Macaulay Culkin net worth is estimated to be around $18 million as of 2024. Macaulay Culkin is an American actor and musician born on August 26, 1980, in New York City. He was one of the biggest child stars of the 1990s and got a Golden Globe nomination for his work. In 2005, VH1 ranked him as the second-best kid star of all time. In 2023, he got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Culkin became famous for playing Kevin McCallister in the Christmas movie “Home Alone” and its sequel “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”. He also starred in the film “My Girl”, the thriller “The Good Son”, and the comedies “Getting Even with Dad” and “Richie Rich”. After taking a break from acting in 1995, he came back with the movie “Party Monster”. He later appeared in “Saved!”, “Sex and Breakfast”, “The Wrong Ferarri”, and “Adam Green’s Aladdin”. He starred in the comedy “Changeland” and appeared in the tenth season of “American Horror Story”. He also played a voice role in Kid Cudi’s special “Entergalactic”.
Culkin wrote a book called “Junior” about his life in the spotlight and his relationship with his dad. He was also the lead singer of the comedy rock band Pizza Underground from 2013 to 2016. In 2018, he became the publisher and CEO of Bunny Ears, a website and podcast about popular culture.
Macaulay Culkin in Brief
Full Name | Macaulay Carson Culkin |
Date of Birth | August 26, 1980 |
Place of Birth | New York City, New York, USA |
Occupation | Actor, Producer |
Height | 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm) |
Partners | Brenda Song, Mila Kunis Rachel Miner |
Children | 2 |
Net Worth | $18 million |
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What is Macaulay Culkin Net worth in 2024?
Macaulay Culkin is an American actor and musician with a net worth of $18 million, as of 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth. He became very famous in the 1990s after starring in popular movies like “Home Alone,” “Home Alone 2: Lost In New York,” “My Girl,” “Richie Rich,” “Uncle Buck,” and “The Good Son.”
At the height of his career, Culkin was one of the highest-paid actors, both child and adult. In the next section, we will look at how much he earned from his biggest movies.
Macaulay Culkin took a break from acting in the late 1990s and early 2000s but has since returned to TV and movies, including some independent films. Over the years, he has been the subject of many false stories in the tabloids. The media often fails to understand that he is a normal adult who prefers to keep his life private, away from the Hollywood spotlight. Seth Green, a fellow actor and childhood friend, often defends Culkin. In an interview on Marc Maron’s podcast, Green said that Culkin doesn’t care about what the news says and is happy living a private life with his wealth.
Macaulay Culkin Early Life and Education
Macaulay Carson Culkin was born on August 26, 1980, in New York City. His parents were Christopher Cornelius “Kit” Culkin, a former stage actor, and Patricia Brentrup, who was from North Dakota. Patricia and Kit met in 1974 while Patricia was working as a traffic controller in Sundance, Wyoming. They moved to New York City, where they had seven children. Macaulay’s siblings are Shane, Dakota (who passed away), Kieran, Quinn, Christian, and Rory. Macaulay also had a half-sister named Jennifer, who died in 2000. His aunt is actress Bonnie Bedelia, and he has some Irish ancestry.
When Macaulay was young, his family lived in a small apartment in the Yorkville area of Manhattan and struggled with money. His mom worked as a telephone operator, and his dad was a sacristan at a local church. Macaulay was raised Roman Catholic and went to St. Joseph’s School of Yorkville for five years before moving to the Professional Children’s School.
Macaulay has spoken about his father’s harsh behavior. He felt that his dad was jealous of his success, as Macaulay achieved many things before he was ten years old. His parents never married, and they split up when Macaulay was a teenager. His mom sought custody, and Macaulay went to court to protect his trust fund, which was worth between $15 and $20 million. He has not been close with his father since then. Some reports mistakenly said Macaulay had divorced or separated from his parents, but in 2018, he clarified that he had just removed their names from his trust fund and appointed a new executor.
Macaulay Culkin Career
Macaulay Culkin started acting when he was just four years old. His first role was in a stage play called “Bach Babies” with the New York Philharmonic. During the 1980s, he kept acting in stage plays, TV shows, and movies. He was in the TV movie “The Midnight Hour” and appeared in “The Equalizer” as a kidnapping victim named Paul Gephardt.
Macaulay Culkin made his movie debut in “Rocket Gibraltar” as Cy Blue Black in 1988. He then played Billy Livingstone in the romantic comedy “See You in the Morning” in 1989, alongside stars like Jeff Bridges and Drew Barrymore. He also starred as Miles Russell in the comedy “Uncle Buck” the same year.
In 1990, Culkin became famous for his role as Kevin McCallister in “Home Alone.” This film reunited him with the writer and director John Hughes and co-star John Candy. For his performance, Culkin was nominated for a Golden Globe and won awards like the American Comedy Award and the Young Artist Award. Joe Pesci, his co-star, described Culkin as a “really sweet kid” and very professional.
