Kieran Culkin reveals how he felt about his brother Macaulay’s ‘Home Alone’ fame

Kieran Culkin reached a new level of fame when he landed the role of Roman Roy in The Heir, but it’s a completely different situation than his brother. Macaulay Culkinencountered at a young age.

His older brother, who Kieran refers to as Mac, hit it big in the 90s with Home Alone, followed by outstanding performances in My Girlfriend, Richie Rich and The Good Son.

But all Kieran could think was “poor damn guy” when he saw his sibling’s celebrity rise to truly insane heights at the tender age of 10.

“He was small and he had to try to accept that level of fame as reality,” Kieran said. Esq. for the magazine’s digital April issue, revealing that “Even back then, as a kid, I remember thinking It sucks for him“.

Kieran has spoken in the past about how much his brother’s incredible fame scared him. Hollywood Reporter in 2021, Macaulay “will be harassed on the street.”

“One day a woman took off his hat, looked at him and said: “Yes, it’s him! You are not so cute. And then he returned the hat and left,” said the actor “Igby Goes Down.”

The sight of the circus surrounding his brother’s celebrity appears to have affected his relationship with fame. Kieran told THR that he turned down a lot of offers after his success in 2002’s Igby because he “definitely wasn’t ready for all of this.”

Macaulay and Kieran Culkin pictured on January 1st.  1, 1991.
Macaulay and Kieran Culkin pictured on January 1st. 1, 1991.

Dave Bennett via Getty Images

“I couldn’t handle it and I think I knew it,” he explained. “I wouldn’t have been able to handle the kind of success or attention that came from it. So I literally ran away from him.”

Kieran, who just turned 40, now seems to have found his footing thanks to fame and a role in the HBO hit series.

Tune in on Sundays to watch the fourth and final season of The Heir.