This may shock you, but Macaulay Culkin doesn’t watch Home Alone during the holidays. The actor, who became a household name thanks to the 1990 hit, recently sat down for an interview with Ellen DeGeneres to promote his new parody lifestyle blog and podcast Bunny Ears; in it, he revealed that he tends to ignore his past work.
“I don’t really watch them all that often,” Culkin said of the films that made him a child star. Home Alone, in particular, is one he tends to avoid, he said, recalling that when the cast reunited for a 15-year anniversary DVD commentary, he realized it was the first time he had seen the movie in years.
“It’s background radiation at Christmastime,” lamented Culkin. “I’ve had people who want to sit down and watch it with me, which is both flattering and creepy.”
If anything, Culkin continued, when he watches the film, he can’t help but be distracted by memories of what was going on behind the scenes. “I’m remembering that day on set, like, how I was hiding my Pepsi behind the couch. I can’t watch it the same way other people can.”
Still, the film remains a holiday classic—and the season torments poor Culkin to this day. Nearly 30 years later, strangers still come up and ask him to do the classic Home Alone face. Save your breath, folks; he won’t be doing that again anytime soon.
“No. Been there, done that already. I’m 37 now, O.K.? O.K., mom?” Culkin joked.
Culkin also shared that it was slightly disorienting to turn 18 and finally get hold of the money he earned as an actor.
“I felt like some kid worked really, really hard and I inherited all of his money,” he said. “It allows me to treat everything like a hobby. I do nothing for my dinner nowadays. I can do all kinds of projects that I want to do.“
Indeed, after a streak of hit movies, Culkin stopped acting in 1994, opting out of child stardom in order to live a somewhat normal life. His exit from the industry came at a difficult time in his personal life; in 1995, his parents separated, resulting in a fierce custody battle over Macaulay and his six siblings. Culkin has reportedly been estranged from his father ever since.
He has, however, acted in a handful of projects since then, most notably the 2003 club-kids drama Party Monster and the 2004 dramedy Saved!, though none of those projects have earned the same acclaim as his early work. Culkin has made headlines for more sordid things, however, like his 2004 arrest for drug possession, and shocking 2012 photos that appeared to show him looking dangerously gaunt, inspiring rumors that he was addicted to drugs. “No, I was not pounding six grand of heroin every month or whatever,” he said in a later interview with The Guardian, dispelling concerns.
In the intervening years, Culkin has since developed a more lighthearted public persona. He joined a Velvet Underground parody band called the Pizza Underground. He started a T-shirt meme war with Ryan Gosling. And in 2015, he starred in a viral short as a disturbed, grown-up version of his Home Alone character—which apparently didn’t quite convey the message that he’d like to be done with Kevin McCallister once and for all.
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Leave Macaulay Culkin alone, ya filthy animals.
The ’90s child star turned self-proclaimed “world-famous recluse” made a rare appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” on Monday. Culkin was there to talk about his lifestyle brand ― yes, Kevin McCallister has a lifestyle brand ― but, of course, all roads lead to “Home Alone.”
Culkin revealed that he won’t watch the classic film anymore, or do “the face” upon request (don’t even think of asking, OK?) after years of being hounded in public.
“I’ve been there, done that already. I’m 37, OK? OK, Mom?” he joked.
The last time he watched the film was for the taping of a DVD commentary track on the 15th anniversary edition.
The actor described his celebrity as both a “curse and blessing,” saying that while he’s only acted sporadically over the last two decades, people still approach him all the time. He actually avoids going out in public during Christmastime, so he won’t come face to face with fans of the “Home Alone” franchise.
“It’s my season,” Culkin said. “It’s Macaulay season. I try to go out less and less around that time of year.”
Around 1994, Culkin took an extended break from Hollywood at age 14 to attend high school and attempt to have a normal adolescence.
