For years, Home Alone fans have wondered: what did Kevin McCallister’s parents do for a living to afford such a massive house? While director Chris Columbus previously offered an answer, Catherine O’Hara—who played Kevin’s mother, Kate McCallister—has now provided her own perspective.
Back in 2024, Columbus revealed on The Hollywood Reporter’s Chatter Podcast that he and screenwriter John Hughes envisioned Kate as a highly successful fashion designer, with Kevin’s father, Peter McCallister, working in advertising (though the exact role was unclear). The film’s use of mannequins in the McCallister home supported the idea of Kate’s fashion background.
However, O’Hara—while promoting her Super Bowl commercial—offered a slightly different take during an Entertainment Weekly interview. She admitted she “hated to disagree with anything” Columbus said, but she saw her character a bit differently.
“Because I look at those mannequins as she’s successful at something, but she also has all these kids and wants to be a great homemaker,” O’Hara explained. She added a humorous touch, suggesting that Kate once had ambitious plans to make all of her kids’ clothes, but that effort “lasted about a week.”
Meanwhile, Columbus has firmly debunked a long-standing fan theory that Peter McCallister was involved in organized crime—a popular explanation for how the family could afford their lavish lifestyle.
Even over 30 years after its release, Home Alone continues to spark discussions and theories among fans, proving its place as a timeless holiday classic.