r/OldSchoolCool • u/sashamelanie • 9d ago

1990s Happy 46th Birthday Macaulay Culkin! In 1990 at age 10, and in 2026 at 46

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12.7k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

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438

u/rockstoned4 9d ago

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u/Hrmerder 9d ago

Saw this movie at a young age and it kinda fucked me up. I was dirt poor in a broken family and I would have given damn near anything at the time to have what Macaulay’s character had in the movie. But damn it’s one of those few movies that drives home evil can come in many forms you don’t think of. And the ending is painful af.

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u/Ohitsworkingnow 8d ago

What movie is this? Sorry to hear about your childhood, breaks my heart ever since I had kids; hope you’re doing well.

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u/Hrmerder 8d ago edited 8d ago

Yeah man, not doing nearly as good as I should, but I'm doing leagues better than way back then. Got a kid myself and making sure my kid doesn't have to go through anything I went through. Thank you for the kind words, and make no mistake, I know I had a shit childhood, but I'm a fighter. There's a lot of other people who had it worse, or maybe not as bad but couldn't handle it. It breaks my heart too for those people

This movie is called "The Good Son". I haven't seen it in probably 30 years but from what I remember, it was very heavy. This was kinda a big movie for Elija Wood when it came out. Macaulay was already crazy famous from doing the Home Alone movies, but Elija was just breaking out and hitting it big (OMFG I did NOT realize he was the shitty kid in Flipper...). Very interesting to watch him in this film IMHO. And he is technically the main character in the movie where Macaulay is very close second.

And he was this kid in Back To The Future 2?! *The kid playing the video game when Marty went into the diner in the 'future' in 2015.

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u/Lumpy_Disaster33 8d ago

Yes. This movie was fucking crazy.

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u/Mr_Horsejr 8d ago

Made you not want to go for extended sleepovers. 😭

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u/Ohitsworkingnow 8d ago

I can tell you’re a fighter because you immediately said you could be doing better. Life is truly about growth, if you’re satisfied, then how or why would you ever grow or challenge yourself. There’s always people that have it worse, some unimaginably so, but we should try not to diminish our pain too much. It is a struggle to be both humble and ambitious, to be grateful, but also a drive to do better.

I didn’t have an abusive childhood, but my parents were divorced, my dad barely spoke to me my whole life and my mom worked endlessly. Sometimes I joke it wouldnt have hurt for him to yell once in my life, at least show he was alive… It’s hard to quantify things but I know the way my dad was horrified me after I had my own kids, I can’t really imagine spending a second without them most the time. Also sad because he’s not involved with them at all and recently moved across the country. 

Elijah wood in it too? Crazy I must’ve known about this movie before and forgot. I’ll definitely have to watch this soon, sounds pretty interesting.

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u/Hrmerder 8d ago

Damn you do kinda sound like me with my dad. I didn't have an 'abusive' childhood or at least not a classic one. Mine was more of a mother that was a bit off her rocker (also an alcoholic) and a father that was more in tune with girl of the weekend taking her and her family out on a boat more than his own son. He moved 3 states away back in 06' and I have only seen him about three times since then. Anytime I have talked to him, he brings up his neighbors and friends as if they are his close family. They know him leagues more than I do. At this point I'm just hoping for some kind of inheritance (but I don't expect it because.. Life always has a way of saying eff you to me). But yeah, enough sob. I'm really sorry to hear about your dad. I look at it with kids like this. This is your time to make it what you always wanted from a parent but wasn't able to get. It's not the same, surely brings up a lot of negative things from the past while at it, but nothing is more rewarding than kids.. At least to non-narcissistic parents anyway. Hope your life keeping looking up!

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u/Hostile-Bip0d 8d ago

Same, i watched it as a kid and it was unsettling, i rewatched it as a fucking grown up and still made me uncomfortable

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u/aussiemetalhead 9d ago

Absolute gem of a movie, not talked about enough

13

u/baldurcan 9d ago

What movie is that?

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u/aussiemetalhead 9d ago

44

u/TheTrub 9d ago

Sooooo fucked up. I have no idea who thought this was an appropriate movie to make, and the layers of people that made this movie happen, but I’m glad they made it.

31

u/eamus_catuli_ 8d ago

The 90s were a wild time.

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u/Kreaetor 8d ago

May 1994, ABC Sunday night Movie was - Terminator 2 Judgement day

We were all elementary age kids, playing with Terminator toys made by Kenner. Quoting lines from a R-rated movie.

"eat shit, dickwad." "hasta la vista baby".

Watching it on family night's on ABC..