In 1991, Culkin voiced a character in the animated series “Wish Kid,” hosted “Saturday Night Live,” and appeared in Michael Jackson’s music video for “Black or White.” He also starred in “My Girl” and won awards for Best Kiss and Best On-Screen Duo with Anna Chlumsky.
For “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” in 1992, Culkin’s salary was much higher than for the first film. He then played Henry in the thriller “The Good Son” in 1993 and was nominated for an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain. He also performed in a filmed version of “The Nutcracker” and appeared in “Getting Even with Dad,” “The Pagemaster,” and “Richie Rich” in 1994.
Tired of acting, Culkin retired after “Richie Rich” to have a more normal life and attended a private high school. In 1998, he appeared in Sonic Youth’s music video for “Sunday.”
In 2000, Culkin returned to acting with the play “Madame Melville” in London’s West End. He also made a guest appearance on “Will & Grace” and played a different role in “Party Monster” as Michael Alig. He was also in “Saved!” and started doing voice-over work, including on “Robot Chicken.” In 2005, VH1 ranked him as the second greatest kid star behind Gary Coleman.
Macaulay Culkin published a novel called “Junior” in 2006, which discussed his fame and relationship with his father. He also starred in the dark comedy “Sex and Breakfast” and the TV series “Kings” as Andrew Cross. In 2009, he appeared in a commercial for Aviva Insurance and made a cameo on WWE Raw.
In February 2010, Macaulay Culkin was featured in “The Park,” an online series by The New York Times. He also paid tribute to John Hughes at the Oscars and appeared in Adam Green’s experimental film “The Wrong Ferarri.” In April 2011, he appeared in a music video for Jack Dishel.
In December 2013, Culkin’s viral video of eating cheese pizza was a parody of Andy Warhol. He promoted his band, The Pizza Underground, which faced challenges during their UK tour. By July 2016, he announced the band’s breakup.
In 2018, Culkin launched a comedy website and podcast called Bunny Ears. He also appeared in several web series and reprised his role as Kevin McCallister in a Google Assistant ad. In 2019, he was in Seth Green’s film “Changeland.”
In 2021, Macaulay Culkin starred in the tenth season of “American Horror Story: Double Feature,” receiving critical acclaim. On December 1, 2023, he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with his co-stars Catherine O’Hara and Natasha Lyonne attending the ceremony.
Macaulay Culkin Personal Life
Macaulay Culkin usually keeps his personal life private. However, he has talked about his early acting career, his family troubles, including his strained relationship with his father, and his decision to stop acting when he was just 14. He now lives in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles, in a home that used to belong to Kiefer Sutherland.
On September 17, Culkin was arrested in Oklahoma City for having 17.3 grams of marijuana and two prescription drugs: alprazolam and clonazepam. He was briefly jailed and then released on $4,000 bail. In court, he initially pleaded not guilty but later changed his plea to guilty. He received three one-year suspended prison sentences and had to pay $540 in fees.
In December, Culkin decided to legally change his name to “Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin” after his website voted for a new middle name. The name “Macaulay Culkin” won. By April, the name change was officially completed.
On his 40th birthday in August, Macaulay Culkin tweeted about feeling old. The tweet became one of the most-liked ever, reaching number 9.
Relationships
Macaulay Culkin married actress Rachel Miner in 1998 when they were both 18, but they split in 2000 and divorced in 2002.
He started dating actress Mila Kunis in May 2002. By 2006, he was living in New York while Kunis was in Los Angeles. By January 3, 2011, it was confirmed that they had broken up, but they remained good friends.
In March 2018, Culkin began dating Brenda Song, his co-star from “Changeland.” On April 5, 2021, they welcomed a son. After the birth, comments Culkin made on “The Joe Rogan Experience” in 2018 resurfaced. He joked about Song’s Asian heritage and their future children, which some criticized as racist. Culkin defended his comments, saying he could make such jokes due to his relationship with Song and their multiracial children. Their second child was born in December 2022.
Friendship
During the filming of “Home Alone,” Culkin became friends with pop star Michael Jackson and appeared in Jackson’s music video for “Black or White.” In 2005, Culkin testified in Jackson’s trial for child abuse, stating that he had slept in Jackson’s bed but was never abused. He called the abuse allegations “absolutely ridiculous” and attended Jackson’s funeral in 2009. Culkin is also the godfather of Jackson’s children and has defended Jackson against molestation claims, stating he never saw anything inappropriate.
Macaulay Culkin is also close friends with actor Seth Green. They worked together on “Party Monster,” Green’s directorial debut “Changeland,” and Green’s animated show “Robot Chicken.”