Then and Now: Home Alone

Home Alone: Then and Now

It’s been 25 years since Home Alone was first released, in time for Christmas 1990, so as part of our growing Then and Now series we take a look back at what the main cast are up to these days…

Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister

It’s an unfortunate part of being exposed to fame at such a young age that you can often go off the rails and Macaulay Culkin probably epitomises this more than most.  Before taking the lead in Home Alone as Kevin McCallister, Culkin appeared in Uncle Buck another John Hughes film which starred John Candy in the title role as the bumbling but well intentioned babysitter.

So when Home Alone 2: Lost in New York hit cinema screens Culkin had been involved in movies taking in over $900 million at the box office before reaching his teens.

After a few dud releases and being nominated for three Worst Actor Razzies in 1994 for Getting Even with Dad, The Pagemaster and Richie Rich, demand for Culkin’s services hit the skids and he wouldn’t appear in film again for nearly a decade when he featured in 2003’s Party Monster.

During the 2000s Culkin was in the news for his issues with drug use, including a brief jail sentence in 2004, and allegations surrounding his friendship with Michael Jackson appearing at Jackson’s 2005 trial and also his burial in 2009.

Over the last ten years Culkin has had guest appearances on US TV including Will & Grace, Kings, Robot Chicken and The Jim Gaffigan Show whilst also performing in The Pizza Underground, a Velvet Underground-pizza themed parody band who were booed off stage at Nottingham’s Rock City last year.

Joe Pesci as Harry

New Jersey-born Joe Pesci burst onto the scene with appearances in Easy Money, Once Upon a Time in America and Martin Scorcese’s Raging Bull and Goodfellas before taking a comic turn in Home Alone and its sequel.

After spending most of the 90s starring in JFK, My Cousin Vinny and Lethal Weapons 2-4, Pesci retired from acting full time in 1999, although has made appearances in The Good Shepherd, alongside Helen Mirren, and a “You’re not you when you’re hungry” Snickers ad as well as dabbling in voice work.

Now 72, Pesci is slated to appear alongside Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in Scorcese’s The Irishman should it ever make its way out of development hell.

Daniel Stern as Marv

In probably one of his better known roles, Stern played Marv, one of the Sticky Bandits alongside Joe Pesci’s Harry in Home Alone.

Stern also found success in Breaking Away, Diner, and the huge comedy western City Slickers alongside Billy Crystal. He’s also known for being the voice over/narrator Kevin Arnold in the highly rated ABC series The Wonder years.

More recently Stern has guest starred in Family Guy, Monk, Workaholics and Getting On, whilst also working as a sculptor.

Catherine O’Hara as Kate McCallister

O’Hara rose to fame on SCTV, a Canadian sketch show influenced by SNL and Monty Python’s Flying Circus alongside famous faces such as John Candy, Rick Moranis and Harold Ramis.

After featuring in Beetlejuice, which was her sixth feature film, she would go to appear in Home Alone and its sequel as well as collaborating with Tim Burton again in The Nightmare before Christmas as Sally.

In 2006 she received rave reviews for her role in the comedy For Your Consideration, written by Spinal Tap’s Christopher Guest and American Pie’s Eugene Levy, also a former cast member of SCTV.

With guest spots in Six Feet Under, Curb Your Enthusiasm and 30 Rock, O’Hara was nominated for a Primetime Emmy and Screen Actors Guild award for her role in the HBO produced Temple Grandin in 2010.

In 2015 O’Hara starred in the first season of CBC’s sitcom Schitt’s Creek alongside Levy, which has been picked up for a second run.

John Heard as Peter McCallister

Heard played Kevin McCallister’s father in the first two Home Alone movies and rarely managed to hit the same billing for his later roles.

Originally a successful theatre actor Heard appeared in stage productions of The Wager, The Scarlett Letter and Obie Award winning turns in Othello and Split.

Since Home Alone he’s had a steady career of TV and film roles including CSI Miami, The Sopranos, Prison Break and NCIS: Los Angeles.

Devin Ratray as Buzz McCallister

Typecast pretty early on as a ‘bully’, Ratray appeared in small roles in Little Monsters and Dennis the Menace with his stint as Buzz McCallister, Kevin’s antagonistic older brother sandwiched in between.

Ratray continued to act in smaller roles during the 2000s and during 2007 was followed by a documentary crew as they filmed his attempts at wooing former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Yes, really.

Since then Ratray has been cast in The Good Wife, Agent Carter, acclaimed movies Nebraska and Blue Ruin as well as not-so-acclaimed R.I.P.D. whilst also playing in his band Little Bill and the Beckleys.

Larry Hankin as Larry Balzak

Ok, so maybe not a main cast member but we thought we’d add this one as one of the ‘I knew I recognized him from somewhere!’ moments you only usually get watching Game of Thrones.

Although Hankin’s career has been incredibly long and varied, featuring in Escape from Alcatraz alongside Clint Eastwood to appearing with Adam Sandler in Billy Madison, he played the donut loving cop who reluctantly takes Kate’s phone call once they realise Kevin is missing.

Mainly known for his guest appearances, Hankin has also portrayed Tom Pepper in Seinfeld, Mr Heckles in Friends and Old Joe in Breaking Bad, who helps Walt and Jesse get rid of the infamous RV.

 Any more you think we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments!

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Take a trip down memory lane with our other Then and Now series of blog posts

READ NOW: Back to the Future – Then and Now

READ NOW: Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace – Then and Now

READ NOW: Beetlejuice – Then and Now

READ NOW: The Breakfast Club – Then and Now