"I just wish it was gone" - Home Alone 2 director Chris Columbus reportedly calls Donald Trump cameo a 'curse'

Legendary filmmaker Chris Columbus, who is set to receive an honorary tribute at the 68th San Francisco International Film Festival this month, shared his views on Donald Trump's cameo in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York during an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle.

Director Chris Columbus reminisced about Donald Trump's appearance in the 1992 film Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, when Trump was a popular real estate tycoon and had not yet adopted the political persona for which he is known today. Regarding Trump's cameo in his film, Columbus said:

“Years later, it’s become this curse. It’s become this thing that I wish it was not there…But it’s there. It’s become an albatross for me. I just wish it was gone”

In the film, Donald Trump portrays himself. In the Plaza Hotel, he is approached by the child protagonist, who has been mistakenly abandoned by his parents. Trump offers directions to the child, portrayed by a young Macaulay Culkin. At the time, the current President of the U.S. owned the iconic hotel in New York City.

Chris Columbus on contesting claims about Donald Trump's cameo in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

In 2020, as the Home Alone franchise celebrated the 30th anniversary of the first film released in 1990, director Chris Columbus spoke with Business Insider for an interview and stated:

“Like most locations in New York City, you just pay a fee and you are allowed to shoot in that location. We approached The Plaza Hotel, which Trump owned at the time, because we wanted to shoot in the lobby. We couldn't rebuild The Plaza on a soundstage.”

However, according to Columbus, there was a slight twist after they agreed to pay the fees for the shoot. In an interview with Business Insider, Columbus claimed that Trump would only allow the filming to take place in his hotel if he was given some screen time in the movie. According to Columbus, Trump had said:

“The only way you can use the Plaza is if I'm in the movie.”

When Columbus's interview was published in 2020, Trump did not respond to the director's claims. However, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, Trump did share his views on Columbus's claims in 2023. In a post on Donald Trump's official account on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote:

“I was very busy, and didn’t want to do it…They were very nice, but above all, persistent. I agreed, and the rest is history! That little cameo took off like a rocket, and the movie was a big success, and still is, especially around Christmas time. People call me whenever it is aired.”

Continuing, Trump addressed Columbus' claims, writing:

“Now, however, 30 years later, Columbus (what was his real name?) put out a statement that I bullied myself into the movie. Nothing could be further from the truth. That cameo helped make the movie a success…Just another Hollywood guy from the past looking for a quick fix of Trump publicity for himself”

Chris Columbus did not respond to Donald Trump's claims in 2023. However, in a recent interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Columbus stated:

“What’s going through this guy’s mind? He said I was lying. I’m not lying. He said I begged him to be in the movie, but there’s no world I would ever beg a non-actor to be in a movie. But we were desperate to get the Plaza Hotel.”

During the interview, Columbus admitted that the Trump cameo in the film was very well received by the audience back then. Columbus recalled:

“We screened the film in Chicago, and when that moment came onscreen the audience went crazy…they cheered and they cheered and they thought it was hilarious. I think I know a lot about comedy, but I don’t, obviously, because I never thought that was going to be considered hilarious.”

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Based on the audience's reaction, Chris Columbus, despite his doubts, chose to keep the scene in the final edit, as mentioned in the director's conversation with the San Francisco Chronicle.

According to Box Office Mojo, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York was produced with a budget of $55 million and went on to gross a whopping $355.99 million worldwide. Years later, it still remains in people's minds.

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