Macaulay Culkin finally got his Hollywood star, and it was full of heartfelt nostalgia
The moment included a heartfelt reunion with beloved "Home Alone" star Catherine O'Hara.

A photo of young Macaulay Culkin and the Hollywood Walk of Fame
With Christmas just around the corner, it feels beyond appropriate that holiday icon Macaulay Culkin would be getting his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this past weekend on Friday, Dec 1st.
It was an adorable moment filled with sweet reunions, emotional speeches and plenty of heartfelt nostalgia as the “Home Alone” actor accepted his long awaited award. Not to mention it left several fans proud to see how much the child star had grown up into a healthy adult.First off—who better to honor Culkin than Catherine O’Hara, who playfully reminded audiences that she played his “fake mom who left [him] home alone not once, but twice.”
She didn't forget Kevin this time. 🥺❤️ Catherine O'Hara reunites and honors #HomeAlone co-star Macaulay Culkin during his Hollywood #WalkofFame ceremony. (📷: Getty) pic.twitter.com/DYZxYLSYLv
— E! News (@enews) December 1, 2023
She also credited Culkin’s “sweet, twisted and relatable” sense of humor for surviving childhood stardom after his breakout role.
“Macaulay, congratulations…I’m so proud of you,” she concluded, thanking him for including her in the happy occasion.
Then it was Culkin's turn to stand behind the podium, where he got emotional in thanking his partner Brenda Strong for her support.
"You are absolutely everything. You're my champion," he told her, which made her tear up a bit. "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."
Giving us one last homage to “Home Alone,” Culkin concluded by saying, “Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals.”
For many, this was the first time Culkin had really been seen or heard as an adult, and it was surprising to see just how similar his voice and mannerisms were to his brother and “Succession” star Keirnan Culkin.
"Just realized I have not heard this man speak since he was 10," one person tweeted.Others were just happy to see the young kid who brought them so much joy throughout the years was happy and healthy. Culkin’s early rise to fame did not come without challenges with parental abuse, drugs and mental health, but here he was a seemingly well adjusted, full functioning adult. One could argue that’s an even greater accomplishment than a start on Hollywood Boulevard.
Watch his full speech below. It's full of that classic Kevin McAllister charm.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."