'Home Alone' Child Star 18 Facts About Macaulay Culkin's Childhood And Life Today

When you think of the holidays, what traditions come to mind? Are you instantly reminded by nostalgic holiday movies you watched so many times that your parents hid your VHS tapes to keep you from watching that one movie again? For many, the holiday classic we kept on repeat was the legendary film, Home Alone featuring the incredibly thrifty ten-year-old we all wanted to be, Kevin McAlister. After being accidentally left alone while his family embarked on a luxury Paris vacation, Kevin learns how to outsmart bumbling burglars through savvy tricks, while learning how to navigate through the tricky grown-up world, one pizza at a time!

Someone who may not want to participate in a yearly Home Alone rewatch is the actor who brought Kevin to life, Macaulay Culkin. Now 37, Macaulay has achieved so much since he appeared on the film's iconic poster with his face forever frozen in mid-scream! And let us tell you, this guy has lived 20 lifetimes in one! He's done it all, from Broadway to movies, to TV and even running blogs. There's nothing he can't do and nothing he won't do. He's even the godfather of none other than Paris Jackson, Michael Jackson's daughter. What a wild ride. Below we highlight 18 facts the average person just might not know about Macaulay, but will soon find out!

18  Macaulay Maintains A "Lifestyle" Blog Known As 'Bunny Ears'

Blogs have been on the rise for the last decade and anyone can maintain one, about any topic. They are a quick way for anyone to get information out into the world and communicate a variety of thoughts and ideas.

His self-proclaimed "internet hug", Macaulay is the author of a blog called "bunny ears." "Bunny Ears" is a parody of the recent trend in celebrity lifestyle blogs.

According to The Guardian, Gwyneth Paltrow's famous blog, Goop, where she covers several elements pertaining to lifestyle and culture, but from a  high-end celebrity standpoint. Sample topics from Macaulay's blog include "Single and Stuck on a Submarine? Then This Dating App Is For You" and "How To Get Over Your Unemployment Blues (in Luxury)", topics that are honestly much more catered toward everyday people like us.

Mac also hosts a podcast as part of the "Bunny Ears community", which he reveals to Ellen DeGeneres, that he discusses "things and stuff" with a variety of guests and friends. Some of the famous guests who have appeared on "Bunny Ears" include director Kevin Smith, Mac's co-star on Robot Chicken, Seth Green, and Mom actress Anna Faris. Mac recently returned the favor as a podcast guest on Anna Farris' podcast, Anna Farris is Unqualified. 

17  He Is A Published Author, Penning His Own Novel At Age 25

Macaulay is a man of many talents and took some time off from the acting world to figure out his next step. In 2006, he wrote his first fiction book with elements from his real life as a former child actor. Macaulay spoke to New York Magazine when it was released about the similarities between the character in "Junior."

"Yes, it's me, but no, it isn't, you know?"

One of the most appealing parts of following celebrities is seeing how they progress after many years in the public eye, and the characters in Macaulay's novel are loosely based on the experience of growing up in the public with people watching you grow up. In the interview with The Guardian, It came from the idea of everyone wanting me to write a memoir. I play with that a little bit, the idea of naming names, kind of teasing people, you know?”

According to a review of the book in Entertainment Weekly, the book's printing company Miramax books used an entire page in the New York Times to promote the novel. Twelve years after the publication of Junior, Mac has yet to write another novel and does not seem to have any future plans to release another book.

16  Mac Started A Tribute Band To… Pizza?

One of the coolest tributes in entertainment happened courtesy of Macaulay Culkin in 2013. He got together with some friends in New York City to pay tribute to one of the most influential rock bands in history, The Velvet Underground.

The band got together to recreate the band's most popular songs and replaced the lyrics with words about pizza.

According to Wikipedia, the band really went with the pizza theme and gave pizza boxes to their audience members. The band also released a two-song cassette in 2014 called "Live at Chop Suey" paying tribute to The Velvet Underground's song "Sunday Morning" as "Pizza Morning." The band got a lot of press in the musical community and fans thought it was a fitting move for someone like Macaulay. Forming an underground tribute to 1960's legends The Velvet Underground in their birthplace of New York, while keeping the incredibly simplistic nature of their songs intact, seems like everything Kevin McAlister wouldn't do.

