I Just Found Out That Moira Rose Is The Mum In ‘Home Alone’ And I Can’t Process This Information

If you, like me, have gotten seriously into Schitt’s Creek during COVID-19 isolation, it may be hard to see Eugene Levy, Dan Levy, Catherine O’Hara, and Annie Murphy as anyone but Johnny, David, Moira, and Alexis Rose. 

So, you can imagine my surprise when I recently decided to dive back into the Christmas classic Home Alone — which has its 30th anniversary this week — only to discover that the actress who plays Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek plays Kevin McCallister’s mum, Kate, in Home Alone.

An accurate depiction of me finding this information out.

At first, I didn’t believe it. As someone who watches Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost In New York every single Christmas, I thought, there was no way in hell I hadn’t realised this sooner. But, I think I’ve worked out why. 

No Wigs

Firstly, there are no wigs in Home Alone. If you haven’t seen it, Catherine O’Hara plays Kate, who accidentally leaves her youngest son Kevin at home before an international flight because she slept through her alarm. But notably, Catherine O’Hara does not don a wig for this character, something my Schitt’s Creek-influenced mind has come to expect from her. Check her out in her natural hair in this iconic clip:

No Elaborate Outfits

Similarly, the costuming in Home Alone is not at the level of the Rose family in Schitt’s Creek. It’s not that the costuming is bad, it’s just that the costumes are not always black-and-white, incredibly-detailed, high-fashion moments. 

Different Energies

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, the energies between Catherine O’Hara’s characters couldn’t be further apart.

Despite both being in quite stressful situations, Catherine O’Hara’s characters act quite differently. While Moira Rose possesses a purely chaotic energy, Kate McCallister is the polar opposite. Where Moira Rose offered us punchlines and sent us into laughing fits, Kate McCallister gave us so much heart through her caring nature.

It also should be noted that Catherine O’Hara has had such a monumental impact on the film and television industry that extends way beyond Home Alone and Schitt’s Creek. In addition to these pieces of entertainment, Catherine O’Hara has acted in noteworthy flicks that span across five decades. Recently, she’s ventured into animated films, voicing Sally in The Nightmare Before Christmas, Penny in Over the Hedge, and Mrs. Frankenstein in Frankenweenie.

All-in-all, the key takeaway from this is that Catherine O’Hara has range, and lot’s of it. 

While we’re on the subject of Schitt’s Creek, check out our ranking of the best fictional couples, including Patrick & David.