Macaulay Culkin recently opened up about a special bond he shared with his late co-star, John Candy. The star, now 45, worked with Candy on the 1989 hit comedy Uncle Buck. He remembers Candy as a bright spot during a tough time in his childhood.
These touching memories are part of a new documentary called John Candy: I Like Me. The film first showed at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 4. It will then be available to stream on Prime Video starting October 10.
In the documentary, Culkin shared that Candy was one of the first people to notice his difficult relationship with his father, Kit Culkin. Kit was Macaulay’s manager in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Candy, who passed away in 1994 at age 43 from a heart attack, had a sharp eye for such things.
"I think he always had that great instinct," Macaulay said in the documentary. Colin Hanks directed the film. According to Entertainment Weekly, Macaulay added, "I think he noticed it. Listen, even before the wave exploded and Home Alone happened, it wasn’t hard to see how complicated my father was. It was no secret. He was already a monster."
Macaulay went on to explain how fame changed things. "Suddenly, fame and money came, and he became an infamous monster. He was already a bad person," Macaulay stated. He recalled how John Candy would look over at him. Candy would often check in with simple questions like, "Everything all right over there? Are you doing okay? Good day? All good? Everything at home good? Good."
This kind of care from Candy on set was "a testament to the kind of man he was," the Home Alone star shared. He remembered fondly that Candy "simply took care of" him.
"It doesn’t happen that often. In fact, it happened less as time went on," Macaulay mentioned in the film. "I wish I had had more of that in my life. It’s important to remember that. I remember John cared when many people didn’t."
Macaulay and his brother, Kieran Culkin, have both spoken openly about their difficult relationships with their estranged father. The brothers have had almost no contact with their dad since their mother, Patricia Brentrup, gained custody of them and their siblings in 1997. Their family includes five other siblings, such as Scream 4 actor Rory Culkin.
Macaulay talked about his past on the "WTF With Marc Maron" podcast in 2018. He said, "I was never very close to him to begin with." He shared that his idea of a father was more from TV shows and movies than actual affection. He also said that Kit was "mentally and physically" abusive toward him.
More recently, in March, Macaulay spoke on the "Sibling Revelry" podcast, hosted by Kate and Oliver Hudson. He shared, "I haven’t spoken to him in, what, thirty-something years?" He also said, "He deserves it too. He’s a man who — he has seven children, and now he has four grandchildren, and none of them want anything to do with him."
Macaulay reflected on his father’s actions. "I would know, as a man, that I messed up. I must have done something wrong," he added. "I have more than a suspicion that he doesn’t see it that way. Like [for him] we are wrong, and he is right." He called his father "one of those crazy narcissists." He concluded, "We always argued. As I said, he was a bad man."
Kit, who is now 80, has mostly stayed out of the public eye since he and Macaulay’s mother separated. He has also been estranged from his children. In a rare comment from 2016, Kit told the Daily Mail, "I no longer consider him a son," referring to Macaulay.