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For years, fans have speculated which Home Alone film Macaulay Culkin himself holds dearest, the original 1990 holiday classic that made him a household name, or its bigger, glossier 1992 sequel that sent Kevin McCallister loose in New York City. Now, the actor has finally put the debate to rest.
In a rare appearance on Hot Ones, Culkin didn’t hesitate to crown Home Alone 2: Lost in New York as his personal favorite, delivering the answer with a very simple justification: “I got paid more.”
Responding to the question, the actor said:
“I got paid more. I think I own five percent of the net. And also 15 perfect of the merchandising. So, if you buy a Talkboy I’m like yeah, I’ll take 15 percent of that. Thank you very much. By the way, buy a Talkboy this Christmas.”
Five percent of the net means he secured a cut of the movie’s actual profits, so every ticket sold was a little extra in his pocket. But the real mic drop is the 15 percent of the merchandising clause. That’s where the Talkboy comes in, the silver-and-gray voice recorder Kevin uses in the sequel that instantly became a must-have ’90s gadget. Every time a kid begged their parents for one, Culkin got paid.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York takes Kevin McCallister from the quiet suburbs to the ultimate holiday battleground, the streets of Manhattan at Christmas. Directed by Chris Columbus and written by John Hughes, the 1992 sequel cranks up the chaos as Macaulay Culkin’s resourceful rascal boards the wrong plane and swaps a Florida family trip for a solo adventure in the Big Apple.
Armed with his dad’s credit card, Kevin turns the Plaza Hotel into his personal kingdom, indulging in room service dreams until he crosses paths with his old foes, The Wet Bandits, freshly escaped from prison and twice as determined to catch him.
What follows is a snow-dusted showdown of next-level traps, slapstick brilliance, and holiday magic, with Rockefeller Center and the original World Trade Center as his playground.
More details on Macaulay Culkin's role in the Home Alone franchise
Macaulay Culkin’s relationship with the Home Alone franchise is equal parts fond nostalgia and wry distance, and lately he’s been unusually candid about both. He’s also leaned into the legacy side of things in playful ways. When the iconic Winnetka house went up for sale, Culkin admitted he briefly thought about buying it “just for giggles,” imagining a fan-friendly “movie fun house,” but family life and logistics won out.
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That aside, he’s been touring with screening-and-Q&A events that celebrate the films while letting him frame their place in his life on his own terms. Fatherhood has softened his distance from the role, too. Macaulay Culkin has said his young son sometimes thinks that he really is Kevin, which has changed how he watches the movies and how he talks about them in public.
The Home Alone franchise is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
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