Devin Ratray Played Buzz in "Home Alone." See Him Now at 44.
The actor brought the memorable bully to life 31 years ago.
In Home Alone, Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) might be shocked to be left behind by his family when they leave for Christmas vacation without him, but he's actually glad to be rid of some of them, particularly his older brother Buzz. Played by Devin Ratray, Buzz is a bully to his younger brother, and they often get into trouble together. Of course, Kevin gives Buzz a hard time, too. It's hard to forget him making fun of Buzz's girlfriend ("Woof!") when he finds her picture.
Ratray might not have had the lead role in Home Alone, but his part was definitely memorable. The actor was only 13 when the holiday film hit theaters in 1990. While many of the kids in the cast stopped acting as the years went on, Ratray is remains in the biz and still appears in popular movies and TV shows today. Read on to find out more about what Ratray is up to now.
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Ratray had a great time on the Home Alone set.
When Ratray was cast in Home Alone, he had already been working as an actor for several years. He appeared in the TV series Heartland and in movies including Little Monsters and Worth Winning. After Home Alone, he appeared in Dennis the Menace and, of course, the sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
Of being on the set of Home Alone with the other kid actors who played Buzz's siblings and cousins, Ratray told Den of Geek in 2020, "We would laugh and joke around. We bonded like brothers and sisters. I don't recall any fighting at all. I was also a bit older than most so they did treat me like Buzz the older brother but I felt very close with them and we had a pretty good time together."
His acting career continued into adulthood.
Not all child stars are able to turn their young acting career into an adult one—and many don't even want to—but Ratray was able to make the transition. As an adult actor, he's had roles in TV shows including Supernatural, The Good Wife, Mosaic, and Chicago Med, and in films including, Nebraska, Rough Night, and Hustlers. He also reprises the role of Buzz in the recently released Home Sweet Home Alone.
"I am very privileged to have continued to act as my only profession," he told Den of Geek, "and luckily I am able to continue to do interesting and different roles that aren't just Buzz. But clearly Buzz is something that is going to stay with me."
Ratray told Complex in 2015, that being in Home Alone helped his career: "It certainly does, you know, [because] people can instantly [have] name recognition and face recognition, and they recognize the movie and now instantly remember my part, which at least gives validity to future projects or auditions I go for. Of course, you know, it was a quarter of a century ago, so I'm a totally different person."
He attended film school.
Even though Ratray was able to transition into a grown-up acting career, he did take a little time off to attend college and study film. In a 2015 interview with Bustle, he shared that the Home Alone—which was written by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus—was his "first film school."
"Once I saw [Home Alone], it was the largest lesson in filmmaking I'd ever experienced," he explained. "To see what I read on script just translating into non-stop laughter, my eyes opened up and I realized, wow, that's the power of cinema."
He passed the movie on to the next generation.
In his interview with Den of Geek, Ratray shared that he showed his then-seven-year-old son Home Alone, but he didn't totally understand that he was watching his dad. "I was expecting him to be a little more impressed," the actor said. "He was a little disorientated to tell you the truth. He watched it and was kind of fascinated when I was on. I'm not quite sure he comprehended that when he was looking at the child on the screen that that was his big bearded dad. It must have been an odd experience for him."
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He's proud to have been in Home Alone.
With Home Alone being such a huge hit at the time and going on to become a Christmas classic, Ratray understands that the connection fans have with it goes beyond your average movie. "People felt a familial relationship with me when they would see me on the street," he told Bustle, "They truly felt like I'd been in their homes during some of the most quiet, intimate Christmas mornings of their lives."
He also told Den of Geek, "It's a tremendous phenomenon to be part of and I am very glad that I get to say I played a part."
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