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Macaulay Culkin

Macaulay Culkin

Actor · Born August 26, 1980 (46) · New York City, New York, USA

Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin (born Macaulay Carson Culkin; August 26, 1980) is an American actor who rose to fame in John Hughes’s 1990 box office hit Home Alone and quickly became one of the most famous child actors of the 1990s. He next appeared in Only the Lonely and costarred in the highly acclaimed My Girl, both released in 1991. Culkin returned to his star-making role as Kevin in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), which also performed well at the box office. Culkin’s next role, a dramatic turn from his previous work, was in the dark and disturbing The Good Son (1993), in which he played a deeply troubled child. Culkin continued to work steadily, appearing in one more film that year and in three films the next year—The Nutcracker (1993), Getting Even with Dad (1994), The Pagemaster (1994), and, in the title role, Richie Rich (1994)—before taking a step back from acting in his early 20s to act occasionally and to pursue other creative opportunities. Meanwhile, Culkin had returned to acting in the early 2000s. He starred in the play Madame Melville, which opened in London in 2000 and moved to New York City (Off-Broadway) the next year. His first movie as an adult was Party Monster (2003), in which he played the murderous party promoter Michael Alig. It was closely followed by his role in Saved! (2004), a comedy in which he played a high-school student whose sister is a Christian zealot. Later films included Sex and Breakfast (2007), The Wrong Ferrari (2011), Adam Green’s Aladdin (2016), and Changeland (2019). During this time he also worked in television, notably making appearances on Will & Grace, in 2003; Foster Hall, in 2004; Kings, in 2009; Dollface, in 2019; American Horror Story, in 2021; and The Righteous Gemstones, in 2022. Culkin lent his voice to Robot Chicken (2001– ) and appeared as himself in The Jim Gaffigan Show (2015–16). Culkin pursued other creative interests as well. He wrote a novel, Junior (2005), which is the story of a young star who has a troubled relationship with his father; while ostensibly fiction, it appeared to have many similarities to Culkin’s own experiences with his father. Culkin also dabbled in music. He formed a band called the Pizza Underground that performed the songs of the Velvet Underground but with the lyrics humorously revised to incorporate a pizza theme. Pizza Underground went on a brief tour in 2014. In 2017 Culkin created the comedy website and accompanying podcast Bunny Ears, which was a satiric riff on wellness and lifestyle brands.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 26, 1980 (46)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
35 on MovieCove · 48 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 23% in 30 days

What are Macaulay Culkin's films like?

Across their 18 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Society.

Genres

Comedy8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 60th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
46%
Society
16%
Self
14%
Survival
10%
Power
7%
Morality
5%
Ideas
1%
Family bonds10 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeParenthood2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 17 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 11 · Serious 4 · Dark 2

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 9 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 3

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 6 · Charged 9 · Intense 2

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 7 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 5

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 11 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 12 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 13 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

15 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 7 of 15 analyzed roles.

Hero
7 of 15
Ally
2 of 15
Mentor
2 of 15
Shadow
2 of 15
Trickster
2 of 15
Show the 15 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
8
Warm
9
Tense
6
Bittersweet
5
Melancholic
5
Other
18

How their films linger

Feel-good9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy9
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Macaulay Culkin's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 27 of their 35 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Macaulay Culkin's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

48 credits, 35 with a MovieCove page; 29 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Zootopia 2(2025)

    as Cattrick Lynxley (voice)

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Running Point(2025)

    Show 1 episode · as Angry Fan

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

  • The Last Showgirl(2024)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Fallout(2024)

    Show 2 episodes · as Lacerta Legate

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy(2024)

    Show 1 episode · as (voice)

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all shows

  • The Paloni Show! Halloween Special!(2022)

    as Mogg (voice)

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Entergalactic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as Downtown Pat (voice)

  • LCD Soundsystem Holiday Special (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    as Pat Mahoney

  • Our Popcorn Movie Dystopia - Some More News: The Movie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    as Macaulay Culkin/Alternate Cody

