[MUSIC PLAYING] So flattering. You get to do this every day? It was a surprise.
They didn't know you were here, so they are thrilled. [CHEERING] The lamentations of the women, thank you. I am so happy to meet you.
And I know you don't do this a lot, so people-- there's like a mystery around you. You're not-- you don't do these things a lot. Yeah, yeah.
I'm kind of like a groundhog. I only come out like-- it's like once a year, instead of seeing my shadow, I see you. Oh well, that's-- I'm so flattered that you came out to see me.
Well thank you. That's great. Do people-- because you do really look exactly alike.
You look like you're still like four years old. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, how can a person look too much like himself?
But yeah, yeah. It's a curse and a blessing. Like, we got the same face.
Is it? I mean-- do people-- (AUDIENCE) Aw. Oh, aw.
So people-- like always recognize you? Yeah again, it's kind of a curse and a blessing. I can get to any restaurant I want without a reservation, but while I'm there, everyone's staring at me, and all going aw.
Yeah, like that because you do, you seem still like very young. When you think of all those movies, when you think of Home Alone, do you remember all of it, or is it just has been shown so much that you think you remember it? I mean yes and no.
I don't really watch them all that often. We did like a 15-year-anniversary DVD commentary and like, I realized I hadn't seen it like in like 15 years. You know whereas Chris Columbus, he'd watch it the night before like a responsible human being.
You know, yeah. Yeah no, it's kind of just kind of it's background radiation at Christmas time kind of thing. And you know, I've had people who want to sit down and watch it with me, which is like both flattering and creepy.
Yes, yes. Yeah. And like yeah, I mean when I'm watching it, I'm seeing like-- I'm remembering that day on set.
You know, like oh how I was you know hiding my Pepsi behind the couch or something like that. I can't watch it the same way other people can. I was going to say, so when it comes on, which it comes on, I'm sure every Christmas every thanksgiving, you don't watch it.
No, not really. And you don't go out of the house during that time? Yes, I definitely don't.
It's my season. Yeah, yeah yeah. It's MacAulay season.
Yes, it's MacAulay-- yeah, yeah. Yeah it's MacAulay season. So, yeah.
I try to go out less and less around that time of year. I would imagine-- and this would-- if I were you, it would drive me insane. Do people come up to you and want you to put your hands on your face?
Yes. Oh my god, what do you say to them? It's like no.
Yeah, right. I've already been there done that already, like you know. Yeah, I'm 37 now, OK.
OK mom? Yeah, I just think-- I'm sure that people want you to do that, and they don't understand that everybody would-- Everybody wants me to do it. So you were-- and I also learned that-- and I don't know why I didn't remember this, but you studied ballet, you were a dancer.
Yeah, yeah. I was almost a ballet dancer like first for a while there. Like, I like go off and do like Uncle Buck and then I'd turn around and go back home to do The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center.
So, I did that for a number of years. I was a yeah I was a professional ballet dancer. Oh, there I am, yeah.
Look at that. That's amazing. That's very impressive.
Heee-yah! [LAUGHING] Do you still dance? Do you still like to dance?
I mean, I don't dance like that anymore. Right, right. The outfits don't fit anymore.
But yeah, I mean I like to dance, you know. I like to dance with my lady or whatever, like that kind of stuff. But you know, I definitely don't do ballet anymore.
You don't study dance or anything? No, no, no. My feet my hips appreciate it, you know.
So yeah. So-- so you had six brothers and sisters, right? Yeah, I'm third of seven.
Seven? Yeah, my mom didn't have a family she had a litter. Yes.
Yes, just a just oodles of Culkins. Yeah, yeah. And was that-- I mean, what is the memory of that too because that was like there was a lot of you in one room.
Yeah, we grew up in a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan. Yeah so it was like yeah, pretty much nine people-- seven kids and two parents. So, we lived on top of each other.
They were literally stacking us, like they were like stacking bunk beds. So yeah, it was-- you know, it was like sardines. But yeah, it was it was a good time.
We were a close knit family because of that. There's just no such thing as privacy. And then you start working, and you were just huge at such a young age for so long, and then you stopped when you were what, 14?
Yeah, about 13, 14. I took about a decade off. And so, you stopped and-- and because you were just tired of it, or do you think you took it for granted because it was so easy?
Yeah, I was tired of it, to be honest. I did like 14 movies in six years, or something like that. That's a lot.
