Macaulay Culkin is reflecting on the paternal relationship he had with his late Uncle Buck costar John Candy.
Culkin, 45, played Candy’s nephew in the hit 1989 comedy and recalls some of his on-set memories in a new documentary, John Candy: I Like Me, which had its world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday, September 4, ahead of its Prime Video debut on October 10.
In particular, the former child actor says Candy — who died of a heart attack in 1994 at age 43 — was among the first people to notice his difficult relationship with his father, Kit Culkin, who also served as Macaulay’s manager in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
“I think he always had that really great instinct,” Macaulay says in the Colin Hanks-directed doc, per Entertainment Weekly. “I think he saw. Listen, even before the wave crested and the Home Alone stuff was happening, it was not hard to see how difficult my father was. It was no secret. He was already a monster.”
Macaulay Culkin stole hearts across the world when he starred as the mischievous yet adorable Kevin McCallister in Home Alone. Ever since, he has had quite the Hollywood story. From a young age, the former child star has been surrounded by people in the entertainment industry. His father is Kit Culkin, a Broadway actor, and […]
He adds, “All of a sudden, the fame and the money came, and he became an infamous monster. He was already not a good guy. I think John was looking a little side-eyed, like, ‘Is everything all right over there? You doing good? Good day? Everything’s all right? Everything good at home? All right.’”
Candy’s vigilance over Macaulay’s well-being on set was a “a testament to the kind of man he was,” said the Home Alone star, affectionately remembering that Candy “was just looking out for” him.
“It doesn’t happen that often. It actually happened less as time went on. I wish I got more of that in my life,” Macaulay says in the film. “It’s important that I remember that. I remember John caring when not a lot of people did.”
Both Macaulay and brother Kieran Culkin have previously opened up about their challenging relationships with their estranged father. The brothers have had little to no contact with their dad since their mom, Patricia Brentrup, won custody of them and their siblings in 1997. (The brothers have five additional siblings, including Scream 4 actor Rory Culkin.)
“I was never tight with him to begin with. My concept of a father is almost one of those things you get from TV shows and movies, rather than having affection for a father,” Macaulay said on the “WTF With Marc Maron” podcast in 2018, alleging that Kit was “mentally and physically” abusive to him.
“I haven’t spoken to him in, what would it be, about 30-something years?” Macaulay more recently shared on the “Sibling Revelry” podcast hosted by Kate and Oliver Hudson in March. “He deserves it too. He’s a man who — he has seven kids, and now he has four grandkids, and none of them want anything to do with him.”
Macaulay Culkin was the first in his family to become a household name — but he isn’t the last. Before scoring his breakout role as Kevin McCallister in Home Alone, Macaulay was surrounded by actors in his family. His father, Kit Culkin, was a Broadway actor who appeared in several theater productions. Kit’s brother Terry […]
“I would know, as a man myself, I would know that I f***** up. I must have done something wrong. I have more than an inkling that he does not feel that way. Like [to him,] we’re wrong, and he’s right,” he added. “He’s one of those narcissistic crazy people. Me and him were always butting heads. Like I said, he was a bad man.”
Kit, now 80, has largely eschewed the spotlight since his separation from Macaulay’s mom and estrangement from his children. In a rare comment in 2016, he told the Daily Mail, “I don’t consider him a son anymore,” referring to Macaulay.
