Where has Macaulay Culkin been? Although his childhood acting heyday is far behind him, Culkin occasionally pops back up in the zeitgeist (and into our hearts) in a wide variety of contexts, whether it be with his surprising relationship with Mila Kunis or his exceptionally weird concept band that is a tribute to both The Velvet Underground and pizza. He is not alone on the list of child actors who stopped acting, but he does seem to have a certain je ne sais quoi about him that makes his intermittent public appearances extra special.
In December 2018, Culkin revisited what is arguably his most famous role - Kevin McAllister - for a fun, tech-fueled take on Home Alone. In the ad for Google Assistant, Culkin goes through all of his Home Alone antics, but this time, he has Google helping him out with things like turning down the scary furnace and putting "Operation Kevin" into motion. Adult Kevin is just as precocious as child Kevin in this nostalgia-fueled ad.
Macaulay Culkin Became Emancipated From His Parents At 14
Culkin's dad Kit was his manager, and he didn't have a great reputation around Hollywood. He was a heavy drinker, arrogant and domineering - the stereotypical parent of a child actor, but worse. Culkin's mom Patricia wasn't much better, which ultimately led to a brutal custody battle that seemed to have a lot more to do with Macaulay's amassed wealth then their shared DNA.
Culkin retired at 14 with a fortune that ranged anywhere from $17 million to $50 million, depending on the source, and sought representation so he could be legally emancipated from his parents; he was within a year. Kit Culkin recently told Daily Mail that Macaulay is no longer his son.
The Pizza Underground formed in 2012 and it's both ridiculous and riveting. The group claims to be a Velvet Underground tribute band, which it generally is, but it replaces lyrics to their songs with pizza themes and puns. One band member, Deenah Vollmer, even "plays" a pizza box.
The band has received... mixed reviews. In 2014 at Nottingham Rock City, they were violently ushered off-stage by irate onlookers who threw pints of beer at them just 15 minutes into the show. They canceled their ensuing European tour due to something they called a "cheesemergency." Somehow, as of late 2016, the band was still at it, claiming they had a free album on the way, but it's unclear if they're still working as their social media has become rather silent.
In 2012, rumors of Culkin having serious drug problems started flooding tabloids. It started with an photo snapped of him in which he looked a bit on the unhealthy side. It was shortly after his breakup with Mila Kunis, and he had been arrested for drug possession in the past, which added fuel to the fire. Culkin, of course, was not pleased with the press, but it was more about the tone of the coverage that he found most offensive.
"I was not pounding six grand of heroin every month or whatever. The thing that bugged me was tabloids wrapping it all in this weird guise of concern. No, you’re trying to shift papers," he told The Guardian. Whether or not he did have a battle with drugs isn't illuminated, but he seems to be in a good place now.
Macaulay Culkin's not-novel, Junior, is hard to classify. When ABC News reported on it in 2006, they had such a difficult time summarizing it, so they opted to include the entire introduction of the book in their article. Junior takes on many literary (and non-literary) forms: a collection of vignettes, some stream-of-consciousness, and even cartoons. It is an autobiography, in many ways, as it's about a child star with daddy issues, and yet claims not to be.
Perhaps the real title of the book says all it needs to say: Junior, or Oscar De La Mancha, The Wembling Warrior, and the People I Like the Least. Not A Novel. A written project from the normal, well adjusted and 'No I don't have issues with my father!' mind of … junior (meaning me)
He Was Cast In Season 10 Of 'American Horror Story'
American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy announced in February 2020 that Macaulay Culkin would joining the cast of the horror anthology series for their tenth season. Culkin hasn't appeared in a substantial television series since his role as a voice actor in Robot Chicken.
Culkin will appear alongside Kathy Bates, Leslie Grossman, Billie Lourd, Adina Porter, Lily Rabe, Angelica Ross, Finn Wittrock, as well as retuning stars Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters.
