What Macaulay Culkin Told His Abusive Parents When He Quit Acting

Macaulay Culkin remains forever known as the vibrant child from the Home Alone franchise. An undeniably adorable child, Culkin was prolific in Hollywood during the early ’90s, acting in many popular movies. While it seemed he was living a charmed life, the actor revealed he couldn’t wait to leave his abusive parents.

Macaulay Culkin appeared in many successful films

macaulay culkin quit acting — Macaulay Culkin attends the LA Premiere of Gravitas Ventures’ “Changeland” at ArcLight Hollywood on June 03, 2019 in Hollywood, California. | Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

Culkin was born in New York City in 1980. Raised alongside six siblings, Culkin began acting when he was just four years old. According to IMDb, he acted in a number of films and television shows throughout the ’80s, including See You in the Morning and Uncle Buck. He rose to fame in 1990, when he played Kevin McCallister in the blockbuster comedy Home Alone.

He went on to reprise the role of Kevin in the 1992 sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. By this time, Culkin was a major star, known to fans all around the world. Over the following years, he continued to act in family-friendly films, including Richie Rich, The Pagemaster, and Getting Even With Dad. In 1994, after the release of Richie Rich, Culkin opted to step away from acting for a few years, only to return to the entertainment industry in 2000 for a series of smaller, more mature roles.

What did Macaulay Culkin tell his parents when he quit acting?

When Culkin eventually returned to the acting business, it was on his own terms. The former child star would later claim that there were many reasons for wanting to step away from the spotlight. But his parents were not exactly supportive of his decision. In a 2018 interview with Marc Maron, Culkin said that his father never treated him well. “[He said] ‘Do good or I’ll hit you.’ He was a bad man. He was abusive. Physically and mentally. I can show you all my scars if I wanted to,” Culkin said, as reported by Her.

“I even wanted to take a break for a while and eventually I was like ‘I’m done guys, hope you all made your money because there is no more coming from me,” Culkin recounted. The star told Maron that he currently has no contact with his father. He does keep in touch with his mother, who lives on a ranch with her new husband.

Macaulay Culkin returned to the entertainment industry

Notably, Culkin’s famous sibling, Kieran Culkin, has supported his older brother by stating that their father “wasn’t a good person,” and even claiming that he witnessed young Macaulay Culkin being harassed on the street by fans. Fortunately, after Culkin stepped back from the spotlight, he was able to reclaim his own career and re-enter the industry in a way that worked for him. He started making music with his band, the Pizza Underground. And in 2021, he joined the cast of American Horror Story for a featured role.

These days, Culkin is a family man. In 2021, Culkin and his longtime girlfriend, Brenda Song, welcomed their first child together. While Culkin opts to keep his own son out of the spotlight, he’s been able to embrace his fame in recent years, poking fun at his own past as a child star in parody commercials and skits that fans love.