Macaulay Culkin

Culkin began acting at four and appeared in stage productions, television, and films during the 1980s. His first credited screen role was in an episode of The Equalizer in 1988, followed by film appearances in Rocket Gibraltar and See You in the Morning. He gained further attention as Miles Russell opposite John Candy in Uncle Buck (1989).

He trained in dance at the School of American Ballet and attended the Professional Children's School in New York City. His early professional environment was shaped by his father, Kit Culkin, a former stage actor who also managed his career. Culkin later discussed the pressures of his childhood stardom and his difficult relationship with his father.

Culkin's breakthrough came with Home Alone (1990), in which he played Kevin McCallister, a boy accidentally left behind during his family's Christmas trip. The film was written by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus, and Culkin's performance earned him a Golden Globe nomination as well as American Comedy and Young Artist awards. John Candy, his Uncle Buck co-star, also appeared in the film.

He followed Home Alone with My Girl (1991), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), The Good Son (1993), The Nutcracker (1993), Getting Even with Dad (1994), The Pagemaster (1994), and Richie Rich (1994). In My Girl, he acted opposite Anna Chlumsky and won an MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss with her. His role as Henry Evans in The Good Son marked a move toward darker dramatic material.

After Richie Rich, Culkin stepped away from acting to focus on school and pursue a more ordinary adolescence. He later became associated with the child-star generation through honors including a 1991 Chicago Film Critics Association Award and his ranking near the top of VH1's list of the greatest kid stars.

Culkin's break from acting took place during a period of conflict surrounding his family and career management. After his parents separated, a custody dispute involved both the care of their children and control of Culkin's professional affairs. He also took steps to remove his parents from control of his trust fund and appointed an executor.

In 1998, Culkin married actress Rachel Miner. They separated in 2000 and divorced in 2002. He later dated actress Mila Kunis from 2002 to 2010.

Culkin was arrested in Oklahoma City in 2004 on drug-possession charges. He initially pleaded not guilty, later changed his plea to guilty, and received suspended prison sentences and financial penalties.

Culkin returned to live performance with Madame Melville, which opened in London's West End in 2000 and moved Off-Broadway the following year. He also appeared in Sex and Breakfast (2007), The Wrong Ferarri (2011), Adam Green's Aladdin (2016), and Changeland (2019).

His television work included appearances in Will & Grace, Kings, Dollface, American Horror Story: Double Feature, and The Righteous Gemstones. His performance as Mickey in the tenth season of American Horror Story received critical praise. He also provided voices for projects including Robot Chicken, Entergalactic, and Zootopia 2.

Culkin met actress Brenda Song while working on Changeland, and they began a relationship in 2017. They have two sons, born in 2021 and 2022. In 2023, Catherine O'Hara, who played his mother in Home Alone, attended the ceremony at which Culkin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Culkin wrote Junior, a 2006 experimental, semi-autobiographical novel about a young star and his troubled relationship with his father. He also explored music as lead vocalist of the comedy rock band the Pizza Underground, which performed pizza-themed versions of songs associated with the Velvet Underground. The group toured briefly before splitting up in 2016.

In 2018, Culkin launched Bunny Ears, a satirical popular-culture website and podcast. A public vote on the site led him to legally change his middle name to "Macaulay," making his full legal name Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin.

He has also revisited his best-known role through comedy and online media. In 2018, he played Kevin McCallister again in a Google Assistant advertisement that recreated scenes from Home Alone. His 2020 birthday post, beginning "Hey guys, wanna feel old? I'm 40. You're welcome," became one of the most-liked posts on Twitter.