According to Mac's appearance on his episode of the podcast "WTF with Marc Maron" in January 2018, the pizza tribute band decided to call it quits. In Pitchfork's coverage of the revelation, Mac admitted: "I was a little tired of it, to be honest." As cool as the project is, the band never really considered the project to be a full-time gig; Mac added in the interview, "we just kinda put it online and forgot about it."

15  After Mac Left Hollywood, He Became A Visual Artist

In 2012, it was revealed that Mac enjoys painting surreal paintings! Mac's art was on display in New York City as part of a collective featuring Mac and his friends Adam Green and Toby Goodshank known as the 3mb Collective, according to the group's social media page.

During the collective, Buzzfeed profiled Macaulay's art, which you can definitely describe as being… surreal. The gallery featured images of the legendary video game character Luigi, a scene of E.T. and Waldo from "Where's Waldo" fame, attending a Korn concert with the devil, and a piece featuring Jerry Seinfeld and He-Man.

An article on Flavorwise features a video of the 3mb Collective's preparation for their art show. To get inspiration flowing, Adam Green noted the threesome began painting "at Mac's house", and Mac added they "went a little nuts at the art supply store." Toby Goodshank said the trio's goal was to "make pieces that viewers might interact with." Green attributed "Mac's apartment" as an influence for their art.

Mac's artistic capabilities might not come as a surprise for those who have been following his career. As a viewer, his art seems to reflect the various chaotic aspects of being a child star and getting older within the public eye!

14  Kevin McAlister And Jackie Burkhart…  A Couple?

When you see pictures of Mila Kunis with someone, it's easy to expect to see her with her longtime That 70's Show co-star, Ashton Kutcher. Believe it or not, Mila had a long history with someone else before she began dating her famous costar; Mac and Mila were in a relationship in the early 2000's which lasted for nearly a decade!

Understandably since Mac began an early retirement from acting and the public eye at age 14, the duo desired to maintain a low profile.

According to Us Weekly;

Mila admitted to Howard Stern in an interview, that life with Macaulay could be difficult. Of his fame, Mila said, "you couldn't walk down the street with him, he always had this weird attraction, like fans just screamed when they saw him!"

The pair were together for eight years which is a very long time for a relationship in Hollywood, but they never really planned to get married. Later on, in the interview with Howard Stern, Mila said she told her dad at a young age that she "didn't believe in marriage" and she would eventually walk down the aisle when everyone was allowed to marry, as per an article in The Huffington Post.

13  Mac Experimented With Voice Acting On Seth Green's Robot Chicken

Mac is a man of many diverse acting talents, as he revealed to the public in the early 2000's when he took a role on the hit series, Robot Chicken.  According to Wikipedia, The long-running show is part of the popular "Adult Swim" block of programming on Cartoon Network and is created and written by Mac's friend and longtime cartoon veteran, Seth Green. Robot Chicken isn't the only creation by his longtime friend Mac has contributed to; he went on to appear in Green's film, Changeland, according to an article on the film in Variety.

Robot Chicken has grown into a cult classic with a very devoted fanbase. According to the show's exclusive Wiki page, Mac has appeared in seven episodes of the series. In a memorable Christmas special from 2010, The Daily Beast reported Mac returned to the show to revisit the character who made him famous, Kevin McAlister. The episode explored an alternate universe where the events in Home Alone didn't go according to plan, with his famous inventions created to defeat Marv and Harry, backfiring. Mac has also made appearances with the cast at the New York City Comic Con, much to the delight of Robot Chicken fans!

12  Mac Is The Third Child In A Brood Of Seven Siblings

Macaulay's beloved character Kevin McAlister definitely wasn't alone in having a bunch of siblings to fight with! According to Vanity Fair, Mac revealed on "Ellen" that he was the third Culkin to appear on the scene, and would be followed by four other siblings! You might remember his  younger brother, Kieran, from his appearance in Home Alone as Kevin's cousin Fuller who is famously told to "go easy on the Pepsi!"

The Culkin siblings grew up in a one bedroom apartment in Manhattan, New York. He described life in the "Ellen" interview with seven brothers and sisters as being rather crowded, as they were "stacked" on top of each other in the apartment.

Life was not easy for the Culkin family as Mac's fame grew in the early 90's. According to News.com.au, Mac's father, Kit, gave an interview to the Mail Online and stated he "did not consider [Mac] to be a son anymore."

