- Macaulay Culkin
-
Macaulay Culkin 
Culkin at the Berlin Festival in 2010Born Macaulay Carson Culkin
August 26, 1980
New York City, New York, U.S.Occupation Actor Years active 1985–1994, 2000, 2003–present Spouse Rachel Miner (1998–2002) Partner Mila Kunis (2002–2010) Macaulay Carson Culkin (born August 26, 1980) is an American actor. He became widely known for his portrayal of Kevin McCallister in Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. He is also known for his roles in Richie Rich, Uncle Buck, My Girl and The Pagemaster. At the height of his fame, he was regarded as the most successful child actor since Shirley Temple.[1]
Culkin was ranked No. 2 in VH1 and E!'s respective lists, the "100 Greatest Kid-Stars" and "50 Greatest Child Stars".[2]
Contents
Early life
Culkin was born in Manhattan, New York City,[3] and raised in Yorkville. He is the son of Patricia Brentrup and Kit Culkin, a former stage actor known for his productions on Broadway.[4] Culkin was raised Roman Catholic;[5] he attended a Catholic school (St. Joseph's School of Yorkville) for 5 years[6] before moving on to Professional Children's School. Culkin also studied ballet at the School of American Ballet.[7] Culkin was the third of seven children, five boys and two girls: Shane (born 1976), Dakota (1978–2008),[8] Kieran (born 1982), Quinn (born 1984), Christian (born 1987), and Rory (born 1989). Culkin is the nephew of actress Bonnie Bedelia, his father's sister. During Culkin's early childhood, the family lived in a small apartment; his mother was a telephone operator and his father worked as a sacristan at a local Catholic church.[9]
Career
Culkin in 1991
Culkin began acting at the age of four. Early roles saw him appearing in a stage production of Bach Babies at the New York Philharmonic. He continued appearing in roles on stage, television, and in films throughout the 1980s. Notable parts in this period included an episode of the popular action series The Equalizer in which he played the victim of a kidnapping, and also in the TV movie The Midnight Hour. In 1989 he starred in Uncle Buck with John Candy.[10]
Culkin rose to international fame with his lead role as Kevin McCallister in the blockbuster film Home Alone (1990), where he was reunited with Uncle Buck writer and director John Hughes and Uncle Buck co-star John Candy.[11] He reprised the role of Kevin in the 1992 sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
Culkin also starred in a Saturday morning cartoon entitled Wish Kid, and hosted Saturday Night Live in late 1991.
By then, Culkin was in high demand and was paid a reported $750,000 by the World Wrestling Federation to serve as the ring bearer in Macho Man Randy Savage's wedding to Miss Elizabeth at SummerSlam in 1991.
Despite the huge success of Uncle Buck, Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, and My Girl, other films Culkin acted in, such as The Good Son, only did reasonably well (although he was nominated for MTV Movie Award in the category for Best Villain for his performance in the film). Getting Even with Dad, Richie Rich, and The Pagemaster, all released in 1994, were only mildly successful at the box office. He also appeared in a filmed version of The Nutcracker as the title role in 1993, which was staged from the 1954 George Balanchine New York City Ballet version of the ballet. He appeared in the 1998 music video for the song "Sunday" by the rock band Sonic Youth.
After several years of inactivity, Culkin returned to acting in 2000 with a role in the play Madame Melville, which was staged in London's West End.[12] In the spring of 2003, he made a guest appearance on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace.[13] His role as Karen Walker's deceptively immature divorce lawyer won him favorable reviews. Culkin headed back into motion pictures in 2003 with Party Monster, in which he played a role very different from those he was known for, that of party promoter Michael Alig, a drug user and murderer. He quickly followed that with a supporting part in Saved!, as a cynical wheelchair-bound, non-Christian student in a conservative Christian high school. Though Saved! only had modest success at the box office, Culkin received positive reviews for his role in the film and its implications for a career as an adult actor.[14][15][16]
Culkin began doing voice-over work, with his appearances on Seth Green's Robot Chicken. In 2006, he published an experimental, semi-autobiographical novel, Junior, which featured details into Culkin's stardom and his shaky relationship with his father. Culkin starred in Sex and Breakfast, a dark comedy written and directed by Miles Brandman.[17] Alexis Dziena, Kuno Becker and Eliza Dushku also star in this story of a couple whose therapist recommends group sex to them. Shooting for the film, Culkin's first since Saved!, took place in September 2006. The film opened in Los Angeles on November 30, 2007, and was released on DVD on January 22, 2008 by First Look Pictures. Culkin's next project was a role in the thirteen-episode NBC television series Kings as Andrew Cross.[18]
In 2009, Culkin appeared in a UK-based commercial for Aviva Insurance (formerly Norwich Union) to help promote their company's rebranding. Culkin stared into the camera citing the phrase "Remember me."
On August 17, 2009, Culkin made a brief cameo appearance on WWE Raw at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri, following a "falls count anywhere" match between Hornswoggle and Chavo Guerrero, in which Guerrero was defeated by the classic Home Alone gag of rigging a swinging paint can to hit him upon opening a door. Culkin appeared in the doorway and said, "That's not funny."