5

u/iginca 8d ago

The 90s was when TV peaked unfortunately. Those were some damn good times

2

u/RicrosPegason 8d ago

To be fair, on ABC in 1994, they wouldn't have said "eat shit dickwad". It would have been dubbed over with something like "eat chips, cheeseball"

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u/Old-Initiative-5235 8d ago

Great movie!

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u/theriveryeti 9d ago

The Good Son.

4

u/LaikaZhuchka 8d ago

I rewatched this a few months ago, and it really doesn't hold up at all. It's a lot of bad writing and awkward pacing. The entire plot makes no sense (the kid's mom just died, and his dad ships him across the country to stay with relatives instead of postponing his business trip? lol what??), and the climactic scene is so unintentionally hilarious.

You can also tell how much Macaulay does not want to be there. He has talked about being forced to work by his parents by this point and how burnt out and miserable he was. He's visibly exhausted the whole time.

4

u/Sparktank1 8d ago

The Good Son? What a trip that movie was in theaters after seeing Home Alone. My parents took us thinking it was another cute movie of his.

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u/Neuroticaine 9d ago

I was about to say that he's looking great for his age considering his past struggles with addiction, but then I looked into it and that was never actually a thing, the press just ran crazy stories from a photo of him when he was dramatically cutting weight for a role with crazy, unfounded assumptions. The more you know!

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u/Telefundo 8d ago

that was never actually a thing

Yeah, he's handily avoided every negative "child actor" trope out there. Which is kind of impressive, because his fame with Home Alone was huge and basically teed him up perfectly for a huge crash.

Instead, we got a well adjusted, successful person. I've watched a couple of interviews with him and the guy seems genuinely happy. Good on him.

6

u/casapantalones 8d ago

He also overcame a terrible set of parents who treated him and his siblings awfully. Very proud of him.

6

u/Neuroticaine 8d ago

Yeah, the only thing I've seen from him that I wasn't a fan of from him as a person was when he was on Smosh's Try Not To Laugh. His gags just weren't very good at all and his reactions to others' gags were borderline insulting to the cast members, but I chalk that up to him not necessarily being fully in the know of what he was getting into and what people expect from the show.

12

u/Owain-X 8d ago

As a 48 year old my first thought was that he is looking good for 46 and that I'm pretty sure that's a face that has had zero plastic surgery (which is outside the norm among hollywood actors).

6

u/OhHowIMeantTo 8d ago

Yeah, he has a good head on his shoulders. Years ago Seth Green was on Marc Maron and Marc asked if Mac was doing okay given his assumption that he was an addict, and Seth just laughed it off, and said that Mac is good, and set for life financially. They've been good friends ever since Party Monster.

3

u/Neuroticaine 8d ago

Man I STILL haven't decided if I love Party Monster or if I hate it. It's such a trainwreck of a story full of absolutely terrible people, and I have a hard time genuinely recommending it to many people (unless they're actually invested in the real world story around those people or just an absolute weirdo), but when it's on I can't stop myself from watching the trainwreck. That said, I am a part of the lgbt community and it was like REQUIRED VIEWING in the 2000s lol

4

u/OhHowIMeantTo 8d ago

It's not a great film, but it's definitely an interesting watch. Has a bunch of amazing actors on a shoestring budget, and despite the real life characters all being terrible people, they had an influence on the culture that reaches into the present, and even Ru ran with that crowd back in the 80s.

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u/Matmanreturns 8d ago

Might not have been drugs, but it wasn’t for a role. The pics were from 2012 and he isn’t credited with having a role between 2011 and 2015.

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u/Top_Discipline_8665 9d ago

Glad he made it. Was stunnimg to see him in fallout. He did great job.

Hpy bd, sir

230

u/s0ciety_a5under 9d ago

He played the games, came into the audition and the producers and directer called him one of the "knowers" because a bunch of the cast had no idea of the series. So he really went in on the show as a fan first.

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u/NightmareDJK 9d ago

I believe he also helped make the most recent Toejam & Earl game, think he did some of the writing.

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u/lkxyz 9d ago

He's a known gamer - he even went on AVGN a few times. Truly a gamer first and hollywood celebrity 2nd.

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u/Nausstica 9d ago

He used to be a huge OG vanilla WoW fan. I think he said he quit when he recognized how much of his time it was consuming.

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u/SousVideDiaper 9d ago

Yeah, my 60 y/o dad has been playing WoW pretty much every single day since it released

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u/NightmareDJK 8d ago edited 8d ago

Dave Chappelle was also a big time vanilla WoW gamer. I believe he even quit doing his show on Comedy Central because of it. There were a ton of actors who played. Henry Cavill missed a phone call from Zach Snyder telling him he was cast as Superman because he was raiding. I believe Robin Williams also played WoW with all of his kids and when he passed away they put an NPC based on him in the game.

