'Home Alone' star Macaulay Culkin honored during Walk of Fame ceremony

"I feel such esteem from this whole thing," Culkin said.

December 1, 2023, 3:58 PM

Macaulay Culkin received a Walk of Fame star this week.

The actor, 43, who is known for his roles in "Home Alone," "Richie Rich," "My Girl" and more, was honored during a ceremony in Hollywood on Friday.

"Thank you to the Walk of Fame committee for honoring me in this way. I feel such esteem from this whole thing," Culkin said. "There's so many people that I love, and to feel that love back is just amazing."

PHOTO: Macaulay Culkin poses during the unveiling ceremony of his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in Los Angeles, Dec. 1, 2023.
Macaulay Culkin poses during the unveiling ceremony of his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in Los Angeles, Dec. 1, 2023.
Mario Anzuoni/Reuters

He also thanked Brenda Song, with whom he shares two sons.

"You are absolutely everything, you're my champion," he said as he held back tears. "You're the only person happier for me today than I am. You're not only the best woman I've ever known, you're the best person I've ever known. You've given me just all my purpose. You've given me family."

"And after the birth of our two boys, you've become one of my three favorite people," he added. "You're somewhere in there. But I love you. I love you so much."

Culkin ended his speech by reciting his iconic line from "Home Alone."

"To wrap things up, in the spirit of the holiday season. I just want to say, Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals."

Friends, family and other Hollywood stars, including Seth Green and Paris Jackson, attended the ceremony to support Culkin.

PHOTO: Natasha Lyonne, Seth Green, Quinn Culkin, Rory Culkin, Macaulay Culkin, Brenda Song and Paris Jackson attend 
Macaulay Culkin honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, Dec. 1, 2023.
Natasha Lyonne, Seth Green, Quinn Culkin, Rory Culkin, Macaulay Culkin, Brenda Song and Paris Jackson attend Macaulay Culkin honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, Dec. 1, 2023.
Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock

Culkin also had a sweet reunion with his "Home Alone" and "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" co-star, Catherine O'Hara, who celebrated the actor.

"Families all over the world can't let a year go by without watching and loving 'Home Alone' together. It's because of Macaulay Culkin," O'Hara said. "Yes, he had a most excellent script and a wonderful director. But it is Macaulay Culkin's perfect performance as Kevin McCallister that gave us that little every boy on an extraordinary adventure."

"I know you worked really hard. I know you do. But you made acting look like the most natural thing of the world to do," she continued. "Macaulay, a 10-year-old boy, this beautiful, dear little 10-year-old boy, was called a superstar, a moneymaker. One of the hottest leading young men in Hollywood. How does anyone survive that? Well, I believe you'd have to possess a certain quality, a gift that dear John Hughes, ['Home Alone' writer and producer], obviously recognized."

PHOTO: Catherine O'Hara and Macaulay Culkin are shown in a scene from the movie "Home Alone."
Catherine O'Hara and Macaulay Culkin are shown in a scene from the movie "Home Alone."
20th Century Fox via Kobal via Shutterstock

"It's a sign of intelligence in a child, and a key to surviving life at any age. And you have, from what I see ... brought that sense of sweet, yet twisted, yet totally relatable sense of humor to everything that you have chosen to do since 'Home Alone.'"

In the first "Home Alone" movie -- as well as its sequel -- O'Hara played Kate McAllister, the mother of Kevin McAllister, portrayed by Culkin, a young boy who mistakenly gets left behind over the holidays and defends his home against a pair of burglars on Christmas Eve. The sequel saw Kevin stranded in New York City during the holidays and fighting the same criminals from the first film.

PHOTO: Catherine O'Hara and Macaulay Culkin attend a ceremony honoring Macaulay Culkin with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Dec. 1, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Catherine O'Hara and Macaulay Culkin attend a ceremony honoring Macaulay Culkin with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Dec. 1, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

"Poker Face" actress Natasha Lyonne also took the podium during Friday's ceremony to honor Culkin, with whom she starred in 2016's "Adam Green's Aladdin." The duo also worked together on Lyonne's first short film that she directed, "Cabiria, Charity, Chastity," in 2017. Culkin starred in it alongside Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen.

"Nothing makes me happier than to see you existing so concretely on your own terms and with no loss of your underlying eccentricity or absurdist outlook, or big picture, big heart perspective that sustains us as a community and as a family of artists," Lyonne told Culkin. "So, thank you for being the one and only -- I love you and you're a king."