Unfortunately, family relations remained tough for Mac; he became legally emancipated from his parents in 1996, at the age of 15, as per an article in People Magazine.

The Culkin family also suffered a tragic loss with the death of his sister Dakota in 2008, as she was struck by a car, according to The Daily Mail.

11  Macaulay Actually Prefers To Be Called Mac

When a former child star makes his comeback into the spotlight, it's very common for fans to see some obvious changes in their former idols. Some may have undergone a radical style evolution, some may have embraced their spiritual side, and some celebrities may have decided to take the job of a comeback very seriously when they decide to change their names! The smallest change in identity can have a large impact on the direction an entertainer decides to take for the rest of their career and has the potential to shape how fans perceive them or their work.

In Macaulay Culkin's case, he goes by "Mac" in adulthood. During an appearance on the "WTF With Marc Maron" podcast, Culkin asks Maron to call him "Mac" because "it's a nickname, but not really."

Mac's choice to go by Mac allows him to expand upon his career options; if he were to go by Macaulay forever, he might fall prey to the seemingly inevitable trap child stars often fall into: being known as "that kid" from "that one movie." It allows for a new beginning for Mac's career and promises limitless possibilities! It's a way for Mac to completely separate his childhood roles from his various projects in adulthood.

10  Mac Does Not Watch His Childhood Films, And Please… Don't Ask Him To Do The "Home Alone Face."

The poster for "Home Alone" is as traditional as the Christmas season itself. We can recognize it instantly: a young Macaulay Culkin with his hands on his face screaming in terror, while surrounded by his co-stars Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern, who play the burglars who break into Kevin McAlister's house while his family is on vacation. You could probably recall the poster faster than you could remember any of the dialogue from the film because you've seen it countless times over the years, but imagine how Macaulay himself feels about the image!

Mac revealed to Ellen Degeneres in an interview earlier this year that he "doesn't really watch [his older films] all that often." If that revelation isn't disappointing enough to you, according to an article in Vanity Fair, 

Mac said that he will not recreate his memorable facial expression for fans. "No, been there, done that already. I'm 37 now, okay? okay, mom?"

We can't blame Macaulay. The Christmas season ends every year, doesn't it? Like Mac also added in his "Ellen" interview, "it's both a blessing and a curse."

As per an article covering the "Ellen" interview on E Online, Mac notes the public seasonal obsession with Home Alone never ceases. He says, "I've had people sit down and want to watch it with me, which is like, both flattering and creepy."

9  Mac Is A Broadway Alum

For the Culkin family, acting in Broadway productions is familiar. In the early 2000's, Mac's brother Kieran, starred in the off-Broadway production of The Moment When, as stated in an article from Playbill.

As it did for many of us, the turn of the century brought exciting new change for Mac, and he joined Kieran in the world of Broadway! After spending six years out of the spotlight, he returned to Broadway at the age of 19 in 2000. According to Playbill, Mac auditioned for the lead role in the play, Madame Melville, and secured the part! A New York Times review sings the praises of Mac's acting abilities, and notes he was "superbly typecast as the perennial teenager." A Time Magazine article from 2001 states the premise of the play featured Mac as a high school student who was "seduced by his French teacher" who was portrayed by Joely Richardson.

Madame Melville was not Mac's first foray into the world of Broadway. As per his page on the Biography website, he performed his first play at the tender age of four. Having such a wide array of acting jobs probably prepared Mac for the different phases of his career and solidified his widespread appeal to fans.

8 Mac Has Appeared In A Variety Of Music Videos

Believe it or not, music videos were once a huge part of how we all listened to music! MTV used to play music videos regularly and we were able to see our favorite musicians and fully appreciate the visuals of the song.

In the 90's at the height of his fame, Mac appeared in the music video for his famous friend, Michael Jackson's hit song "Black Or White."

In the short film, a young Mac fights with his parents over the volume of his music and further irritates them by playing guitar along to the song; the video was a huge part of popular culture when it was released in 1991, down to the poster of Bart Simpson hanging on Macaulay's wall!

Later on in the decade, Mac appeared in the music video for famous indie rock band Sonic Youth alongside his ex-wife, Rachel Miner, who he married at age 18 and was divorced from by the age of 21, according to Wikipedia. More recently, Mac appeared as Kurt Cobain in the music video for Father John Misty's "Total Entertainment Forever" along with his future co-star in the short independent film The Wrong Ferrari; Mac's appearance as the late Cobain requires a double take, for sure!