In February 2010 Culkin appeared in an episode of Poppy de Villeneuve's online series for the New York Times The Park.
On March 7 of the same year, he appeared alongside actors Matthew Broderick, Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Anthony Michael Hall and Jon Cryer in a tribute to the late John Hughes.
In April 2011, Culkin featured in musician Adam Green's experimental film The Wrong Ferarri which was entirely shot on iPhone. In the same month he also appeared in the music video for Stamp Your Name On It performed by Green's former bandmate Jack Dishel/Only Son.
Personal life
Culkin stated in an May 27, 2004 interview on Larry King Live, 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 child acting at 14.[19] Culkin married actress Rachel Miner in 1998,[20] but the couple later separated in 2000[21] and divorced in 2002.[22] Culkin began dating actress Mila Kunis in May 2002.[22] By 2006, Culkin was residing in New York, and Kunis was in Los Angeles.[23] On January 3, 2011, Kunis's publicist confirmed reports that Culkin and Kunis had ended their relationship several months previously, saying "The split was amicable, and they remain close friends."[24]
On September 17, 2004, Culkin was arrested in Oklahoma City for the possession of 17.3g of marijuana and two controlled substances, 16.5 mg of Alprazolam and 32 mg of Clonazepam,[25] for which Culkin was briefly jailed but soon released on a $4,000 bond.[26][27] After being arraigned in court for misdemeanor drug offenses, he pleaded not guilty at the trial (October 15, 2004 to June 9, 2005), then later reversed the plea to guilty. His lawyers reached a plea bargain with the state of Oklahoma and Culkin received three one-year suspended prison terms, forced enrollment into a probationary drug treatment program and a $540 fine. Culkin currently resides in Queens, New York.
Around the time of the first Home Alone movie, Culkin became close friends with pop singer Michael Jackson, making an appearance in Jackson's "Black or White" music video.
During the trial against Jackson, Culkin reported he had slept in Jackson's bed on countless occasions, but that Jackson never sexually molested him or touched him in improper ways, and referred to the allegations as "absolutely ridiculous."[28] Culkin attended Jackson's funeral on September 3, 2009.[29]
Filmography
Year Film Role Notes 1985 The Midnight Hour Halloween Kid 1988 The Equalizer Paul Gephardt (1 episode) 1988 Rocket Gibraltar Cy Blue Black 1989 See You in the Morning Billy Livingstone 1989 Uncle Buck Miles Russell 1990 Jacob's Ladder Gabe Singer Uncredited 1990 Home Alone Kevin McCallister American Comedy Award for Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture
Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Emerging Actor
Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor Starring in a Motion Picture
Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy1991 Wish Kid Nicholas McClary (Voice) 1991 Only the Lonely Billy Muldoon 1991 My Girl Thomas J. Sennett MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss shared with Anna Chlumsky
Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo shared with Anna Chlumsky1992 Home Alone 2: Lost in New York Kevin McCallister 1993 Dangerous - The Short Films Himself 1993 The Good Son Henry Evans Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Villain 1993 The Nutcracker The Nutcracker Prince 1994 Getting Even with Dad Timmy Gleason 1994 The Pagemaster Richard Tyler 1994 Frasier Elliot (Voice) (1 episode) 1994 Richie Rich Richie Rich 2000 Madame Melville Carl Play 2003 Party Monster Michael Alig 2003 Will & Grace Jason "J.T." Towne aka Soupy 1 episode 2004 Foster Hall Clark Hall 2004 Saved! Roland 2004 Jerusalemski Sindrom Unknown 2005–2010 Robot Chicken Bastian Bux (voice)/ Kevin McCallister / Billy / Kid (voice) 5 episodes 2007 Sex and Breakfast James Fitz 2009 Kings Andrew Cross TV series 2010 The Park A celebration of Central Park made for the New York Times. 2011 The Wrong Ferarri, A Screwball Tragedy - A Film by Adam Green Various Filmed entirely with an iPhone References
- ^ Gliatto, Tom (December 17, 1990). "Running Away with the Box Office by Staying Home Alone, Macaulay Culkin Is Hollywood's Newest Little Big Man". People. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20113961,00.html. Retrieved 2010-2-22.
- ^ "The Greatest : 100 Greatest Kid Stars (100 - 81) | VSPOT Video Clips, Photos, Episodes and Real Online Message Boards from the Reality TV Show | VH1.com". VH1.com<!. http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_greatest/92319/episode.jhtml. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ Neal, Rome (June 4, 2004). "Macaulay Culkin's 'Saved!'". CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/06/03/earlyshow/leisure/celebspot/main621018.shtml. Retrieved 2010-2-23.
