Annie Murphy noted how fans and colleagues have been quoting O'Hara's lines since her death, saying those moments reflected the joy she brought to millions. Dan Levy urged peers to "always say yes to any opportunity to revel in the presence of greatness."
Musician Noah Kahan performed Bridge Over Troubled Water for the televised tribute, which featured a large smiling image of O'Hara behind the speakers. The segment acknowledged O'Hara's Emmy-winning career and her two high-profile roles, as the frantic mother in the Home Alone films and the eccentric Moira Rose in Schitt's Creek. The ceremony also noted O'Hara's final acting part as movie executive Patty Leigh in The Studio, a role that earned her Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.
The in-memoriam also remembered other recent losses. Performers paid tribute to Hayden Panettiere, who died last month, and to icons such as Tim Curry and James Van Der Beek. The emotion in the room was visible; veteran performers Martin Short and Steve Martin appeared to be moved to tears.
Separately, the ceremony honoured Rob Reiner, who was killed along with his wife last year and received a posthumous Emmy last week for a guest role in The Bear. Jamie Lee Curtis delivered a tearful address, calling Reiner a "cherished legend" and "our beloved meathead," and began by acknowledging the passing of James Burrows.
The show also paid homage to Dolly Parton, who died last month, with Sally Field introducing a performance by Reba McEntire and calling Parton "genuine, humble, supportive and blisteringly funny." Kate Jackson, Cheryl Ladd and Jaclyn Smith remembered Farrah Fawcett during a 50th anniversary moment for Charlie's Angels, while Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz acknowledged recent losses from the Buffy cast. The evening's remembrances underscored the breadth of talent the industry lost this year and the personal connections those losses left on colleagues.
