There are many celebrity families in Hollywood. Indeed, many of these families enjoy the lifestyle of the rich and famous. Of course, there's another side that often rears its ugly head. The Culkin family is one of the most famous and tragic celebrity families. Several of the Culkin kids have had very successful careers in movies and television. Of course, none ever reached the heights of Macaulay Culkin. He became a household name with his role in the classic Christmas movie Home Alone and its sequel Home Alone 2: Lost In New York. He quickly became the most famous little kid in the world.

However, the success and fame pale in comparison to the real-life drama. The family struggled with money, success, and each other. The family has its fair share of secrets they hoped would never see the light of day. It's time to take a closer look at the Culkin family. Here are 20 Low-Key Facts The Culkin Family Wants To Keep Secret.

20 Kit Culkin Failed As A Child Actor

Kit Culkin had dreams of being a world-famous actor. However, that's not how things worked out for him. Indeed, Kit's lifelong goal was to be a major Hollywood star, but he ended up failing. He barely had a career. According to Macaulay, Kit once performed in King Lear off-Broadway and fell off the stage. The injury was enough to keep him from performing. However, his failure to achieve his dream turned into a nightmare for his kids.

19 The Culkin Family Was Dirt Poor For Years

The Culkin family struggled for years before Macaulay became a major Hollywood star. The family lived in a small apartment with seven kids crammed in a tiny space. The family lived there for years before finally making it big. Macaulay's success changed the family's life. At one point, a director paid for Macaulay's transportation to ensure he made it to every rehearsal.

18 Kit Pushed Eldest Child Shane Culkin, To Become An Actor But Pushed Him Aside For Macaulay

Macaulay Culkin started the family's success, but the family business didn't start with him. Indeed, Kit first pushed his eldest child, Shane Culkin, into acting. He forced Shane to several auditions hoping his son would land a significant role. Macaulay joined his brother on a few auditions and stole the spotlight from him. Kit soon pushed Shane to the side and put all of his attention on Macaulay.

17 Kit Culkin's Dark Side And The Divorce

In 1990, Home Alone hit theatres and became an instant hit. It's now one of the most iconic movies of all time. Macaulay Culkin became one of the most famous kids in the world. However, with all the money and fame came a whole set of new problems; Kit Culkin's dark side emerged. He was emotionally, verbally, and physically abusive. The parents went through a public and very bitter divorce. Macaulay and the other kids found themselves in the middle of it all.

16 Kit Forced Kids To Sleep On Couch After The Divorce

Kit Culkin became more and more challenging to handle. He took his feelings about the divorce out on his kids. The situation only became more intense. After the divorce, The Culkin kids would often stay with their father. He forced the kids to sleep on the couch and wouldn't share his bed with them. He even told them that he was making them sleep on the coach to prove that he's still in control.

15 Kit Demanded Macaulay Star In The Good Son

Kit Culkin was heavily involved in Macaulay's career. Following the success of Home Alone, Kit was on the search for his son's next significant role and found The Good Son. Kit was determined to land the role for his son and threatened to pull Macaulay from Home Alone 2 if he didn't get the part. However, The Good Son was put on hold while Macaulay shot the sequel. The Good Son's director wanted to move on, but Kit threatened to pull Macaulay again. Kit once again got his way.

14 Kit Culkin’s List Of Demands

Macaulay had a few more memorable roles in his career other than Home Alone. Of course, Kit Culkin was there with his list of demands. He took issues with several aspects of the production. He even wrote a letter to the producer demanding several changes. However, the producer wasn't going to put up with Kit and shot back. He called Kit's bluff, and soon Kit retracted all of his demands.

13 Macaulay Culkin Didn’t Want To Kiss Anna Chlumsky In My Girl

Audiences always remember Macaulay Culkin for his role as Kevin McCallister. However, his other memorable part was in the classic film My Girl. Macaulay showed a different side in the heartbreaking movie. However, he did have a few issues. Well, only one problem really, which was kissing co-star Anna Chlumsky. It wasn't anything personal. He was young and didn't want to kiss a girl. Of course, like most boys, that soon changed.

12 Macaulay’s Phobias

From a young age, Macaulay was in the middle of the spotlight. He quickly became one of the most recognizable faces in the world. There wasn't a place Macaulay could go without a mob of people attacking him. However, he soon developed several phobias. In particular, he's agoraphobic and has a tough time with large crowds. That's not much of a surprise considering his hectic life.