7 Mac Loves To Live A Casual Lifestyle, So He Chose To Live In France

Celebrities often have to retreat to a faraway location, especially if you were a megastar like Macaulay was at a very young age. According to The Guardian, Mac moved to Paris, France and enjoys it because residents "leave him alone." As of 2017, he is still living in Paris, and has been seen walking around with his beau, former Disney Channel actress Brenda Song! The Daily Mail reports the couple has been seen dining with Mac's goddaughter and daughter of Michael Jackson, Paris.

When you have grown up with the level of fame as Mac, a private life is essential.  According to an article in Stereogum, in an interview on Marc Maron's podcast, WTF With Marc Maron, Mac states that he is very "casual" with any of the projects he likes to pursue, so it's probably no surprise that Mac might be looking for something more long-term in his life; five years in Paris is a long time for someone who is used to the fleeting pace of fame. Pictures of Mac since living in France show him to be much healthier and at peace, compared to some paparazzi photos from a few years earlier. A new location can do wonders for anyone, and it seems to have a positive effect on Mac!

6 Mac Appeared On An Episode Of 'Saturday Night Live'

Being a guest on Saturday Night Live is a rite of passage for anyone in the entertainment business, and Macaulay achieved the coveted task of Saturday Night Live host at the mere age of 11! Mac appeared during the promotional tour for Home Alone, and famously performed a memorable skit with Mike Meyers without cue cards!

The opening sketch featured the SNL cast doing a recreation of Home Alone verbatim, except tailoring the famous dinner scene to be about Mac's backstage experience. The sketch memorably features Mac pushing the late Chris Farley through a table!

During his recent appearance on "Ellen", DeGeneres asked  Culkin to look at a number of images from the duration of his career. When she showed the audience the photo of Mac with his co-star in the famous "Simon" sketch, he told the audience that his father was "very insistent" that Mac did not participate in the traditional method of using cue cards to perform the sketches. The young Culkin displayed talent and skill that is difficult for performers twice his age! He became the second host ever to host Saturday Night Live right behind fellow famous child star, Drew Barrymore, according to a list on Ranker.

5  Mac Appeared In An Independent Film With The Moldy Peaches' Adam Green

It's probably no secret that technology and the use of iPhones have had an influence on the way independent films are created. It's also no surprise that Mac would be interested in producing an independent project! In 2011, Mac joined his future art collaborator, Adam Green, in the production of a film called The Wrong Ferarri. According to Vulture, the entire film was produced exclusively on an iPhone. Green adds the film's premise is about the coming of age process with "the concerns of turning 30 and the concerns that come with that."

The Wikipedia entry for the film notes that Adam Green wrote the script on index cards for the cast.

It's no secret Mac has a lot of artistically famous friends! The film's director, Adam Green, is a former member of the lo-fi duo, The Moldy Peaches, who are most famous for having their tune "Anyone Else But You" featured on the soundtrack for the hit film, Juno. The Wrong Ferrari isn't the only film Green directed featuring Mac as a cast member. A few years later, Mac starred in his film Aladdin! 

The Wrong Ferrari runs a little over an hour, and is available to watch on YouTube, affectionately referred to as a "screwball tragedy." The film also features musician Devendra Banhart and was shot in Italy.

4 He Is Currently Worth $15 Million.

"Home Alone" was released on November 16th, 1990, and earned an astronomical $285 million in the United States alone! Mac's earnings from these films were sure to guarantee he live comfortably for the rest of his life, but he went on to star in several successful films. By the time he left the acting world in 1994, he was "the most successful child actor of all time", as stated by a lengthy interview he did with The Guardian in 2015. His entry on Quora.com breaks down his childhood earnings, he earned $1,000,000 starring as Thomas J. in My Girl, and $8,000,000 for both of his films made in 1994, Getting Even With Dad, and "Ritchie Rich."

In a 2018 interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Mac revealed his earnings could allow him to live "comfortably" and pursue whatever interests he wanted, freely.

His earnings were protected tightly by his family until his 18th birthday, according to his entry on TheRichest.com. Mac's money matters eventually led to his emancipation from his parents at the age of 15.

