Macaulay Culkin became a movie star at the age of 10, but he quickly fell off the radar after Home Alone 2. Here’s what happened to him.

What Happened To Macaulay Culkin?

SUMMARY

 Macaulay Culkin took a break from acting in 1995, retreating from the pressures of early fame and personal challenges.
Culkin returned to acting in the mid-2000s, taking on more mature and darker roles to shed his child star image.
Culkin starred in American Horror Story and received praise for his compelling and nuanced performance, re-establishing himself as a versatile actor.

Macaulay Culkin was one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood at the age of just 10 years old, but the actor seemingly disappeared in the mid-’90s, raising the question of what happened to him.

Culkin’s meteoric rise to fame is synonymous with his portrayal of Kevin McCallister at the center of the Home Alone cast.

That film, which turned him into a household name, showcased Culkin’s extraordinary ability to carry a blockbuster on his young shoulders, charming audiences worldwide with his clever antics and memorable one-liners.

The success of Home Alone not only cemented Culkin’s status as a huge movie star but also left an indelible mark on pop culture.

After reprising his role in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Culkin’s on-screen presence began to wane.

While he enjoyed success with other family films like My Girl and Richie Rich, his career didn’t maintain the momentum it had gained from the Home Alone movies.

In a landscape where child stars often struggle with the transition into adult roles, Culkin became more known for his early work rather than for a continued string of noteworthy performances.

His early career success created a legend, but it also cast a long shadow over his subsequent endeavors in the film industry.

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Macaulay Culkin Took A Break From Acting In 1995

Culkin’s Last Pre-Hiatus Role Was 1994’s Richie Rich

The mid-’90s marked a significant turning point for Macaulay Culkin when he decided to take a step back from the limelight. In 1995, following a string of films that failed to replicate the success of his earlier hits, Culkin chose to pause his acting career (via Time).

This hiatus appeared to be a retreat from the pressures of early fame and the challenges he faced in his personal life, including his highly publicized legal battle over his trust fund and his parents’ contentious custody fight (via LA Times).

Culkin’s departure from acting allowed him to have a semblance of a normal childhood. Here’s what Culkin said about his retirement:

“When I stopped, I just thought it was over, and I was never, ever going to do it again … I was just hoping to disappear off the face of the earth. It took me about six years to figure out you can’t back out of this.”

The actor even turned down a huge payday, as Culkin refused to return for Home Alone 3.

During his period away from film sets, Culkin largely remained out of the public eye.

His break from acting extended into the late ’90s and early 2000s, with Culkin avoiding Hollywood’s calls and the type of roles that had previously typecast him.

This allowed him to explore life outside the entertainment industry and to mature away from expectations and the image that had been crafted for him at such a young age.

It wasn’t until the mid-2000s that Culkin re-emerged as an actor, signaling a new chapter in his career.

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What Macaulay Culkin Appeared In After He Returned To Acting

Culkin shed the cute perception of him with much darker roles

Macaulay Culkin’s return to acting in the mid-2000s was marked by a shift toward more mature and sometimes darker roles, indicating his intent to shed the child star image.

The 2003 movie Party Monster was Culkin’s return to the big screen for the first time in nine years, following 1994’s Richie Rich.

Based on the documentary of the same name, the disturbing crime drama sees Culkin portraying Michael Alig, the drug-addled “king of the Club Kids.

Following that, Culkin co-starred in 2004’s Saved!, a black comedy about a Christian high school girl who sleeps with her boyfriend in an attempt to “cure” him of his homosexuality, only to become pregnant.

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Culkin’s performances in these indie films garnered attention for their departure from his previous work in the ’90s, showcasing his range and willingness to take on challenging and unconventional characters.

These roles, while not blockbuster hits, demonstrated Culkin’s versatility as an actor.

They also signaled his readiness to redefine his career on his own terms, taking on projects that resonated with him personally and professionally.

The films might not have been overwhelmingly critically acclaimed, but they have become cult hits.

Culkin also made appearances on television, most notably on the hit sitcom Will & Grace, and in stage productions, reflecting a broader exploration of his acting talents.

Despite these forays into different mediums, Culkin’s career post-comeback did not mirror the high profile of his early years.

His selective approach to choosing roles meant fewer appearances, but it allowed him to pursue a path that felt authentic to him.

It was a measured return to the industry that once propelled him into stardom, now with a newfound perspective and maturity.

Even in the 2020s, the actor might still be trying to distance himself from the Home Alone franchise, as Culkin wasn’t in Home Sweet Home Alone.

Macaulay Culkin Was Praised For His Role In American Horror Story

Culkin starred in American Horror Story season 10

The anthology series American Horror Story provided Macaulay Culkin with a platform to display his acting prowess in a new light.

Culkin played Mickey in American Horror Story: Red Tide, which was the first half of the 10th season of the show, known officially as “Double Feature.”

While it doesn’t rank particularly highly when it comes to the best American Horror Story seasons, Culkin became a fan favorite in his role as Mickey, a sweet and innocent character surrounded by much darker characters.

Culkin brought a compelling and nuanced performance to the screen, and once again, this was a departure from his earlier, more innocent roles, allowing him to engage with a more mature audience.

The series’ diverse and often dark themes gave Culkin the opportunity to explore a complex character, which he executed with a depth that reminded viewers of his significant talents as an actor.

His performance stood out, contributing to the series’ success and re-establishing him as a versatile and capable actor.

Macaulay Culkin’s Music Career Explained

Culkin formed a Velvet Underground novelty cover band

In addition to his acting endeavors, Macaulay Culkin also ventured into the music industry, forming a band called The Pizza Underground.

The group, known for their humorous pizza-themed renditions of songs by The Velvet Underground showcased Culkin’s whimsical and unconventional artistic side.

Despite the band’s niche appeal, they enjoyed a cult following, performing in various venues and generating media buzz largely due to Culkin’s celebrity.

However, the band was short-lived, disbanding in 2018 after forming in 2013, but not before leaving an indelible mark on the novelty music scene.

While The Pizza Underground never released an album, the band’s existence added another layer to Macaulay Culkin‘s post-acting career, highlighting his willingness to experiment and engage with creative pursuits outside of acting.

While his music career might not have achieved mainstream success, it underscored his desire to express himself without being confined to the expectations set by his early fame.