Macaulay Culkin was the first in his family to become a household name — but he isn’t the last.
Before scoring his breakout role as Kevin McCallister in Home Alone, Macaulay was surrounded by actors in his family. His father, Kit Culkin, was a Broadway actor who appeared in several theater productions. Kit’s brother Terry and sisters Bonnie and Candace were also involved in the entertainment industry since their mother served as their manager.
Macaulay appeared in several small roles as a child before booking Home Alone in 1990. After skyrocketing to fame in the Christmas flick, he went on to star in My Girl, The Good Son and Richie Rich. After taking a break from acting in 1995, Macaulay made his return nearly a decade later with a guest appearance on Will & Grace and later starred in the tenth season of American Horror Story.
Kieran Culkin, meanwhile, followed in his brother’s footsteps by appearing in multiple projects with Macaulay before charting his own path. He has notably appeared in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and as Roman Roy in HBO’s Succession.
As for Rory Culkin, he also shared the screen with Macaulay and Kieran but has skewed toward horror projects such as Scream 4, Lords of Chaos and Signs. Rory’s roles on the small screen include Waco, Under the Banner of Heaven, Swarm and Black Mirror.
In February 2024, Prime Video confirmed that Shane Culkin, Macaulay, Christian Culkin and Rory will lend their voices on an episode of The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy.
Keep scrolling for a guide to Macaulay and his siblings:
Macaulay Culkin
After being thrust into the life of a child star, Macaulay’s major accomplishments included a hosting gig on Saturday Night Life and starring in Michael Jackson’s “Black or White” music video. Off screen, however, Macaulay ended up suing his mother, Patricia Brentrup, and father at age 15 to remove them as his legal guardians. He chose to hire an executor for his finances — his family’s accountant — until he turned 18.
Macaulay’s break from acting gave him more time to publish a semi-autobiographical book, Junior, in 2006. He also shifted over to making music with his comedy rock band The Pizza Underground, which ultimately split in 2018.
In his personal life, Macaulay was briefly married to Rachel Miner and had a long-term relationship with Mila Kunis, which ended in 2011 after eight years together. He started dating Brenda Song in 2017 after they worked on Changeland together and the couple now share two sons.
Kieran Culkin
The actor has experimented with many different genres after his role in Igby Goes Down scored him a Golden Globe nomination. Kieran went on to star in Margaret and No Sudden Move before playing Wallace Wells in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. (He reprised the role in the 2023 anime titled Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, which featured most of the cast members from the OG film.)
Kieran’s role as Roman on Succession cemented his success after he was nominated for three Emmy Awards during the show’s run. He won the 2024 Golden Globe for best performance in a drama series. Kieran ventured into voice acting with TV projects including Solar Opposites and Agent Elvis.
In 2013, Kieran married Jazz Charton. They share a daughter (born in 2019) and a son (born in 2021).
Rory Culkin
As a child, Rory played the younger versions of Macaulay and Kieran‘s characters before having a breakthrough role in You Can Count on Me. He shifted to more independent films as he got older with The Chumscrubber, Hick and Down in the Valley. Rory’s more memorable performances though are in projects such as Scream 4, Gabriel and Under the Banner of Heaven.
Rory got married to cinematographer Sarah Scrivener in 2018 but they have since called it quits. In November 2023, Kate Arizmendi made her relationship with Rory Instagram official.
Dakota Culkin
The eldest daughter in the Culkin family showed an interest in the film industry, as well. Dakota served as an art production assistant on Lost Soul shortly before her death. In 2008, Dakota died at age 29 after she was struck by a car while crossing the street.
Macaulay honored his sister by naming his first son after Dakota.
Quinn Culkin
Shane Culkin
Following a short theater stint in the ’80s, Shane has also preferred to keep a low public profile.
Christian Culkin
Jennifer Adamson
The Culkin siblings had a stepsister from father Kit’s side. Kit welcomed Jennifer with Adeena VanWagoner in 1970 before he moved on with Patricia. Jennifer was a supervisor at a group home for adults with disabilities before her death at age 29 in 2000 from a drug overdose.
