Disaster Audition: ’90s Star Reveals Failing to Land Role in Tarantino’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’

Released 35 years ago, “Home Alone” has solidified itself as a perennial holiday film, frequently rebroadcasted during the festive season. The misadventures of young Kevin McCallister, accidentally left behind by his family during the holidays, have earned it the status of a Christmas classic.

This family comedy significantly catapulted Macaulay Culkin’s career into the stratosphere. With just one movie, he quickly became Hollywood’s darling of the 1990s and commanded a staggering salary. He reprised his role as Kevin McCallister in “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” (1992), which also turned out to be a major financial success.

A Significant Slump

However, there was a downside… Embroiled in a legal battle with his parents over control of his fortune, Macaulay Culkin continued to act in a few movies before entering a lengthy career hiatus starting in 1994. Although he stepped back from his career, he remained in the public eye, often appearing in gossip columns for drug use, arrests, divorce, and financial troubles.

Culkin distanced himself from the film industry for about a decade but made occasional appearances over the years. Many of these projects were either indie or flew completely under the radar, like the 2007 comedy about swingers titled “Sex and Breakfast.” He also made a cameo in “Zoolander 2.” In 2019, he appeared in the unnoticed (and unreleased in our region) film “Changeland,” directed by Seth Green.

“I’m Terrible at Auditions”

In a February 2020 interview with Esquire, Macaulay Culkin revealed that he had attempted a more mainstream comeback in the film industry. Indeed, he had auditioned for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” a project directed by Quentin Tarantino. But things didn’t go well…

“It was a disaster,” he said, “I wouldn’t have hired me. I’m terrible at auditions anyway, and it was my first one in about eight years.” Unfortunately, he did not specify which role he had auditioned for, so we are left to speculate. A successful comeback under Tarantino’s direction would have been impressive.

Meanwhile, the most famous child star of the 1990s is set to soon share his midlife crisis in a documentary series aptly named “Macaulay Culkin’s Midlife Crisis.”