‘Home Alone’ Star Macaulay Culkin Was Once Among the Highest Paid Actors; What’s His Net Worth Now?

What is Macaulay Culkin's net worth?

Actor Macaulay Culkin has an estimated net worth of $18 million as of October 2023, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Culkin rose to global fame with his most notable appearance as a child actor in the film "Home Alone," and "Home Alone 2: Lost In New York." Culkin was once among the highest-paid and most powerful actors in Hollywood. However, he vanished after taking time off from acting in the late 90s and early 2000s.

Macaulay Culkin's sources of income

Career in films

Culkin’s career in the entertainment industry began at the age of four when he started taking part in small theater productions, made-for-TV movies, TV and film roles such as in John Hughes’ 1989 film “Uncle Buck.”

Culkin's breakthrough in Hollywood came in 1990 when bagged the role of Kevin McCallister in another John Hughes flick, “Home Alone.” The film went on to become a massive success making Culkin a household name. He was nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Actor and he won an American Comedy Award and Young Artist Award for the role.

In 1991, he starred in a cartoon series called “Wish Kid,” hosted “Saturday Night Live” and made an appearance in Michael Jackson's “Black or White” music video. He then starred opposite Anna Chlumsky in “My Girl” and the following year, he reprised his role of Kevin in “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”.

He then appeared in a darker role in 1993 in the drama-thriller “The Good Son”. However, he had a string of poor office performers like “Getting Even with Dad,” “The Pagemaster,” and “Richie Rich," and in 1994, he took a four-year hiatus from acting.

Earnings from films

For "Uncle Buck," Culkin was paid about $40,000 and for the first "Home Alone" film, he was paid about $100,000. After “Home Alone,” Culkin became a seven-figure movie star as he was paid $1 million for "My Girl." For "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York," he earned $4.5 million. He was paid $1.5 million to appear in the thriller, "The Good Son." Further, for "Getting Even with Dad," Culkin was paid $8 million, and he was paid the same amount for the film "Richie Rich." Thus, from the seven films Culkin made a total of $23.5 million. However, in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres in 2018, Culkin revealed that he never realized he was wealthy as he didn't have access to his finances until he turned 18.

What does Macaulay Culkin do now?

Culkin made his return to acting in 1998 when he appeared in a music video for Sonic Youth's "Sunday." He then appeared in the play Madame Melville in London's West End. He returned to films with a dark role in “Party Monster” in 2003 and later appeared in a supporting role in “Saved!” He then did voice work in Seth Green's animated television show “Robot Chicken”.

He also published a semi-autobiographical novel, “Junior” in 2006 and starred in a 13-episode NBC series, “Kings.” In 2013, Culkin went viral with a video of him eating a cheese pizza. The video was a promotion for the debut of The Pizza Underground, his New York-based, pizza-themed comedy rock band. 

Other Ventures

In 2016, he split with the comedy rock band. He then worked as the publisher and CEO of a satirical pop culture website and podcast, a parody of Goop, called Bunny Ears.

Macaulay Culkin's brand endorsements

Apart from films and TV, Culkin also appeared in various TV ads. His most notable ad was for Google Assistant in 2018 where he reprised his role of Kevin from “Home Alone” and recreated scenes from the movie. Culkin was reportedly paid $1 million for the commercial.

Macaulay Culkin's real estate assets

Culkin has owned a New York City apartment since the early 2000s. In 2022, Culkin bought an $8 million home in the Toluca Lake area of Los Angeles. The 4,879 square foot home features five bedrooms and six bathrooms and is spread across 6-acres. It also features a swimming pool, a putting green, and a terrace with a fireplace. Culkin also sold his single-story building in Los Angeles for about $3.25 million at the same time.

Personal life

Since 2017, Culkin has been in a relationship with “Changeland” co-star Brenda Song and the couple has two kids together. They welcomed son Dakota in 2021 and they had a second child together in 2022.

Awards

1991 American Comedy Award: Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture (Leading Role) for “Home Alone”

1991 CFCA Award: Most Promising Actor for “Home Alone”

1991 Golden Globe Nomination: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical for “Home Alone”

1991 Young Artist Award: Best Young Actor Starring in a Motion Picture for “Home Alone”

FAQs

Why did Macaulay Culkin stop acting?

Macaulay Culkin's parents' divorce in 1994 led him to leave the entertainment industry and stop acting, per a statement by Culkin on Marc Maron's podcast.

What is Macaulay Culkin doing for a living now?

Macaulay Culkin serves as the publisher and CEO of a satirical pop culture website and podcast called Bunny Ears.

What is Macaulay Culkin’s net worth?

Macaulay Culkin has an estimated net worth of $18 million as of October 2023.