“I was tired of it, to be honest. I did like 14 movies in six years or something like that,” he said. “I was away from home a lot. I was away from school. I needed something else. … It was great to be around people my own age for once. … It was the smartest thing I could have possibly done was to take eight years off.”
While child superstardom has certainly complicated life for Culkin, it has allowed him to pursue other interests. He was the lead vocalist of a comedy rock band thanks to the Hollywood payday.
“I felt like some kid worked really, really hard and I inherited all of his money,” he explained. “It allows me to treat everything like a hobby.”
Macaulay Culkin keeps Ellen DeGeneres from being 'Home Alone' by appearing on her talk show Monday. (Photo: Michael Rozman/Warner Bros.)
Diehard Home Alone fans might want to banish Macaulay Culkin to the third floor for this news. No matter how many cheese pizzas you buy just for him, he's not going to oblige you with the famous hands-on-face pose.
But, it's not because he's trying to be a little jerk. As he told Ellen DeGeneres on her daytime talk show airing Monday, he's moved beyond the role.
Though Culkin says he fields the requests from "everybody," he declines, adding he explains "I've already been there, done that already, guys. I'm 37 now."
Culkin said he doesn't often indulge in watching the 1990 film, in which his character creatively defends his home against burglars after being accidentally left behind while his family sets out on vacation.
"We did a 15-year anniversary DVD commentary," Culkin said. "I realized I hadn't seen it in like 15 years."
He referred to the holiday classic as "background radiation at Christmas time," a period in which he rarely leaves the house.
“It’s my season,” he said. “It’s Macaulay season. So, yeah, I try to go out less and less around that time of year.”
Culkin described his recognizable face as "a curse and a blessing."
"I can get into any restaurant I want without a reservation," he admitted, "but while I'm there everyone's staring at me."
Even Culkin's former flame, Mila Kunis, recalled she "couldn't walk down the street with him" in 2016 to Howard Stern.
More: John Heard, star of 'Home Alone' and 'Big,' dies
Culkin took a break from the spotlight after being the face of several '90s flicks, including My Girl, and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and Ri¢hie Ri¢h and didn't resurface until 2003 with a guest appearance on Will & Grace.
He told DeGeneres hitting pause was "the smartest thing I possibly could have done," explaining, "I was tired of it, to be honest. I was away from home a lot. I was away from school. I needed something else. I needed to grow and develop as a person."
Culkin shared today he enjoys ample free time, courtesy of his hot, early career.
"I felt like some kid worked really, really hard, and I inherited all of his money, pretty much," he said. "It allows me to treat everything like a hobby, really."
Sounds a little Ri¢hie Ri¢h to us.
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Sorry Home Alone fans, but don’t expect to run into Macaulay Culkin around the holidays.
The actor made an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Monday, where he opened up about the effect the 90s hit film has had on his life nearly 28 years after it first came out.
“I definitely don’t [go out]. It’s my season,” Culkin said of staying indoors around Christmas. “It’s Macaulay season. I try to go out less and less around that time of year.”
The actor said it’s been a “curse and a blessing” being constantly recognized by fans on the street.
“How can a person look too much like himself? It’s a curse and a blessing,” he said. “I can get into any restaurant I want without a reservation, but while I’m there everyone’s staring at me.”
Macaulay Culkin Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock; SPW/Splash News
And while Culkin, 37, said he’s learned to navigate his fame, he still gets a little tired of being asked to recreate the iconic Home Alone poster.
“I say no,” he said. “I’ve already been there and done that. I’m 37 now.”
Culkin also opened up about his longtime break from Hollywood, saying he was eager to live a normal life.
“I was tired of it, to be honest, I did like 14 movies in six years or something like that,” he said of being a child actor. “I was away from home a lot. I was away from school. I needed something else… It was great to be around people my own age for once… It was the smartest thing I could have possibly done was to take eight years off.”
20th Century Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection
As for the money he made as a child, Culkin said he didn’t see any of it until he turned 18.
