In a candid recent interview, Home Alone icon Macaulay Culkin opened up about why he chose to walk away from his acting career at just 14 years old. Following the release of the 1994 comedy Richie Rich, the young star realized he felt a profound desire to trade the spotlight for the life of a typical teenager.
“I desperately missed the company of people my own age. In most of my projects, I worked in isolation without an ensemble cast. Even Tom Hanks had a volleyball; I didn’t even have that. I was quite literally home alone. I wanted to socialize with my peers, go on dates, and attend parties. I missed out on so many bar mitzvahs!” the actor explained.
Culkin further noted that he never actually harbored dreams of Hollywood stardom. His career began almost by accident when his father brought him along to auditions with his older brothers. After landing roles on his very first attempt, it became clear that the profession had found him, rather than the other way around.
