Macaulay Culkin

Though he remained best known for his role as a precocious eight-year-old defending his house against a pair of burglars in Home Alone (1990), actor Macaulay Culkin creatively expanded his horizons fearlessly as an adult. Born in New York in 1980, Culkin's father, former actor Kit Culkin, began taking him to auditions when he was still a toddler. He landed his first on-screen role with an uncredited appearance in the TV movie The Midnight Hour in 1985 and made his first speaking appearance on an episode of the TV series The Equalizer (1985-1989). He played the role of Billy Livingstone in the romantic comedy film See You in the Morning (1989), starring Jeff Bridges, Alice Krige, Farrah Fawcett and Drew Barrymore. After appearing in the wildly popular comedy Uncle Buck (1989) alongside John Candy and the psychological horror film Jacob's Ladder (1990) at age nine Culkin landed the iconic role of Kevin McCallister in Home Alone and became a bonafide movie star. He followed this with a starring role in the coming-of-age classic My Girl (1991), followed by a co-starring role in the horror thriller The Good Son (1992), in which he played against type as a malevolent child. Culkin was paid $4.5 million (compared to $110,000 for the original) for Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). He was also in the films The Nutcracker (1993), Getting Even with Dad (1994) and the The Pagemaster (1994). After starring in the live action adaptation of Ritchie Ritch in 1994, Culkin took a break from acting in order to attend a private high school and experience a more normal life. He would eventually return to the screen however, reemerging to play infamous rave-scene murderer Michael Alig in the independent film Party Monster (2003). Culkin would also earn rave reviews for his performance in the tongue-in-cheek comedy Saved! (2004) about a group of misfits attending a Christian high school. He also had a memorable guest role in Will & Grace (NBC, 2003). He would make frequent appearances on the animated comedy series Robot Chicken (Adult Swim, 2001-) with his friend Seth Green between 2005 and 2010, and after playing the recurring character Andrew Cross on the acclaimed series Kings (NBC, 2009-2009), Culkin would reteam with Green, starring in the actor-turned-filmmaker's directorial debut Changeland (2018). He was part of the starring cast of the series American Horror Story: Double Feature (2021). His role in the season was critically praised. Culkin stated in a May 27, 2004, interview on Larry King Live that he tends to refrain from disclosing aspects of his personal life, though he discussed his life as a child actor, the conflict in his family life, including his estrangement from his father, and how he retired from acting at age 14. As of October 2017, Culkin has been in a relationship with his Changeland co-star Brenda Song. On April 5, 2021, Song gave birth to the couple's son, named Dakota Song Culkin after Culkin's deceased sister. On December 10, 2008, his older sister, Dakota, died after being hit by a car. Around the time of the first Home Alone movie, Culkin became friends with pop singer Michael Jackson and appeared in Jackson's 1991 "Black or White" music video. In 2005, at Jackson's trial for sexual child abuse, Culkin testified that he had slept in bed with Jackson but that he was never molested. Culkin dismissed the allegations against Jackson as "absolutely ridiculous". Culkin is also the godfather of Jackson's children Paris Jackson, Prince and Michael. In December 2018, Culkin announced that he would legally change his name to "Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin" after holding a vote through his website to choose a new middle name, with "Macaulay Culkin" winning the vote over four other candidates. In August 2020, on his 40th birthday, Culkin tweeted, "Hey guys, wanna feel old? I'm 40. You're welcome." The tweet became the ninth most-liked tweet of all time!