Macaulay Culkin was already a star before Home Alone made him a household name. He started acting on stage and appeared on the CBS crime show The Equalizer. In 1989, he starred in See You in the Morning with Drew Barrymore and Jeff Bridges before landing his famous role as Kevin McCallister.
Home Alone hit theaters in 1990 and turned Culkin into a superstar overnight. He played Kevin again in the sequel and later appeared in episodes of Frasier and Will & Grace. But despite his success, the now 45-year-old actor walked away from Hollywood at just 14 years old after filming Richie Rich.
According to LAD Bible, Culkin recently explained why he quit acting so young. Speaking on Mythical Kitchen, he said he just wanted to live like a normal kid. He wanted to hang out with people his own age, go to parties, date girls, and attend Bar Mitzvahs, things most teenagers get to do.
The loneliness of being a child star shaped his decision
“What I wanted is to be with people my own age. You have to remember: a lot of the stuff I did when I was a kid… I’m not doing ensembles. It’s me,” he admitted.
The actor pointed out that most of his early work wasn’t ensemble films where he acted alongside many people. It was just him, alone on screen. He compared filming Home Alone to the Tom Hanks movie Castaway, saying, “I’m in Castaway, except he had a volleyball to talk to.”
When people ask him about working with Joe Pesci in Home Alone, Culkin reminds them they only share two scenes together. “People will be like, ‘Oh, what was it like working with Joe Pesci?’ I’m like, ‘Have you seen the movie?’ We do maybe two scenes together. And then me, in a house, by myself, almost home alone.” That isolation took its toll on the young actor, much like how working parents struggle with limited time with their children today.
Culkin also revealed that acting wasn’t even his dream. He never begged his parents to make him famous or put him in movies. He said, “I kind of just started doing it and I was good at it and I kept booking it.” Fame just happened to him rather than being something he actively chased.
After nearly a decade away from acting, Culkin returned in 2003 with the film Party Monster. Since then, he’s been selective about his roles, often choosing voice acting work over physical performances. Between 2022 and 2025, he’s done voice work for shows like The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy and Zootopia 2.
Today, Culkin is focused on being a father. He shares two sons, Dakota (4) and Carson (3), with his wife, former Disney Channel star Brenda Song. The couple met in 2014 and started dating after working together on the film Changeland. Being present for his kids is clearly important to him, knowing how crucial life-saving knowledge can be for any parent.
Published: Dec 28, 2025 02:15 pm