  • Dollface(2019)

    Show 1 episode · as Dan Hackett

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • The Righteous Gemstones(2019)

    Show 2 episodes · as Harmon Freeman

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Changeland(2019)

    as Ian

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Cabiria, Charity, Chastity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Spectre / Tough One

  • Smosh's Try Not to Laugh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Adam Green's Aladdin(2016)

    Associate Producer · as Ralph

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Zoolander 2(2016)

    as Macaulay Culkin

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • :DRYVRS (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Show 5 episodes · as Hero · as Kevin McCallister

  • The Jim Gaffigan Show(2015)

    Show as Macaulay Culkin

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows

  • Robot Chicken: Christmas Specials (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Various (voice) (archive sound)

  • American Horror Story(2011)

    Show 5 episodes · as Mickey

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • The Wrong Ferarri (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Set Designer · Actor

  • Kings(2009)

    Show 5 episodes · as Andrew Cross

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Sex and Breakfast(2005)

    as James

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Robot Chicken(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Dean Devlin / Sponge · as Kevin McCallister / Billy / Kid (voice) · as Little Boy / Bullied Kid / Macaulay Culkin (voice) · as Prince Adam / Farmer · as Vampire #2 / Bastian / Co-anchor · as Wiseass / Luke Duke / Pikachu (voice)

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • Jerusalemski sindrom(2004)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Saved!(2004)

    as Roland

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Foster Hall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Clark Hall

  • Party Monster(2003)

    as Michael Alig

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Home Alone - Making of & Behind the Scenes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Kevin

  • Will & Grace(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Jason 'J.T.' Towne

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all shows

  • Richie Rich(1994)

    as Richie Rich

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Pagemaster(1994)

    as Richard Tyler

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Getting Even with Dad(1994)

    as Timmy Gleason

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • The Nutcracker(1991)

    as The Nutcracker Prince

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • The Good Son(1993)

    as Henry Evans

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Frasier(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Elliott (voice)

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Home Alone 2: Lost in New York(1992)

    as Kevin

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • My Girl(1991)

    as Thomas J. Sennett

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Michael Jackson´s Black or White (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Macaulay Culkin

  • Wish Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 13 episodes · as Nick McClary (voice)

  • Only the Lonely(1991)

    as Billy Maldoon

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Home Alone(1990)

    as Kevin

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Jacob's Ladder(1990)

    as Gabe (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Uncle Buck(1989)

    as Miles Russell

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • See You in the Morning(1989)

    as Billy Livingstone

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Rocket Gibraltar(1988)

    as Cy Blue Black

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Midnight Hour(1985)

    as Halloween Kid (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Equalizer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as Paul Gephardt

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 47 titles from 1985 to 2025; peak year 1993.

Biggest box office

Home Alone (1990)

$477M worldwide

Highest rated

Home Alone (1990)

Midcredits 96th

Most popular right now

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19852025

Peak 1993 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 13 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting46 of 47: 44 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score61stProducing1 of 47: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleOther crew2 of 47: 1 only other crew, 1 with another role

By decade

1980s5 · acting1990s15 · acting2000s7 · acting2010s11 · 11 acting · 2 crew2020s9 · 8 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 42% of 19 roles
8500

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Macaulay Culkin's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 57th percentile, the median of all 24; across their 17 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 59th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Approval · how many liked their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Reach · how many have seen their films

85thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Midcredits score across 35 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up13
  • 50th to 74th13
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

18 of their 35 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser18
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · actor

Jerusalemski sindrom (2004)

99th percentile spread · 44% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Home Alone (1990)

Midcredits 96th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 63/100 in their films, across 14 reviewed titles; fans 74, detractors 37. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Macaulay Culkin's work okay for kids?

Across up to 10 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore8 titles25–61 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity10 titles10–49 · median 21 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity9 titles26–58 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs8 titles26–40 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense8 titles20–60 · median 43 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Macaulay Culkin work with?

People who share at least 2 of Macaulay Culkin's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; John Hughes shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers