Macaulay Culkin graced the silver screen with his mischievous charm as Kevin McCallister in the Home Alone franchise, and the movies continue to be a fan favorite to date. However, as the makers decided to further expand the film series with a third installment, the face of the franchise, Culkin, opted against reprising his role, despite the initial movies being a critical and commercial success.
Home Alone 3 introduced a new cast, with Alex D. Linz taking the lead role. And fans were left wondering about Kevin McCallister’s absence in the movie. Later reports would reveal a rather surprising and somewhat disheartening reason for his departure from the Home Alone film series and his journey in the glam world of Hollywood.
What Was the Reason Behind Macaulay Culkin’s Absence in Home Alone 3?
Macaulay Culkin started working as an actor from a very early age. Following several stage and TV appearances, he had his big break in Chris Columbus‘ Christmas comedy, Home Alone. The movie made him an instant star and brought in even more opportunities for the actor.
Along with reprising his Home Alone role in a sequel, he would go on to star in movies like My Girl, The Good Son, and Richie Rich. However, the latter would end up being the last film featuring Culkin as a child star, as he went on a hiatus from acting after its release in 1994.
The film is also believed to be the reason why the Changeland actor decided not to reprise his role. As per Vanity Fair, he told his parents, “I’m done, guys—hope you all made your money because there is no more coming from me.”
Reports also suggest that he had grown “tired” of the character and did not know what more he could do with him in the threequel. While he made some guest appearances during his hiatus, Culkin returned to the silver screen with the 2003 biographical crime drama Party Monster.
Read More: One Tiny Detail From Home Alone That Explains the Ill Fate of Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin
Macaulay Culkin on Taking a Break From Acting
By the time he was in his mid-teens years, Macaulay Culkin had done more than 10 movies and had featured in multiple TV shows as well. And he wanted to take a break before moving ahead with more projects. However, his father, who was also his manager, did not want the same and kept them coming.
“I just wanted a little bit of a break. I wanted a summer vacation for the first time in, you know, forever,” he shared. However, his hiatus did not stop the offers he got as he claimed that he could have starred in multiple “cheesy teen movies” if he had not backed out. He also stated how he could never escape the show business even if he wanted to, saying, as per Time,
“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.”
However, once he returned to acting, he made sure not to get typecast based on the image his earlier movies had created for him. Following his return with Party Monster, he showcased a shift to more mature and darker roles in several indie films. He also starred in American Horror Story.
The Home Alone franchise is available on Disney+.
