The first image that comes into your mind when you think about the 1990 family comedy Home Alone is probably Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McAllister, either screaming with his hands on his face or sending a paint can through the air at the criminals trying to burgle his house. But the star's real-life little brother, Kieran Culkin, also appears in the movie, playing Kevin's youngest cousin, Fuller—you know, the one who wets the bed after too much Pepsi. While Kieran wasn't as quite as big of a celebrity in his early career as Macaulay, he also appeared in several hit movies, and, as an adult, has come into his own after a unique childhood navigating Hollywood. Read on to find out why he decided to stay in the business after being a child star and where you can see him now.
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He continued acting but never chased stardom.
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty ImagesKieran, like his brother, continued on in the business after the massive success of Home Alone. He played Matty Banks in Father of the Bride and its sequel, Kevin in The Mighty, and Simon in She's All That, among other '90s roles. He also reprised the role in Fuller in 1992 for Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. In 1999, he was nominated along with the rest of the cast of The Cider House Rules for the Screen Actors Guild ensemble award, and in 2002, a 20-year-old Kieran received acclaim (including a Golden Globe nomination) for his starring role in movie Igby Goes Down.
He took a break from acting onscreen from 2002 to 2008, during which time the young actor acted in plays, including This Is Our Youth, After Ashley, and SubUrbia. In 2010, he won new fans playing Wallace in the cult favorite Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and later appeared in a few independent movies and in a guest role on the series Fargo.
He considered quitting acting until his current role.
George Pimentel/WireImageThese days, Kieran might be even more of a household name than his older brother, thanks to his role as the foulmouthed and deeply damaged Roman Roy on the HBO series Succession. The show is currently filming its fourth season and is a major critical and audience hit. In a 2021 interview with NPR, Kieran explained that because he started performing so young, he wasn't even totally sure that it was the career for him until the drama about the backstabbing and machinations of the family behind a fictional media company came along.
"I can't remember if it was Season 1 or 2 [of Succession], but I remember coming home from work one day and telling my wife, 'It's going really well. ... I think I know what I want to do with my life. I think I want to be an actor,'" he told the outlet.
For playing Roman, Kieran has been nominated for three Golden Globe Awards and two Emmys. He won the Critics Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor this year and the SAG ensemble award with his co-stars in 2021.
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He's a husband and father.
Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesThe actor met Jazz Charton, a former model, by introducing himself to her at a bar when her date went to the bathroom, according to Vulture. The gambit worked—they've been married since 2013. In 2019, the couple welcomed daughter named Kinsey Sioux, and son Wilder Wolf followed in 2021.
Kieran doesn't have his own social media, but Charton shares shots of the family (albeit with their kids facing away from the camera) on her Instagram. After this year's nominations came out earlier in July, she posted photos of Kieran, Kinsey, and Wilder having a picnic in the park in New York where they live and captioned the post, "Two time Emmy nominee and terrible juggler. Neither of which the kids realize."
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Home Alone is a holiday tradition for him, too.
Theo Wargo/Getty ImagesAs Kieran's kids get older, it’s likely that one day they’ll watch their dad and Uncle Macaulay in Home Alone, as the family doesn’t shy away from revisiting the movie. Though, it does get old sometimes.
Kieran told Entertainment Tonight in 2019, “Yeah, we watch it! I haven't watched it in the last couple Christmases, sort of like A Christmas Story, I used to watch it every year and it's like I need a break every couple years before I can watch this one again.”
