Macaulay Culkin on Why He Walked Away From Hollywood: “I Just Wanted to Be a Kid”

Macaulay Culkin became one of the most famous faces on the planet before he was even a teenager. But after dominating the early ’90s with Home Alone and its sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, the actor made a surprising decision: he stepped away from acting almost entirely.

Now 45, Culkin is opening up about why he chose to leave Hollywood at the height of his fame.

Speaking on Mythical Kitchen, Culkin explained that the problem wasn’t acting itself—it was how lonely it could be.

“What I wanted is to be with people my own age,” he said. As a child star, he wasn’t part of big ensemble casts. “It’s me,” he explained, joking that watching Home Alone now feels like watching Cast Away—except without a volleyball for company.

When fans ask him what it was like working with Joe Pesci, Culkin has a simple response: “Have you seen the movie?” Most of the film, he pointed out, is just Kevin McCallister alone in a house, fending off burglars.

In 1994, Culkin starred in Richie Rich, playing a boy who had everything money could buy—except friends. Off-screen, Culkin realized he wanted what many kids his age already had.

“I wanted to go out and date girls. I wanted to hang out with people my own age. I wanted to go to parties,” he said. “I can’t tell you how many bar mitzvahs I missed.”

He also reflected on how fame works, comparing it to toothpaste. Once it’s out of the tube, you can’t put it back. According to Culkin, he never chased celebrity status—it simply happened.

“I didn’t tug on my parents’ sleeves saying, ‘I want to be famous,’” he said. Acting found him, not the other way around. His first auditions came easily, and job after job followed.

Culkin also shared how accidental his start in Hollywood really was. His father, Kit Culkin, had taken his older siblings to get headshots, and his mother simply wanted a break. “Take Mac with you,” she said. That one trip changed his life forever.

Culkin is one of seven siblings, including actors Kieran and Rory Culkin. The family also endured tragedy with the loss of his sister Dakota in 2008.

After nearly a decade away from the spotlight, Culkin returned to acting in Party Monster, later rebuilding his career on his own terms. He’s also known for earlier roles like My Girl, which cemented him as more than just a holiday movie star.

Looking back, Culkin doesn’t sound bitter—just honest. He didn’t quit acting because he hated it. He stepped away because he wanted something simple and very human: the chance to grow up, make friends, and live a normal life.