Macaulay Culkin has opened up about one of the most meaningful relationships from his childhood acting years — his bond with the late comedian John Candy.
While the world knew Culkin as the cheeky, wide-eyed star of Home Alone, behind the scenes his home life was far from picture-perfect.
And Candy, he says, was one of the rare people who noticed.
John Candy Saw the Truth Early
In a new documentary, John Candy: I Like Me, which premiered this week at the Toronto International Film Festival, Culkin reflects on how Candy quickly picked up on the troubled relationship he had with his father, Kit Culkin.
“It wasn’t hard to see how difficult my father was,” Culkin admits. “Even before all the Home Alone fame, he was already a monster.”
Candy, who worked with Culkin on Uncle Buck in 1989, became a kind of father figure on set.
Culkin recalls Candy constantly checking in with him — asking if things were okay at home and making sure he felt supported.
“He was just looking out for me,” Culkin says. “It didn’t happen often in my life, so it meant a lot.”
Why Uncle Buck Still Matters
For Culkin, Uncle Buck remains one of his favorite performances, not just because it helped launch his career, but because of the warmth Candy brought to the project. “He put a lot of himself into it,” Culkin reflects.
“He was always so kind with child actors. It’s why that movie still feels so special to me.”
Remembering Candy’s Legacy
John Candy’s career spanned improv comedy beginnings in Toronto to iconic Hollywood roles.
From Planes, Trains and Automobiles to Cool Runnings, he became a household name known for his big heart as much as his humor.
He also made a memorable cameo in Home Alone as Gus Polinski, the “Polka King of the Midwest,” reuniting with Culkin in one of the film’s most beloved subplots.
Candy died unexpectedly of a heart attack in 1994 at just 43, leaving behind his wife and two children.
For Culkin, the memories of Candy’s kindness remain a rare light in an otherwise difficult childhood.
Growing Up Under Kit Culkin
Culkin’s rise to stardom was shadowed by the control of his father, who also acted as his manager.
In later years, Culkin accused him of emotional and physical abuse, recalling being denied a bed, being forced to stay up all night to study lines, and even being threatened with violence if he slipped up.
“He was jealous of me,” Culkin said in a past interview. “He was a bad man.”
The tension only worsened as fame — and money — poured in.
By the time Culkin was a teenager, he was worth millions, but his parents were locked in a bitter custody and financial battle.
Culkin eventually took legal steps to remove both parents’ names from his trust fund, sparking rumors he had “divorced” them.
The Fallout of Fame
Despite becoming one of the biggest child stars in history with an estimated fortune of $50 million, Culkin’s early fame came at a heavy personal cost.
His father’s mismanagement, emotional manipulation, and control left him deeply scarred.
In interviews, Culkin has been candid about how desperately he wanted a break from Hollywood at the height of his fame.
Finding His Own Path
Today, Culkin credits his difficult upbringing with shaping the kind of father he wants to be.
He and fiancée Brenda Song are now raising two children, including their four-year-old son Dakota.
He’s stepped back into acting occasionally, appearing in projects like HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones, but his priority, he says, is his family.
A Lesson from John Candy
Looking back, Culkin says the kindness John Candy showed him on the Uncle Buck set has stayed with him through life.
“I remember John caring when not a lot of people did,” he reflects.
For Culkin, that small but powerful act of compassion serves as both a memory of what he missed in his own childhood and a reminder of the kind of parent — and person — he strives to be.