Dan Levy, Annie Murphy and Macaulay Culkin honour Catherine O’Hara with moving Emmys tribute

“She always showed up when I asked her to, because that was Catherine,” Culkin said. “She showed up, and this is the best that we can do for her tonight.

We’re showing up for her.”Culkin then recalled O’Hara having forgotten him twice, adding, “We will always remember her.”Levy, who worked with O’Hara on Schitt’s Creek, shared a heartfelt reflection on the lessons he learned from the actress both professionally and personally. “The greatest lesson I learned from Catherine, both professionally and personally, was to always say yes,” Levy said.

He praised O’Hara’s creative instincts and recalled how she transformed Moira Rose into one of television’s most memorable characters. Levy also remembered O’Hara’s willingness to experiment, from her character’s unusual accent and fashion choices to her famous collection of wigs.

He said giving her the freedom to create “will amaze you on a daily basis, and it will change your life.”The tribute continued as Noah Kahan performed Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water, a song famously covered by the late Dolly Parton.

The segment honoured O’Hara, Parton and numerous other stars and industry figures who died over the past year, including James Van Der Beek, Tim Curry, Bob Mackie, Robert Duvall, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Anthony Head, Hayden Panettiere and Eric Dane. Jamie Lee Curtis brought the segment to a close with a tribute to directors James Burrows and Rob Reiner.

Remembering Reiner, Curtis described him as “generous and kind, and funny as hell,” while also honouring his late wife Michele and those who were lost during the year. The emotional segment gave the 2026 Emmys a poignant moment to celebrate the lives and legacies of some of the entertainment industry’s most recognisable figures.