In a candid new interview, Home Alone icon Macaulay Culkin reflected on why he chose to retire from acting at the young age of 14. Following the release of the comedy Richie Rich, the actor realized he was yearning for the normalcy of a typical teenage life.
“I was desperately missing social interaction with people my own age. For most of my projects, I was filming in isolation without an ensemble cast. Tom Hanks at least had a volleyball to talk to; I didn’t even have that. I was quite literally home alone. I wanted to hang out with peers, go on dates, or go to parties. I missed out on so many bar mitzvahs!” the actor explained.
Culkin further noted that he never actually harbored dreams of stardom. His career trajectory was largely accidental, beginning when his father brought him along to auditions with his older brothers. After landing a role on his very first try, work seemed to find him rather than him seeking it out.