His most famous role in Home Alone earned him a successful $476 million worldwide, according to Earnthenecklace.com. Based on the film's success, it's not a surprise that Mac earned much more the film's sequel, "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York."  According to Culkin's  Quora entry, Mac earned a whopping $4,500,000 to reprise his role of Kevin!

3  Mac Played Mandy Moore's Brother In The Cult Comedy, 'Saved'

In the early 2000's, Mac made a brief comeback to acting. One of his roles was alongside singer-turned-actress Mandy Moore in the 2004 satirical comedy Saved! Mac played Mandy's brother, Roland, who was more of an outcast in the high school social scene compared to his very popular sister, Hillary Faye.

The film dealt with a group of friends at a religious high school, attempting to navigate adolescence while trying to stay true to their faith. Mac's role as Roland showed audiences that Mac could still act after a period out of the spotlight, and his acting chops were exercised as his character was wheelchair bound. Saved! has gained cult status over the years and introduced Mac to the popular genre of teen films at a time where Hollywood was producing many classics in the genre. Mac starred among many popular teen stars of the period, including Patrick Fugit from Almost Famous, and Jena Malone.

The film's production was much like the high school vibe captured on screen. Mac's co-star in Saved!, Patrick Fugit, told Huffington Post in a 10 year retrospective for the movie, the cast enjoyed "throwing things off of Culkin's hotel room balcony" to pass the time!

2  Before He Was An Actor, Macaulay Was A… Ballet Dancer?

In a stunning revelation in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Mac revealed he was a ballet dancer before he landed his breakout role in 1989's Uncle Buck. He revealed that he went back home after the movie wrapped production to perform in The Nut Cracker at the world famous Lincoln Center! Mac's Wikipedia states he was a student at the School of American Ballet.

While it's fun to imagine an adult Macaulay in his childhood ballet uniform, he quickly let Ellen and the fans know the tights weren't going to make a comeback appearance anytime soon, unfortunately!

"I definitely don't do ballet anymore." he said, adding "my feet and my hips appreciate it!"

According to Mac's entry on the Broadway website, he studied at the esteemed Balanchine School of American Ballet.

Mac's ballet skills were displayed on the big screen in the 1993's film adaptation of The Nutcracker. A review for the film upon its release from the LA Times, notes Mac's dancing wasn't the only attraction to his appearance; he sported "bright red candy lips" in the film, calling his lips to be "the most famous pop star lips since Mick Jagger's." This fact alone is quite an accomplishment!

1  He Did Not Want To Kiss Anna Chlumsky In 'My Girl'

1991 was a huge year for young Mac, as he starred in his *other* most well-known role in the film My Girl alongside actress Anna Chulumsky. Mac starred as the best friend to Chulumsky's character  Vada, who is an 11-year-old girl trying to navigate the world while growing up without her mother, and surrounded by death, as she spends the Summer around her father's job at a funeral home.

Mac's character Thomas J. spends the season hanging out with his best friend, and at one point, the pair shares a quick but very memorable kiss in the minds of many young girls. The kiss was so famous, that it won the MTV award for "Best Kiss" in 1992 beating out other memorable nominations like Anjelica Huston and Warren Beatty's smooch in  Bugsy, according to Wikipedia. Mac and Anna were so young at the time of filming, so kissing was bound to be awkward! In a recent interview with Ellen Degeneres, Mac revealed he was not into kissing his co-star.

"We got along, but I was like, ew, a girl? I have to kiss a girl?"

Mac's young reaction definitely adds an authentic element to the coming-of-age film! Even at a young age, Macaulay demonstrated he had impressive staying power to solidify a Hollywood legacy forever. After a much-awaited comeback, it's obvious that Macaulay won't have to stay "home alone" forever!

References: The Guardian, Vanity Fair, New York Mag, Hello Giggles, Bunny Ears, Us Weekly, Vulture, Huffington Post, Playbill, Bankrate, Cinema Blend, Stereogum, Bandcamp, Entertainment Weekly, Pitchfork, Flavorwire, Variety, People, Ranker, E!, The New York Times, The Daily Mail, Wikipedia entry for The Wrong Ferarri, Wikipedia entry for My Girl, Wikipedia entry for Macaulay Culkin, Huffington Post, The Richest, Adam Green, Quora, Nutcracker Review, Time Magazine review