The film and its sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York have become synonymous with the Festive season. McCauley Culkin was just 10 years old when he played the role of Kevin McAllister, the kid who accidentally ends up being left alone at home, while the rest of the family heads off on holiday. The movie went on to become one of the highest-grossing live-action comedy films of the time, a record it held until 2011.
Home Alone occupied the top spot for an astounding 12 weekends, and stayed on the top ten list from November 1990 until June the next year.
More than thirty years after the blockbuster’s release, the image of McCauley Culkin slapping his hands to his cheeks and screaming is still instantly recognizable, and the film has gone on to become a pop culture phenomenon.
And it's not only popular in the US. In Poland, the film has become a family ritual and is the biggest Christmas hit on television every year.
The film even brought a new term to Hollywood. To be “Home Aloned,” was a phrase coined by movie execs who felt the success of their productions suffered because of the long-running success of the Christmas comedy.
Over the years, the film has taken a huge $476.7 Million at the box office. Given its longevity, fans are wondering how much the star of the movie makes from its continued re-runs, and the answer is surprising.
Home Alone Made A Star Of Culkin
The actor made his mark in Uncle Buck, for which he earned $40 000. That fee more than doubled for his performance in Home Alone. Culkin was paid $100 000 for his work on the movie which went on to turn the young boy into one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors.
Thrust into mega-stardom, Culkin entered the big time. For his next film, My Girl, he was paid $1.
Following the success of the first Home Alone movie, Culkin was paid a lot more for the second film. Reportedly he received a paycheck of $4.5 million.
The My Girl actor’s fees continued to rise for his subsequent performances in movies, and for a time, Culkin was one of the highest-paid stars in Hollywood. Getting Even With Dad and Richie Rich bagged him $8 Million each.
Culkin Doesn’t Earn Any Royalties From Home Alone
Perhaps because Culkin was still relatively unknown at the time he was signed on, the contract for Home Alone doesn’t include any royalties or residuals beyond the initial fee for his performance. Culkin retired from acting when he was 14. Reportedly, at the time, he was worth $23 ,illion.
According to the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, it’s something that must be negotiated. For example, Forrest Gump made Tom Hanks a very rich man. For the 1994 movie, Hanks agreed to take on a reduced salary for acting in the film in favor of a cut of the film's box office take.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the movie went on to earn about $680 million worldwide, and Hanks netted about $60 million.
Culkin Was Unaware Of His Wealth
Speaking on the Ellen show in 2018, Culkin revealed that he never realized he was rich until he turned 18 when he gained access to his finances for the first time.
He also spoke about how, since retiring, he’s been involved in a few projects, but says he has no problem not working.
Money doesn’t seem to be too big a concern for the Home Alone actor. Despite being considered for one of the roles in Big Bang Theory, he turned it down and doesn’t regret it, despite the sitcom netting its stars $1 million per episode.
Speaking on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Culkin said of his wealth: “It allows me to treat everything like a hobby really. I do nothing for my dinner nowadays, so I can do all kinds of projects.”
Those projects seem to be less about making money than enjoying what he does. That's not strange, considering the pressure Culkin faced as a young actor. They include his former band The Pizza Underground and the Film Changeland, a project launched by his BFF Seth Green.
He also reprised his Home Alone character for a Google Ad in 2018.
Culkin modeled for Gucci in 2021, and fans loved seeing him in American Horror Story Double Feature: Red Tide. According to E! News, the former child star signed on after the promise of a love scene with Kathy Bates.
Culkin is currently running his satirical pop culture website and podcast Bunny Ears. The star’s first guest was the swarm of bees from My Girl.