Famous FamiliesEvery elite, out-of-touch, sickeningly rich celebrity was once a tiny helpless baby. It had parents, grandparents, maybe siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, godparents...
Updated December 16, 2021 1.0K votes 309 voters 41.0K views
Over 300 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of Facts About The Culkin Family We Just Learned That Made Us Say 'Really?'
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Vote up the facts about the Culkin clan you find most interesting.
If you've seen - or even heard of - the Christmas classic film Home Alone, you know the name Macaulay Culkin. He was a bratty, spunky 10-year-old when he took over the Hollywood spotlight in the early 1990s. Macaulay isn't the only famous Culkin kid, either. In fact, the Culkin brothers (Macaulay, Kieran, and Rory) have won the hearts of many fans over the last few decades with their many roles on screen. But, as with most Hollywood famed families, there's a lot more beneath the surface we didn't know about these kids while they were reaching stardom.
Check out these facts about the Culkin family and siblings and vote up the facts you find most surprising.
At 10 years old, Macaulay Culkin signed a contract to be the leading lad in Home Alone. The success of that film was highly unexpected, but it went on to gross more than $457 million. Despite Macaulay's memorable performance in this holiday comedy, he was paid only $100,000. Although that might seem like a hefty price for a 10-year-old in 1990, he actually increased his pay drastically in his following roles.
However, it's a shame for Macaulay that he got a little jilted acting in the movie because he doesn't even get royalties for the reruns.
Macaulay Culkin Was The First Child Actor To Earn $1 Million For A Single Role
Shortly after Home Alone's astounding success, Macaulay Culkin was offered a role in the 1991 film My Girl as the kid who's essentially allergic to everything. The film was wildly popular, and for a kid who had previously stunned audiences with his likeability, it's no wonder his pay went up substantially from what he received for Home Alone.
In fact, his million-dollar payout for the role made Macaulay the first child actor to ever make a million or more dollars for starring in a single film.
Macaulay Culkin found himself in the center of the Hollywood spotlight in the early 1990s after the extreme success of his first film Home Alone. After the movie broke box office records, everyone seemed to want a piece of the young actor including the New York comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live. At just 11 years old, Culkin took the stage in the live show at the end of 1991. And apparently he did his monologue and all of his skits without cue cards.
Regardless of his impressive performance, Macaulay was not the youngest host of the famed comedy show. In 1982, Drew Barrymore took the SNL stage at just 7 years old. She rose to fame after her role in E.T. and would go on to host the show multiple other times, but has yet to be dethroned as the youngest person to host.
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Dakota Culkin Tragically Passed After Being Hit By A Car
Dakota Culkin, the second of the seven Culkin children, was mostly unknown due to her siblings' - primarily her younger brother Macaulay's - success. As the only Culkin child to never act, it's no wonder she found herself living in their shadows.
In December of 2008, she was struck by a car in Los Angeles, resulting in severe head trauma. The driver of the car apparently stopped his vehicle after the collision and tried to render aid to save her life until EMTs arrived. It was determined that there was no foul play involved in the incident. She passed away in the hospital shortly thereafter.
The Family Of Nine Lived In A Tiny Apartment For Years
When Kit and Patricia arrived in Manhattan, they were hard up for cash, so it's unsurprising that the apartment they rented at the time was small. And before Macaulay Culkin's big break they apparently weren't any better off while they were having kids, so it would seem that they rented the same (or similar) apartments for the better half of 15 years or so.
There are multiple accounts of the size of their living quarters. Macaulay recalled the space being nothing more than a small, one-bedroom apartment where he and his siblings were "stacked on top of each other." Similarly, Kieran described the space as being "just a hallway, and there were no separating doors, except for the bathroom, which didn't have a lock." Other descriptions say the apartment was a two-bedroom walk-up apartment, but no matter the definite size of the space, all descriptions point to one thing: it was small for nine people.
Kieran even jokingly said, "They raised seven kids in that apartment - for years! They just kept bringing babies home to this little space."
Macaulay Culkin put his family's name on the map with his portrayal of Kevin McCallister in the classic comedy Home Alone. He then went on to garner more fame with roles in other movies like My Girl and friendships with major stars like Michael Jackson. However, he's not the only Culkin who has found reasonable success in Hollywood. Macaulay's younger brothers Kieran and Rory have also found roles in successful roles in Succession and Scream 4, respectively.
Yet, there are more. The Culkin parents, Kit and Patricia, actually had seven total kids together: Christian, Dakota, Macaulay, Kieran, Rory, Shane, and Quinn. Of all of the siblings in the famous family, only one never tried acting (Dakota), and although the other six have all tried their hands in front of the camera, some of their careers were short-lived.