It's a lot. I was away from home a lot. I was away from school.
I needed something else. I needed to grow and develop as a person. I was looking forward to high school.
I was actually looking forward to going to school. And did you go to high school? Yes, I did.
You did? Yeah, I lived the dream. Yeah.
Was it everything that you wanted it to be, or was it like oh this isn't so great? No, it was great to be around people my own age for once because yeah a lot of times I'm working with adults the whole time. But was it hard for you to be MacAulay Culkin in high school?
Did people treat you differently? Yeah, I'm always treated differently. Yeah, I mean whether I like it or not.
But at the same time, that's the kind of stuff that you have to figure out especially if you're coming into your own. Like those are some really formative years, it was it was the smartest thing I possibly could have done, was taken like eight years off or whatever. Oh man, I can't imagine.
All right, I have so many questions for you and hopefully you have answers. We're going to take a break, and we'll talk more with MacAulay after this. We're back with MacAulay Culkin.
And so, I have questions about it because I think anybody who starts so young in this business, a lot of-- it really can screw you up in many ways. I know. You don't ever see your money again because you start working, and you don't really know how much you're making because your parents have control of it.
Yeah, yeah and you're just a kid. Right, so you don't know so when you stopped working at 14, when did you realize then you don't have to work again? At what age did you see your money?
I didn't see it until I turned 18, and you had the-- I call it the slip of paper meeting, where they pretty much put like a number on a piece of paper and like slide it across the table, and then boom, there you go, like yeah. So, it was-- I felt like some kid worked really, really hard and I inherited all of his money, pretty much. Yeah, I kind of no real sense-- you know, but at the same time it allows me to treat everything like a hobby.
I do nothing for my dinner like nowadays. So I can kind of just I can do all kinds of projects that I want to do. You know, whether it's writing, or painting, or a new website whatever it is.
So you worked all that time, and you act like you weren't the one who worked that-- but you're the one who worked that hard. Disconnect, yeah, yeah. So you have this podcast that you're doing.
Yes, Bunny Ears. Bunny Ears, what's what is Bunny Ears and what you explain that? Oh gosh, I mean it is me and my buddy Matt Cohen, and we kind of just talk about things, and stuff, and stuff.
And sometimes we have guests. We do a lot of themes. Like, it'll just be-- it'll be a theme about firsts, like just first anythings or conspiracy theories, or sometimes we just shoot the breeze.
And we've had some really great guests. We've had Seth Green and Breckin Meyer were on together, which was great. That's great.
All right, so you have so many great experiences. I have these images that I'd like you to look at, and just first thought that crosses your mind. My Girl, which is 1991.
[APPLAUSE] Oh, OK. That's me. All right, what's your thought there?
Oh, it was like, stupid girl. I got to kiss a girl? Really?
A little bit, yeah. I mean, we got along very well, but at the same time it was also like this is so embarrassing. You know, but you know, you got to do what you got to do.
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, now you have your hobbies because of her. Yes, yes.
Yes, thank you. Yeah, I agree. All right, and next picture.
Oh yeah. Yeah, that's me doing SNL. He's doing-- yeah, this is Simon.
And you remember that? Heck yeah, I do. Wow.
Yeah, I remember it because I did do the whole episode without cue cards. Wow. It was yeah, my father was quite insistent about that.
So I did memorize the whole episode. Everyone uses cue cards on Saturday Night Live. Yeah, but not the nine-year-old I guess.
Yeah well, sure, sure. All right, the next one. OK, that is the most 90s photo I've ever seen.
That's me, and Doogie, and Urkel, and the Fresh Prince. Yeah. Yeah, yeah you can tell by my reaction, I'm just like yeah, this is so 90s.
Yes. Yeah, I'm probably wearing Reebok Pumps or something. All right, the next one.
Oh, here we go. Look at that. Wow, look at look at that gold.
Look at me shine. Yeah. I forgot you were in that video.
Yeah me too. I totally forgot. And then next one.
I'm pretty. Yeah that's Party Monster. Yeah, Party Monster.
Yeah, look at that. So you're the ones who saw it. I love the outfits.
I love the changeovers. Those are great. All right, one more.
Cool. [LAUGHS] Yeah, woo hoo. That is when I was doing my band, The Pizza Underground.
We took Velvet Underground songs and reworded them to be about pizza. Take-- Take a Bite of the Wild Slice. Yeah, Waiting for the Delivery Man.
