Happy Birthday Macaulay Culkin: Exploring His Top 7 Movies As Actor Turns 44 (2024)

Macaulay Culkin claimed astonishing fame as a child star in the late 80s and early 90s who was also one of the most bankable child actors with several blockbusters to his credit. As the actor turns 44, these seven best movies of the actor deserve attention, they are diverse yet capture the consistent performance of Culkin with his charismatic charm.

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York does not mess with the original movie of the franchise. The sequel followed Culkin's characterin New York stranded alone as his family spent Christmas in Florida. The plot is similar to the first one, most of the cast from the original, including Joe Pesci, and Daniel Stern return as bungling crooks who, this time just happened to be in New York.


While the movie which was released in 1992 could not capture the immaculate charm of the original, the movie remained a fun family film worth watching even today with the slapstick violence formula accomplished for Culkin's character.

The Pagemaster

Directed by Pixote Hunt and Joe Johnston, The Pagemaster starring Culkin, is one of the most underrated movies in his career. It's a creative story where the live-action persona of Culkin turns into his animated version after he runs into a library to take shelter from a storm.

He enters and gets right into the middle of a most exciting, terrifying, and fantastic world. The catchy idea of this film is advanced with an excellent voice cast featuring Patrick Stewart, Christopher Lloyd, and Whoopi Goldberg. They give flesh to the storyline through their performances and make this odd live-action-animation hybrid all the more worthy.

Party Monster

Party Monster is not like Culkin’s other movies, here the actor has the space to experiment with a unique role portraying the true story of Michael Alig. Based on the memoir of James St James who was a friend of Alig, the narrative centers on Alig who is boarding a Greyhound bus and leaving his boring Midwestern life behind.

He comes to New York City full of dreams. He quickly becomes friends with powerful nightclub owner Peter Gatien, played by Dylan McDermott, and downtown club youngster James St. James, played by Seth Green. Alig begins planning some of the most contentious and lavish parties in the city for fame.

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But in a matter of years, Alig's spiraling drug abuse and erratic conduct start to put the empire he has established in jeopardy. His once-quick rise is now in danger of collapsing, bringing his luxury and celebrity empire to an end. Despite the critical bombing, the movie deserves attention for Culkin’s brilliant performance in the movie.

My Girl

Directed by Howard Zieff, Culkin starrer My Girl is more grounded which in a way contradicts his role in the Home Alone franchise adding new layers to his prowess as an actor. Despite the comedic nature of his character on the surface with mild humor, the movie is much more realistic than his previous works as a child actor.


My Girl revolves around the life of an 11-year-old hypochondriac named Vada Sultenfuss, raised in her father's funeral home. She glides through traumas in her childhood, like the loss of her mother and best friend, Thomas J. These played by Macaulay Culkin, ultimately bring her closer to her distant father, helping her heal and grow.

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The Good Son

Joseph Ruben’s The Good Son has again given young Culkin a chance to show his capability as an actor with a pretty serious role. Starring alongside Elijah Wood who plays a young boy, Mark who stays with his aunt and uncle after the death of his mother as his father was away on a business trip. He becomes friends with his cousin Henry played by Culkin. He is a boy of the same age but has increasing signs of violent and psychopathic behavior.

Culkin’s character in The Good Son introduces the actor to a dark world of a disturbing child’s psyche but it is a treat for the audience as he nailed the role.

Uncle Buck

Planes, Trains and Automobiles actor, late John Candy’s collaboration with Culkin in Uncle Buck is a fun ride. The family-friendly comedy follows Candy, a bachelor forced into the role of guardian for his brother's rebellious teenage daughter and her younger siblings while the parents are abroad.


The famous John Hughes written script allows every character to have their moment in the sun. The role was among the finest performances from Culkin,his strong portrayalpaved the way for his future success in big-budget films.

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Home Alone

Even though Culkin was just a child while signing these movies, Home Alone has to be the best movie of his career. Directed by Chris Columbus, the 1991 movie turned out to be an evergreen, classic family comedy that still holds a huge fan base.

In this first film of the Home Alone franchise, Culkin became Kevin McCallister, a resourceful little guy who got separated from his family to spend Christmas in Paris. He then tries to fend off his suburban Chicago home from two thieves but makes it into a subtly comic encounter where he can outwit them at every turn.

ALSO READ:Freddie Prinze Jr. Reveals Buddy Macaulay Culkin Is A 'Very Good S--t Talker' While Playing Video Games; Deets

Happy Birthday Macaulay Culkin: Exploring His Top 7 Movies As Actor Turns 44 (2024)

FAQs

How old is Macaulay Culkin in Uncle Buck? ›

By the age of 9, the young actor had nearly upstaged star John Candy in Uncle Buck (1989) (his deadpan interrogation of Candy was Buck's funniest scene).

What movie made Macaulay Culkin famous? ›

Macaulay Culkin (born August 26, 1980, New York City, New York, U.S.) is an American actor who rose to fame in John Hughes's 1990 box office hit Home Alone and quickly became one of the most famous child actors of the 1990s.

How old was Macaulay Culkin when he recorded Home Alone? ›

Macaulay Culkin was just 10 when he shot to fame on Home Alone, and now, one of his co-stars has revealed the sacrifices the child star had to make.

Is Seth Green related to Macaulay Culkin? ›

Green is very good friends with fellow actor Macaulay Culkin, who he co-starred with in the film Party Monster, as well as in Changeland, and on various episodes of Robot Chicken.

How much is Macaulay Culkin worth in 2024? ›

Macaulay Culkin Net Worth: Macaulay Culkin is an American actor and musician, born on August 26, 1980, in New York City. As of 2024, his net worth is estimated to be around $18 Million. He rose to fame as a child actor, most notably for his role as Kevin McCallister in the iconic “Home Alone” series in the early 1990s.

Why did Macaulay Culkin stop acting? ›

In 1994, Culkin appeared in three films: Getting Even with Dad (1994), The Pagemaster (1994) and Richie Rich (1994). Culkin grew tired of acting and retired after Richie Rich. Wanting a "normal life", he went to a private high school in Manhattan.

Is Macaulay Culkin a Millionaire? ›

Culkin's net worth is estimated at a cool $18 million. He revealed in a 2018 interview with Ellen DeGeneres that he never realized he was wealthy until he was an adult because he didn't have access to his finances until he turned 18—four years after he "retired."

Does Macaulay Culkin still get royalties? ›

It's reported that Culkin doesn't make any money from the hugely successful Christmas films, as actors are not entitled to any royalties made from the movies. Royalties are only paid to owners of the property, aka the film, and are only given to the actors if it is stipulated in their contracts.

What does Macaulay Culkin do now? ›

Along with the zealous privacy he maintains with his partner Brenda Song and their two children, Culkin's selectivity as an adult actor — leading to roles like those in “American Horror Story: Double Feature” and “The Righteous Gemstones” — has only enhanced his mystique over the years.

Was it real snow in Home Alone? ›

Home Alone's snowy backdrop seems like the perfect bit of festive set-dressing doesn't it? As it happens, though, the film didn't budget for snow but a blizzard on the second day of shooting forced the crew to keep the McCallisters' Chicago suburb covered in fake flakes even after the real stuff melted away.

Did Macaulay Culkin get married at 17? ›

Rachel Miner and Macaulay Culkin tied the knot when they were both 18. Culkin and Miner were both 18 when they married in 1998, following their engagement at 17, according to a Newsweek article at the time, Hollywood Life reports. However, they ended up separating two years later and divorced in 2002.

Who is Macaulay Culkin currently married to? ›

Does Macaulay Culkin see his family? ›

While Macaulay and Kieran still maintain a relationship with Brentrup, they've been estranged from their father since they were teens — but contrary to rumors, Macaulay clarified to Esquire that he never emancipated himself from his parents.

Do the Culkin Brothers get along? ›

As an adult, Kieran has become a star independent of his older brother, thanks in large part to his Emmy-nominated role on Succession. The Culkin brothers, however, are still close—and Macaulay and Kieran aren't the only ones who've appeared on the big and small screens.

What did Macaulay Culkin change his name to? ›

On Christmas Day, Culkin went on to reveal on Twitter (now X) that his legal name would be changed to Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin.

How old was Uncle Buck in the movie? ›

Buck Russell (John Candy), 40, is a sports-betting, unemployed bachelor living in a messy apartment, stringing along his longtime girlfriend, Chanice (Amy Madigan), who wants to settle down with him.

How old was Kevin in Home Alone 1? ›

The battle in “Home Alone” between 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) and two burglars known as the Wet Bandits has unfolded on screens around the world every Christmas since the film premiered in 1990.

Was Macaulay Culkin's wife 17? ›

As a young star, Macaulay made headlines when he married fellow actress Rachel Miner when they were both still teenagers. At 17, the couple announced that they planned on getting married in 1998, per Newsweek. After two years, the pair separated and finalized their divorce in 2002.

Was Uncle Buck filmed in the same house as Home Alone? ›

The house in Uncle Buck is located around 5 miles away from the Home Alone house, while the house in Planes, Trains & Automobile is 2.3 miles away. Weirdly enough, the Uncle Buck house is located on Lincoln Street, while the Home Alone house is in Lincoln Avenue (the PT&A house is located on Oxford Road). A2A.

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