There are a few things you don’t see often in pop culture – a humble Kayne West, a well-adjusted Tom Cruise and Macaulay Culkin. The former child actor, now 37 (yes, I feel very old knowing this) showed up for a rare interview on Monday’s Ellen DeGeneres show. He looked back on his career, including his most famous film, the Christmas staple Home Alone, and talked about his life after child stardom.
Macaulay, who must have made some deal with the devil as he looks almost exactly like his childhood self, said that the similarity is “a curse and a blessing. I have the same face.” He added that “I can get into any restaurant I want without a reservation, but while I’m there everyone’s staring at me.” Of the role that made him famous, Mac admitted he goes into hibernation when the weather gets chilly, joking that, “I definitely don’t [go out]. It’s my season. It’s Macaulay season. I try to go out less and less around that time of year.”
If you do spot him out and about, however, don’t ask him to recreate his most well-known pose from Home Alone. He said when asked, which is apparently often, he politely demurs. “I’ve been there, done that already.” He also mentioned that he’s been asked many times to screen the movie with fans, which he noted was “both flattering and creepy.”
Mac talked about his decision to leave show biz at the peak of his career and attend high school, or, as he put it, “I lived the dream.” He said he took around a decade off because, “I was tired of it, to be honest, I did like 14 movies in six years or something like that.” He added that taking the time off was “the smartest thing I could have possibly done,” noting, “I was away from home a lot. I was away from school. I needed something else….It was great to be around people my own age for once.”
The actor certainly set up a solid financial foundation for himself, receiving the money he had earned at age 18. At the time, he recalled, “I felt like some kid worked really, really hard and I inherited all of his money.” He went on to say that his current financial situation “allows me to treat everything like a hobby.” His current “hobby” is his podcast and lifestyle brand, called Bunny Ears, which he describes as dealing with “things and stuff and stuff.” The brand is a spoof on other celebrity brands, like Goop, and the podcast deals with a wide range of topics, from firsts to conspiracy theories. Guests have included Seth Green and Breckin Meyer.
My favorite part of the interview came when Ellen showed Mac a photo which he describes as “the most 90s photo” he’s ever seen – a snap of him with Jaleel White (Urkel), Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser) and the Fresh Prince himself, Will Smith.
It’s great to see Macaulay looking so good. He looks way better than when he revisited his Home Alone character for a darkly comic video back in 2015. He’s really got his act together and maybe this means he’s once again ready to hit the big screen. To be honest, I’ve kind of missed him.
Photos: YouTube, Pacific Coast News, Getty Images
Have always liked him and think he has a lovely face. Good to hear what he’s up to. Big fan.
He was fantastic in Saved! although the movie overall was great. I would love to see him in more indie roles like that.
I love that movie and, yes, he was fantastic in it! I’ve always had a soft spot for him. I felt so bad for him when his parents were divorcing and fighting over him & his siblings. It seemed more about who was going to control the money than about the children. I’m glad to see he’s doing well these days.
Same here
I will always have a soft spot for him.
I was going to write those exact same words! My kids watched Home Alone more than any other movie when they were younger. We even went and looked at the “Home Alone house” in the Chicago ‘burb when we were not too far from there!
I’m glad to see him looking so good, he was looking alarmingly unhealthy for awhile. He seems to have a healthy outlook on his life, too.
I am surprised he is still alive considering he was throwing up in bushes a few years ago and appeared to have a significant drug problem. As a parent myself, I cannot imagine forcing my child to work and support the family. After everything he has been through, at such an early age, I am glad to see he is living the kind of life he wants.
To be completely honest, I’m sad he “cleaned himself up” for the Ellen interview. The pic with the bunny ears and the one holding the bottle – those are the real Mac. This clean cut guy in a lavender shirt can be a facet of him too, I guess. But it’s not his dominant style. It makes me wonder what he’s trying to sell. His podcast?
Maybe he just wants to prove that he can. People have been concern trolling him for awhile, so perhaps he decided that he’d do the clean cut look just for the heck of it. Imagine what people would be saying about him if he’d shown up in his scruff and grungy clothes look?
I saw him in Paris a few years back (out front of the Louvre – could I be even more touristy?!) and he looked like that bottom photo – very thin, wearing beat up jeans and a plaid shirt with gigantic headphones. He looked like he just wanted to be invisible. It’s my one celebrity “experience” lol
It would be so hard to spend your life gawked at like a zoo animal wherever you go.
He lost a lot of his childhood so I’m glad he seems to be doing alright and enjoying “hobby life”.
In this instance, I’m reminded of a “Kids in the Hall” sketch where Bruce McCullough is a perky secretary that laments, “But I’m cute! And the cute as a species doesn’t age well!”