11 Kit Culkin Was An Absent Father

Kit Culkin was a tough father but an even stricter manager. He pushed his sons into showbiz and demanded the very best. However, Kit would often disappear for weeks. At one point, the nanny noted that none of the kids ask about their father when he would go. Eventually, Macaulay no longer wanted anything to do with his father and cut him out of his life for good.

10 Macaulay Culkin Emancipated

Macaulay Culkin began his acting career at the young age of 6. By the time he was ten, he was one of the biggest stars in the world. His father assumed the role of manager and played a big part in his career. However, Macaulay grew to hate his father to the point that they have nothing to do with each other. Indeed, Macaulay cut his father out of his life after he was 15 and still has nothing to do with him.

9 The Culkin Family Fire

The Culkin family is always under the harsh spotlight. Indeed, Macaulay is still getting into trouble even when he's not there. In 1998, a fire destroyed the building that his mother Patrica was living in at the time. The fire started in her apartment, and the other tenants hit her with an $80 million lawsuit. Macaulay was also hit with a suit but wasn't even at the apartment the time the fire started.

8 Home Alone Director Chris Columbus Involved In Family Conflict

Macaulay Culkin's life changed the day he landed the role in Home Alone. The movie was the biggest in 1990 and remained a classic. Director Chris Columbus took an unknown child actor and turned him into a major star. However, Columbus had a first-hand look at the horrible situation and what Macaulay was going through. He even voiced his feelings about Macaulay's treatment and his father's influence.

7 Macaulay Culkin And Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson is a controversial figure that still causes a lot of debate. There's the talented singer that brought the world classic songs. Then there is the dark side to Jackson. It was no secret that Macaulay and Jackson were good friends since Macaulay was a kid. Their friendship created a great deal of controversy that still exists today. Macaulay remains one of Jackson's most prominent defenders and points out that nothing inappropriate ever happened between the two good friends.

6 Fans On The Street Claims He's Not Cute

Macaulay Culkin gets attention to a level that no celebrity does. Indeed, other celebs like Mila Kunis noted fans go crazy for him like no other. Since he was a kid, screaming fans run up to him everywhere he goes. However, they're not all nice to him. A mob of fans rushed to him on the street, and one of them pointed out he's not as cute as people think. That feels like a pretty harsh thing to say to someone.

5 The Parents Fight For Macaulay's Money

Macaulay and his siblings were in the middle of their parents' divorce. Indeed, it mainly had to do with Macaulay. Well, it was really about his money. Both parents fought over his money fiercely but not him. He soon discovered that he's worth more than he realized. At the time, his parents ended up splitting his 15% commission.

4 Kieran Culkin Didn’t Want His Brother’s Life

Kieran Culkin's had a great career. He started as a child actor as well but wasn't in the spotlight like his brother. However, Kieran found a great deal of success in his older age. As a child, he didn't want to be his brother. The irony is just about every kid wished they could be Macaulay Culkin for a day.

Kieran saw the amount of pressure and stress Macaulay dealt with daily. He didn't even want to become an actor until much later.

3 Kit Culkin Became A Recluse

Kit Culkin's behavior and actions soon became public knowledge. He had a massive falling out with his children and divorced his wife. In later years, Kit became a recluse and stayed out of the public eye. Despite spending his life trying to be a significant success. Kit and Macaulay no longer speak to each other. Indeed, Kit believes that he'll never talk to his famous son again.

2 Dakota Culkin Tragedy

The Culkin family has faced many tragedies. Some of the kids became significant stars, while others suffered a different fate. Macaulay, Kieran, and Rory have had the most amount of success. However, that's not how it turned out for everyone. In 2008, Dakota Culkin was in an accident and passed away.

1 Kit Culkin Lived Through His Son But Was Jealous Of His Success

Kit Culkin pushed Macaulay and his other kids into a life of showbiz. It was a double-edged sword for him. He dreamed of being world-famous, and instead, his son was. He could live through his son and be happy. Of course, envy consumed him as his son became such a big star. Macaulay even admits he believes his father was jealous of his success and resented his son. Indeed, Macaulay notes his father failed as an actor while Macaulay excelled at it. Macaulay achieved everything his father tried to before the age of 10.