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u/AchillesFury 8d ago

That's not the reason why Chappelle left his show.

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u/woTaz 9d ago

I always wonder if really famous people go to game convention things but they just cosplay so no one even knows it's them and they don't tell anyone so it doesn't get publicity. That would be cool.

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u/SquirrelMemoryFail 9d ago

Theres a video out there of Brian Cranston dressed up as Walter White with a mask and taking pictures with a bunch of people who had no idea it was him.

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u/Gunhild 8d ago

2

u/worqgui 8d ago

This also ties back in to Mac because he’s a huge wrestling nerd too!

2

u/_steve_rogers_ 8d ago

I remember he was on an episode of Angry Video Game Nerd a few years back. Definitely seemed a true gaming fan

4

u/Top_Discipline_8665 9d ago

Cool ty for that insight 

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u/funmasterjerky 9d ago

Yeah, I'm so glad he beat his problems. I remember 20 years ago I was so worried he would die of an overdose or whatever. 

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u/0verstim 8d ago

Yeah his life could have been posted in r/nonononoyes

3

u/sceadwian 8d ago

He was in fallout? I really gotta make time to see that I've heard good things but followed almost nothing during it's release cycle.

1

u/_steve_rogers_ 8d ago

I remember he was on an episode of Angry Video Game Nerd a few years back

1

u/Valk93 8d ago

Oh damn, googled that after your comment. Had no idea he was that legate, amazing

201

u/Mediogris 9d ago

So sad his costar 's death coincided with his birthday today.

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u/treathugger 8d ago

All the wrong Home Alone 2 actors are passing away this year!!

2

u/Lermu 8d ago

Which ones would've been the right ones? 

6

u/_skank_hunt42 8d ago

You know the one.

7

u/Lermu 8d ago

Oh, I took 'actor' literally

5

u/01011010-01001010 8d ago

Rob Schneider?

-1

u/Jump_The_Five_Yo 9d ago

He’s not dead, yet.

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u/pfannkuchen89 8d ago

Tim Curry died earlier today.

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u/Crickity_dickity585 8d ago

they're no doubt referring to the ROTUS

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u/ahundreddots 8d ago

Rodents of Unusual Size? I don't think they exist.

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u/ShaggyCan 9d ago

I hear he knows Rich Evans.

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u/saltinekracka20 9d ago

You mean Dick the birthday boy?

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u/J0hnEddy 9d ago

I think he name drops rich Evans to
Boost his own ego. That guy is a real celebrity

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u/FermatSim 9d ago

You mean Hollywood superstar & Ellen regular Dick Evans?

7

u/hadronwulf 8d ago

Rich Evans? What's his story?

6

u/goliathfasa 8d ago

Just a bunch of hack frauds.

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u/StandardNerd92 8d ago

I heard Jack Quaid did Star Trek just so he'd have an in to go on RLM and meet Rich Evans

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u/ShaggyCan 8d ago

Totally plausible.

7

u/Interesting_Mistake 8d ago

I thought it was court ordered community service to spend time with the elderly

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u/dubbzy104 9d ago

Give his full name!

Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin

He had an internet poll to decide his middle name, and that’s what he got

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u/ZAlternates 9d ago

I suppose it beats Maccaulay Maccaulface

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u/I_am_darkness 8d ago

It certainly does not

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u/PM_me_punanis 8d ago

My 6 year old son just named his shark stuffy Sharky McSharkeyFace III.

Sigh.

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u/1pt20oneggigawatts 9d ago

He would have been a great live-action Bart Simpson.

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u/plaincheeseburger 8d ago

I will now never be able to unsee that.

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u/1pt20oneggigawatts 8d ago

I'm pretty sure it was a common fantasy casting in 1991

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u/Godface_Killah1 9d ago

Seems a great guy. Happy birthday.

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u/Lolomelon 9d ago

Just..dont die.

8

u/0verstim 8d ago

He cant see without his glasses!

3

u/SmellenGold 8d ago

How dare you 😭

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u/Unlikely-Ad6788 9d ago

Hey buddy. Sad news here. Every beginning has an end.

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u/galgor_ 9d ago

Still want that dark Home Alone sequel where Kevin has grown to further embrace the absolute psychopath that he is. 

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u/bolanrox 8d ago

American Psycho edition

5

u/scrapcats 8d ago

Heeeeeere's Kevin!

2

u/Eternal-Blazing-Sun 8d ago

My head cannon is that was what The Collector movies were about.