- ^ "Macaulay Culkin Biography (1978?-)". Filmreference.com. http://www.filmreference.com/film/69/Macaulay-Culkin.html. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "CNN.com - Transcripts". Transcripts.cnn.com. 2004-05-27. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0405/27/lkl.00.html. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ Rebecca, John. "Macaulay Culkin Talks About "Saved!"". About.com. http://movies.about.com/cs/saved/a/savedmc051704_3.htm. Retrieved 2010-06-22.
- ^ "Culkin biography at". Fandango.com. 1980-08-26. http://www.fandango.com/macaulayculkin/biographies/p16081. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "Macaulay's Sister Dies - TMZ.com". TMZ.com<!. 2008-12-11. http://www.tmz.com/2008/12/11/macaulays-sister-dies/. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "FILM / 'I thought nothing could possibly go wrong. Huh': Ian McEwan was happy with his first Hollywood film. It was small, but classy. Then along came Macaulay Culkin's dad . . . Sabine Durrant reports"]. London: The Independent. 1993-08-19. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film--i-thought-nothing-could-possibly-go-wrong-huh-ian-mcewan-was-happy-with-his-first-hollywood-film-it-was-small-but-classy-then-along-came-macaulay-culkins-dad----sabine-durrant-reports-1461990.html. Retrieved 2010-08-08.
- ^ "Uncle Buck: John Candy, Macaulay Culkin, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby Hoffmann, Amy Madigan, Elaine Bromka, Garrett M. Brown, Laurie Metcalf, Jay Underwood, Brian Taran...". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0783227388. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ Home Alone (1990)
- ^ "ENTERTAINMENT | Culkin happy away from home". BBC News. 2000-10-19. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/978449.stm. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "Macaulay Culkin - Yahoo! TV". Tv.yahoo.com. 1980-08-26. http://tv.yahoo.com/macaulay-culkin/contributor/34747. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ Burr, Ty (2004-06-11). "Saved! Movie Review - Saved! Movie Trailer - The Boston Globe". Boston.com. http://www.boston.com/movies/display?display=movie&id=5965. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ Guidelive.com[dead link]
- ^ Denby, David (2009-01-07). "Outsiders: The New Yorker". The New Yorker<!. http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/05/31/040531crci_cinema. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "Movies - News - Macaulay Culkin has 'Sex and Breakfast' - Digital Spy". Digital Spy<!. 2006-08-03. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/a35507/macaulay-culkin-has-sex-and-breakfast.html. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "NBC's Kings snags Macaulay Culkin - TV Squad". TV Squad<!. 2008-07-22. http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/10/24/nbcs-kings-snags-macaulay-culkin/. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ Larry King Live. CNN. May 27, 2004. (Video on YouTube)
- ^ "He's not home alone now. (teen actors Rachel Miner and Macaulay Culkin, both 17, announce their marriage intentions)(Brief Article) | Article from Newsweek | HighBeam Research". Highbeam.com. 1998-04-13. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-20473177.html. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ Tyrangiel, Josh (August 14, 2000). "People: Aug. 14, 2000". Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,997713,00.html. Retrieved 2010-2-21.
- ^ a b Friedman, Roger (August 20, 2002). "Macaulay Culkin's Happy 'Ending'". Fox News.com. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,60843,00.html. Retrieved 2010-2-21.
- ^ "Culkin and Kunis Plan a Wedding". Hollywood.com. http://www.hollywood.com/news/detail/id/3476357.
- ^ Jessica Derschowitz (January 3, 2011). "Mila Kunis and Macaulay Culkin Split". CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31749_162-20026954-10391698.html. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
- ^ "Actor Macaulay Culkin arrested for drug possession". Usatoday.com. 2004-09-17. http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2004-09-17-culkin-arrest_x.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "Macaulay Culkin Drug Bust - September 17, 2004". Thesmokinggun.com. 2004-09-17. http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0917042_culkin_1.html. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "Macaulay Culkin Arrested On Drug Charges". http://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/celebrity/news/daily-gossip/2004/040920-macaulay-culkin-in-jail-alone.aspx.
- ^ "CNN.com". 2005-05-11. http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/05/11/jackson.trial/index.html.
- ^ Kaufman, Gil (2009-09-04). "Michael Jackson's Kids Lay Golden Crown On His Casket At Funeral". MTV.com. Viacom. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1620834/20090904/jackson_michael.jhtml. Retrieved 2010-05-17.
External links
- Macaulay Culkin at the Internet Movie Database
- BBC News report on drug charges
- Oklahoma Court case file report
- Oklahoma police report file at thesmokinggun.com
Home Alone Home Alone (1990) · Home Alone 2 (1992) · Home Alone 3 (1997) · Home Alone 4 (2002) Lead actors Video games Music Characters Kevin McCallister
CategoryPeople v. Jackson Key figures Judge Rodney MelvilleProsecution figures Witnesses for the prosecution Defense figures Witnesses for the defense Other elements Categories:- 1980 births
- Actors from New York City
- American ballet dancers
- American child actors
- American film actors
- American people of Irish descent
- American stage actors
- American television actors
- American voice actors
- Living people
- People from New York City
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