It really does not.
He looks OK to me but it’s all relative. You must be an absolute vision to think he looks bad. Good for you.
LOL! Kathy!! Or Cathy!!
He looks exactly the same as when he was a kid when clean shaven. It must be a blessing and a curse.
He’s got a bit of Micheal Jackson nose going on there – other than that he does look like he did when he was little.
He can thank his father for that nose. it’s exactly the same.
I am so happy to see him sane and healthy, not to mention – alive. Arguably, as the most famous child actor in popculture, he did manage to finally come out on the other side.
Glad he’s on the right path of health and all that. Not everyone in that industry survives the pull of the lifestyle he’s been through. However, I cannot seem to reconcile that he’s 37! There’s still some baby face-ish-ness to his face, but obviously you can tell that he’s aged.
He honestly just always will remind me of drug abuse. Not to do w him per se but the movie he starred in Party Monster. That’s one movie that is hard to forget and he played his character spot it.
Also he doesn’t look good on Ellen. He looks like a manufactured ken doll version of himself. Why??
He is just acting, hence the vibe you are picking up….
He seems cool and goofy and kind of probably sober.
He looks healthy, he looks happy.
I have a soft spot for him because I think he has not become a total brat.
I also like how he is close to Paris Jackson, being some kind of cool godfather.
I heard him in Anna Faris’ podcast and he is definitely an interesting fella. A few years ago that was interesting as in very strange, but he seems to have mellowed into it a little bit. What was interesting was how she usually treys everyone as a peer even if she really looks up to them, but you could tell she was almost reverent about him. He occupies a unique spot in fame for sure.
Cleaned-Up Mac isn’t the real Mac. I’m glad if he’s getting back into acting. Wish only the best for him.
I love his quirky sense of humor. I’m glad to see him looking well…he was looking a little rough for a few years.
It is kind of insane how he looks exactly the same from his Home Alone days. It’s always baffled me how he has not changed a bit. He is unusual looking–not in a bad way but he has always had heavy, hooded looking eyes as a kid and as an adult it kind of gives him this creepy sort of vibe. Not his fault but I’ve always been amazed at how his face has never changed. He’s like Matthew Broderick that way.
He looks good. I’m glad he survived through all he’s been through. Wish him nothing but the best!
Interesting to think he was with Mila Kunis for so long….and then crashing with Pete Doherty for a short while…I’d love to have a drink with him just listen to all the stories.
His fame is really quite fascinating, and I think I’ll always remember him as the kid who “divorced his parents”. My parents at the time scoffed at how spoiled and ungrateful he was, but as I got older and heard the real stories I can’t imagine being worth so much money, having my siblings dragged into it, then thrust into the middle of a bitter custody battle. I truly respect that upon his emancipation at 14 he decided to go to school and try for some normalcy (even if that meant at 17 getting married). Coupled with the death of his sister 10 years ago and his return to acting at a time when so much has changed (social media, technology, etc), he’s survived a lot. It’s good to see him at peace.
I remember them dating for a very long time.
I think he looks hot in the pic w the headphones.
I follow his podcast, mostly bc I just enjoy hearing him laugh. It soothes me🤷🏻♀️
Btw: I don’t think this “cleaned” up “version” is him putting on any false pretenses for Ellen or the audience. There’s a photo of him going about his business also all cleaned up w a pair of glasses on. I do think though that this may be his way of telling/showing the world I’m good now, no need to
worry. I like that he’s letting us see it…he can go back to ripped jeans & long hair tomorrow
I loved the interview. He was refreshing and funny. He doesn’t take himself too seriously. I believe he has a movie coming out soon although he didn’t mention it.
He will always be Kevin to me. My own little slice of cognitive dissonance.
I think there was another movie kind of Home Alone but with another actor and I heard he was his little brother. That movie ( movies?!?!) wasn’t as noticeable as his. Am I making any sense?? Anyway his movies were my childhood go to movies and I liked them. No wonder he became so popular. Those movies were really really funny.
Many years ago when he was a little kid, he held the door open for me when I was carrying groceries in NYC. Seems like he’s the same sweet person.
So, do you guys think he’s Paris Jackson’s bio father?
I really like him. I loved to watch home alone and my girl.
I like this interview. He comes off witty and down to Earth.
when he walked out I said “My god he looks like he was trained in dance”having NO clue that as a child he was in The Nutcracker . Stunning posture. Am I the only one who noticed? (Don’t let be alone,people)
He seems like a gentle, peaceful soul. I wish all the best for him.
All things considered he is remarkably well adjusted. With the parents and fame that he had that was hardly a given.