Yeah, it was-- Fantastic. One more. Oh, there's one more.
Ooh, we got another one. There you go. They taped the pages closed.
Oh no. Darn it. That's not nice.
It's not nice. I was-- it was exciting, though. I still had one in my hands.
All right, well I'm so happy that you came on the show. I'm happy to meet you, and to learn more about McAuley's Bunny Ears website and podcast, you can go to our website. We'll be right back.
Thanks so much for being here. He left a three-week-old baby to be here, so thank you. Congratulations.
Thank you. It's actually kind of rough to do that. It's only three nights away from home, but there is an upside to it, which is-- I can finally complain about how tired I am.
When I'm home, if I even just let the words like oh man, I'm tired-- my wife just gives me this look that says like, I wake up every 20 minutes to breastfeed, how dare you, sir. Yeah, so now I get to be on TV talking about how tired I am. I got like six hours of sleep last night.
Oh, you poor thing. Luxurious. Yeah, it's great.
No, thank you for being here because we we've been asking for you to be on. I'm a huge fan. So, you've been acting since five.
So is MacAulay older or younger than you? He's two years older, and we kind of started at the same time, I think. Look at you two.
Oh, wow. So, it's a big family, so how many siblings do you have? There are seven of us, and at some point, all of us tried the acting bit.
Now, it's pretty much just me and Rory. Mac does some stuff sometimes too. And this is your first child, right?
Yeah, yeah my mom's first grandchild. And actually the grandmas are in town visiting their first grandchild, and there's sort of this like unspoken competition going on about which one is more insane. My mom clucks like a chicken.
That's kind of just how she talks. She's like, (MIMICKING) What wait, let's go downtown-- and then my wife's mother, I call her the interrupting goose because she doesn't listen to a word that I say. If I start talking, I'll be like it goes like this.
I'll be like I'm thinking for lunch, we can go to-- [CLUCKS] And I think she thinks she's saying huh or what, but I'm like, if you could just let me get to the end of my sentence-- [CLUCKS] [LAUGHTER] She's nuts. She doesn't listen to a word I say. I'll be in the middle of a story-- I love that she-- I love the idea of her watching this on TV right now, me roasting her.
I'll be in the middle of a story, and I'm just about to get to the punchline, and she'll be like look, that's my friend Nina-- [LAUGHING] This is her apartment. Like, does this have to do with my story because I was-- [CLUCKS] Wow. So, listen if you want to stay longer, it sounds like you can.
Yeah, I might stretch this out for a week until they're-- Maybe you want to stay until they both leave. Crazy bird ladies get out of the house, yeah. (BOTH) [CLUCKING] So, I have to talk.
I want to talk to you forever because I just am a huge fan. And your character-- first of all I have to ask, is it all scripted, or do they let you just play with things? It's scripted and it's very, very well written.
So, they don't have to let us play around but they do. They let us just like mess about a bit. But sometimes like my wife will be like, that sounds like you, is that your line?
I'm like, I don't know anymore. Like, I don't the line is blurred between Kira and Roman sometimes, that I have to shut this piece of my brain off that's going to insult somebody because Roman just doesn't-- he has no filter. No not at all, and I wonder why Roman gets away with that because even-- you've only been slapped once by your father.
[LAUGHING] In the show, yeah. It broke my heart because it showed how small you are. Like, Roman just was crushed by that.
I'm talking like everybody knows the show because everyone should. But explain what the show is. So it's about a family, very rich family.
The father is self-made, and he's run $1 billion industry he's a media mogul, and basically, he's at an age of-- he's probably going to retire, which one of his kids is maybe going to take over, is and who's going to be in line. And as you watch the show, you find that none of his kids are equipped to, particularly this guy who just runs his mouth and has no idea how to do his job. Yeah, that's who that character is.
It is-- the show is so good, it's so fascinating and especially after the Sunday night's episode. I don't know where it's going, but it's frightening and good. I didn't see it.
Yeah, I saw it this morning and I watched it while I was working out because I knew you were on because I missed it Sunday night. But I was just-- oh, it's so good. It's so good.
Thank you. You're fantastic. I love the show, and stay as long as you want so you don't have to go back to the-- The crazy bird people.
The season finale of Succession-- oh, it's the season finale Sunday at nine, of course it is. It's all-- yes, it's going to be-- OK, it's at 9:00 on HBO. We'll be right back.