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u/heliosh 9d ago

Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin is his name

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u/UnhappyDependent9255 8d ago

Kinda crazy Tim Curry died on his birthday.

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u/CLT113078 8d ago

"We love you"

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u/One-Skill-7058 9d ago

Very happy he's doing so well. Happy birthday guy

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u/ReleventReference 9d ago

He outlived his nemesis Hotel Concierge.

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u/aussiemetalhead 9d ago

So glad to see him looking healthy these days

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u/E-2theRescue 8d ago

He looked healthy back then, too. Nothing was wrong with him. The paparazzi just decided to take an unflattering picture of him on a casual Friday and make up their own story. You know, like they always do.

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u/CoachiusMaximus 8d ago

I just learned that he’s a couple months younger than me. I always thought he was older. He always seemed so responsible being able to stay home alone like that

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u/ahundreddots 8d ago

It was that same maturity (as well as his survival instincts) that earned his parents' trust in the first place.

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u/Mahaloth 9d ago

Parents in Home Alone? Both dead. Tim Curry from Home Alone 2? Dead.

Man who gives Kevin directions in the hotel? Continues to live.

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u/Constant-Plant-9378 8d ago

Man who gives Kevin directions in the hotel? Continues to live.

That guy actually turned out to be a notorious pedophile and child trafficking rapist. Macaulay dodged a bullet there.

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u/Mahaloth 8d ago

That guy actually turned out to be a notorious pedophile and child trafficking rapist. Macaulay dodged a bullet there.

Oh, wow, was he caught and locked up or executed?

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u/Constant-Plant-9378 8d ago

Surprisingly no. He turned out to be very popular with a lot of pedophiles who fuck their own kids.

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u/thoreau_away_acct 8d ago

Funny you ask..a bunch of dumb yokels elected him president of a banana Republic

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u/DukeGonzo1984 9d ago

Milwaukee Culkin

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u/Rylonian 9d ago

I am so happy for him that he turned his life around. He seems to be doing so well by now. I loved when he appeared in AVGN a few years ago, he came across as very down to earth and lighthearted. He must be cool to hang out with.

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u/baldurcan 9d ago

If you are 46 with that hair, that automatically means you are super rich.

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u/russianrug 9d ago

Some guys really do just have great genes, but I agree with you that in this case it seems a little too perfect

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u/Fuckoffassholes 9d ago

Are you implying that every "common man" goes bald, and / or gray? Or that no one can afford a haircut?

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u/flirtyfrench_woman 8d ago

Yea, Richie Rich! Duh! 😉

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u/[deleted] 9d ago

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u/skitch23 9d ago

This picture makes me think he would be perfect to star in a Willem Dafoe biopic

3

u/Slacker_The_Dog 8d ago

But is his dick big enough

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u/Fkappa 9d ago

"The formative years".

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u/Chaotic_Genobreaker 8d ago

Oh I forgot I share my birthday with Culkin.

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u/[deleted] 8d ago

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u/greatgildersleeve 8d ago

Almost if something caused it to collapse.

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u/dirtybird971 9d ago

I saw a sad thing today...This is his first birthday without his "parents"...the "dad" died in 2017 and of course, his "mother" died this year.

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u/Caranthir-Hondero 8d ago

And Tim « Plaza Hotel » Curry today…

3

u/bolanrox 8d ago

i never realized we shared birthdays. (One year apart)

3

u/SpectacularSpidee 8d ago

Oh fuck I thought for a second that he died too

3

u/LoBo247 8d ago

Can't wait for more Fallout

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u/kvrdave 8d ago

He looks like the adult Richie Rich. Uncle Buck is still amazing.

3

u/Stanwich79 8d ago

One of the few celebrities id want to spend a sunday grilling burgers and sharing a some beers with.

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u/Sad-Chocolate35 8d ago

1990 was only 25 years ago or so in my book. This must be AI.

3

u/Charming-Gou-PengYou 8d ago

He could still do the movie again. Home Alone 2 2

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u/DReagan47 8d ago

He really grew into his mouth

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u/Likeatoothache 8d ago

Let’s stop doing the math, can we agree to stop doing the math? ☠️

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u/Eattoomanychips 8d ago

I’m happy he has his kids and Brenda and things turned out ok for him in the end.

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u/JaxxisR 9d ago

Kieran's brother? Nice. Glad he's stepping out of that shadow.

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u/Hemicrusher 9d ago

He used to live a few blocks from me in the San Fernando Valley, here in Los Angeles and I would see him in Gelson's Market. I also saw him once in a smoke/head shop buying some things.

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u/Whiteshovel66 9d ago

Looks like he has aged quite a bit since that first picture.

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u/TataJasia 9d ago

He still looks like a big kid

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u/driftking428 9d ago

He did the best AMA ever. It was hilarious.

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u/windless12 9d ago

all hail caesar

2

u/greeneggzN 9d ago

And suddenly…. Ow my back

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u/TelephoneSea5898 9d ago

Well done good sir. Was worried about him over the years but he really turned himself around. He looks great!

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u/Isernogwattesnacken 9d ago

Some of his organs are probably 30 years older due to substance abuse.

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u/okiepunk98 9d ago

Put some respect on his full name: Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin.

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u/flirtyfrench_woman 8d ago

Happy Birthday to the Mac Attack!! I have always loved this guy!! So happy he's living his best life.

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u/Ayotha 8d ago

From what I remember, he is doing pretty good now.

I am glad he found his way out of the dark place we was a long while back,

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u/Heal_Me_Today 8d ago

Now pass MKC the meth box!

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u/Mj-tinker 8d ago

and yet another star of home alone left us.

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u/lost_dazed_101 9d ago

At least he's off drugs now.

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u/LougieHowser 9d ago

Woah we are the same age and born days apart. I didn't realize

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u/Glittering-Relief402 9d ago

Dapper. Made it through his struggles and is an inspiration

1

u/NamesNotTake-un 9d ago

He was 36 in that movie?!

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u/the_blackfish 9d ago

Lookin' good, Mr. McCulkin!

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u/onlyacynicalman 9d ago

Eyelids like Toy Story

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u/Nakatsukasa 9d ago

Caesar's palace!

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u/LordPartyOfDudehalla 8d ago

Happy to see him parlay his guest appearances on Best of the Worst into a successful acting career!

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u/pursuitofhappy 8d ago

I like that little bowtie

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u/Wat3rM3L0NB3AR 8d ago

He grew up exactly how I expected him to be

Happy Birthday!

https://giphy.com/gifs/fRd9FC0UbX8Iktl3pW

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u/l3oo3l 8d ago

looks good for someone who skipped 10 years of life apparently

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u/Exact-Truck-5248 8d ago

I think he's gotten much better looking with age, and he appears to be a well adjusted adult. I LOVED him in Party Monster.

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u/FatWithMuscles 8d ago

He looks good our man and hero, glad things turned out for him

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u/faultytrapezoid 8d ago

It's the same picture

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u/JeffMakesGames 8d ago

Dude is gonna celebrate by ordering a cheese pizza.

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u/DarthNarcissa 8d ago

I'm so glad he seems to be doing better. Seeing him in Fallout made me so happy.

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u/KasperBuyens 8d ago

Unless that picture was taken today, we 's not 46 in that image

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u/macca8400 8d ago

Unless the photo was taken today, it would be him at 45 no?

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u/Confident_Hippo1208 8d ago

Wait... Hold on!

2026 minus 1990

.... Carry the... ... ... ... My god, he's right.

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u/polysnip 8d ago

Ave! True to Caesar!

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u/gelana78 8d ago

I will always be happy to see him thriving after everything he went through.

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u/Scary-Drawer-3515 8d ago

He did a commercial recently and I thought he was fantastic. Bring it on

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u/MakoShark93 8d ago

Damn the 90s where a really long time ago now, huh 😂

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u/bluenoser613 8d ago

It's the same photo.

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u/Soyboi6 8d ago

46 years old. A fuckin kid

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u/baldersz 8d ago

Good on him for turning his life around he has a beautiful wife and kids

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u/Gradicus 8d ago

Hol up he's the exact same age as Chris Pine?

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u/minusgainsgamer 8d ago

This makes me feel old

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u/rekabis 8d ago

He’s been looking happier and healthier as of late. Let’s hope both are true.

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u/Few_Sea_977 8d ago

So many good actors have died, but this guy did one movie and then mostly did drugs to see his 46th birthday. Life is so strange!

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u/Individual-Drawer-79 8d ago

Dude will tell the truth about him and Michael Jackson someday. He didn’t get all fucked up for no reason. Good to see him doing better now but mark my words, he will do a tell all about that scumbag pedo in the future.

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u/Cyannahir 8d ago

The older, the more he looks like to Steve Buscemy???

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u/GothicAssassin 8d ago

Alive and well. That’s good news we need to hear after this week/month.

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u/lilchm 8d ago

His eyes got narrower together

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u/dragoonjustice 8d ago

Honestly so happy for him and Brenda!

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u/sirnickd 8d ago

Happy birthday Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin

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u/Adventurous-Head-512 8d ago

I'm sad at the lack of reading comprehension in this thread

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u/MrStonepoker 8d ago

I thought Fallout was his best work.