Macaulay Culkin Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What Is Macaulay Culkin’s Net Worth, Salary, and Career Earnings?

With a net worth of $18 million, Macaulay Culkin is an American actor who became widely recognized after a series of popular films in the 1990s, including “Home Alone,” “Home Alone 2: Lost In New York,” “My Girl,” “Richie Rich,” “Uncle Buck,” and “The Good Son.”

During the height of his career, Culkin was among the highest-paid actors, whether child or adult, in the film industry. The details of his earnings from his most notable films are discussed in the following section.

Having taken a break from acting in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Culkin has recently re-emerged in both television and film, including independent projects. Over the years, he has been the target of numerous misleading tabloid claims about his life. The media often overlooks the fact that he leads a relatively normal life, opting for privacy away from both Hollywood and magazine headlines. Seth Green, an actor and childhood friend of Macaulay, often comes to his defense. In a conversation on Marc Maron’s podcast, Green emphasized that Mac simply doesn’t pay attention to media narratives surrounding him. Culkin, it appears, enjoys a substantial fortune while living away from public scrutiny.

Macaulay Culkin Salary Per Movie

Culkin earned $40,000 for his initial major role in the film “Uncle Buck” in 1989. His rise to fame occurred just a year later when he starred in “Home Alone,” receiving $100,000 for that role. This success propelled him into a household name, leading him to earn seven figures for the next four years.

In 1991, he received $1 million for his performance in “My Girl,” followed by a $4.5 million paycheck for his reprise in “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” in 1992. Interestingly, after achieving this level of success, he took a pay cut to $1.5 million for the 1993 thriller “The Good Son.”

The year 1994 marked the pinnacle of Culkin’s earning potential as a movie star. His role in “Getting Even with Dad” netted him $8 million, a figure he matched with the live-action adaptation of “Richie Rich.”

In total, the sum from those seven films between 1989 and 1994 amounts to $23.5 million, which, when adjusted for inflation, equates to approximately $40 million today.

• “Uncle Buck” (1989): $40 thousand
• “Home Alone” (1990): $100 thousand
• “My Girl” (1991): $1 million
• “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” (1992): $4.5 million
• “The Good Son” (1993): $1.5 million
• “Getting Even with Dad” (1994): $8 million
• “Ri¢hie Ri¢h” (1994): $8 million

Total: $23.5 million

The $23.5 million earned from 1989 to 1994 translates to an equivalent of $40 million today after factoring in inflation.

Early Life

Macaulay Culkin was born Macaulay Carson Culkin on August 26, 1980, in Manhattan, New York City. His father, Christopher Culkin, is a former Broadway actor, and his mother, Patricia Brentrup, never married him. He was named after the British historian Thomas Babington Macaulay. Culkin is one

of seven children, with a number of his siblings also pursuing acting careers. For five years, Culkin attended St. Joseph’s School of Yorkville, a Catholic institution, before moving on to the Professional Children’s School.

Career

At the age of four, Macaulay Culkin embarked on his journey in the entertainment world, participating in small theater productions, made-for-TV films, and various television and film roles. One notable highlight from these early days was his performance alongside John Candy in John Hughes’ 1989 movie “Uncle Buck.”

Culkin achieved his major breakthrough in 1990 when he landed the role of Kevin McCallister in another John Hughes film, “Home Alone.” His performance earned him a nomination for a Golden Globe for Best Actor, while he won an American Comedy Award and a Young Artist Award. The following year, he starred in a Saturday morning cartoon series titled “Wish Kid.” Additionally, Culkin hosted “Saturday Night Live” and appeared in Michael Jackson’s “Black or White” music video. Later in 1991, he played opposite Anna Chlumsky in “My Girl.” In 1992, Culkin was reportedly paid $4.5 million to reprise his role as Kevin in “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” an impressive contrast to the $110,000 he received for the original film. His acting took a darker turn in 1993 with his portrayal of Henry in the drama-thriller “The Good Son,” earning him an MTV Movie Award nomination for Best Villain. Interestingly, Culkin also trained at the School of American Ballet and starred in a filmed adaptation of “The Nutcracker.” After a streak of less successful films, including “Getting Even with Dad,” “The Pagemaster,” and “Richie Rich,” Culkin took a four-year break from acting to attend a private high school in NYC.

After Acting Hiatus

Culkin made his comeback to acting in 1998, appearing in a music video for Sonic Youth’s “Sunday.” Two years later, he took a role in the London West End production of “Madame Melville.” In 2003, he returned to the film scene with a dark role in “Party Monster,” portraying the drug addict and murderer Michael Alig. The following year, Culkin featured in a supporting role in “Saved!” which starred Jenna Malone and Mandy Moore, receiving positive reviews for his performance in this sleeper hit. He also lent his voice to Seth Green’s animated show “Robot Chicken.” In 2006, he released a semi-autobiographical novel titled *Junior,* discussing his experiences with fame and his complicated relationship with his father. Culkin starred in his first film since “Saved!” in the fall of 2007, a dark comedy called “Sex and Breakfast.” Following this, he appeared in a thirteen-episode series for NBC, “Kings.” In 2011, he was part of Adam Green’s experimental film “The Wrong Ferrarri,” which was filmed entirely on an iPhone. In December 2013, a co-produced and directed by Culkin video of himself eating cheese pizza went viral on YouTube, intended as a parody of Andy Warhol consuming a Burger King Whopper in the documentary “66 Scenes from America.” This endeavor served as a promotional piece for The Pizza Underground, his New York-based, pizza-themed comedy rock band. During a UK tour in May 2014, he made headlines when he stormed

During a performance with his band, Culkin exited the stage following his own kazoo solo as boos erupted from the crowd, accompanied by thrown pints of beer. Consequently, the remaining UK shows were canceled. In 2016, it was revealed that The Pizza Underground was disbanding.

In 2019, Culkin appeared in the film “Changeland,” directed by Seth Green. February 2020 brought the announcement that he would join the cast for the tenth season of “American Horror Story.”

As the publisher and CEO of a satirical pop culture podcast and website, Culkin runs a parody of “Goop” titled “Bunny Ears.”

Google Ad

After the band’s breakup, Culkin shifted to web content production and podcasting, also appearing in various TV commercials. One of the most notable was a 2018 advertisement for Google Assistant, where he revisited his character Kevin from “Home Alone,” recreating iconic scenes now over 28 years later.

The actor received $1 million for his appearance in this commercial.

Personal Life

Previously, Mac was engaged to Mila Kunis but their relationship ended. He was married to actress Rachel Miner between 1998 and 2002. Since 2017, Culkin has been in a relationship with his “Changeland” co-star Brenda Song, and together they welcomed a son, Dakota, on April 5, 2021. Their son’s name honors Macaulay’s sister Dakota, who tragically passed away in 2008. The couple added a second child to their family in December 2022.

Real Estate

Macaulay owns properties in both New York City and Paris, with his New York City apartment in his possession since the early 2000s.

The couple, Culkin and Song, purchased Kiefer Sutherland’s home in August 2022 for $8 million. Located in the Toluca Lake area of Los Angeles, this 1935-built home spans 4,879 square feet, featuring five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a swimming pool, a putting green, and a terrace fitted with a fireplace and pergola. This acquisition followed the sale of their single-story property in Los Angeles, which was listed for $3.25 million.