Macaulay Culkin Has Seven Siblings, And Here's What Happened To All Of Them

Who can forget Macaulay Culkin? He was the blond-haired, blue-eyed child who appeared to be everywhere in the early 1990s, starring in huge movies like Home Alone, My Girl and Richie Rich. But the former child star isn’t the only celebrity in his family; he has a whopping seven siblings. And you might already be familiar with some of them without knowing about their connection to their famous brother. So read on to find out just what happened to all of the Culkin kids!

The family

It would be fair to suggest that the Culkins are something of a celebrity super-family. Because several of the children were pushed from a young age to pursue fame and fortune in the world of showbiz. This pressure predominantly came from their domineering father, Christopher Cornelius “Kit” Culkin.

Acting roots

Kit Culkin was an actor himself, appearing on the stage of New York’s famous Broadway. His sister, and Macaulay’s auntie, is notable actress Bonnie Bedelia, too. She is perhaps best known as John McClane’s ex-wife Holly in the Die Hard movies, but has also appeared in the They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? and more recently, Netflix’s series Designated Survivor

Macaulay's big break

So the Culkin clan had something of a not inconsiderable level of fame before Macaulay was born and made it big in Home Alone. His performance as the mischievous Kevin McCallister in that movie saw him go on to become arguably the most famous child actor of all time.

Constant pressure

Coupled with his father’s pressure to make it big, Macaulay and his siblings did all they could to achieve success. But there was a considerable amount of disparity between them when it came to getting that success. Yes, while Macaulay became a household name worldwide, his other siblings toiled in his shadow.

The siblings

And their journeys through life have led them in contrasting directions to their celebrated brother. Indeed, the lesser known Culkins have landed in some surprising places, which you most likely will not know about. Some of them have been less than fortunate with living ordinary lives, too. So where did it all begin for this band of brothers and sisters?

Eight children

Well, Kit Culkin had a lot of people to project hopes and dreams onto not so long ago. Because by 1989 the former Broadway actor had produced a remarkable seven children with his long-time partner Patricia Brentrup. Plus he’d had one more from a previous relationship.

The youngest

Although they raised their family Roman Catholic, Kit and Patricia curiously never tied the knot. Yet they remained in a relationship for around 21 years, starting in 1974. And during that time Patricia would’ve been pregnant a lot up until the birth of their youngest, Rory in 1989.

The eldest siblings

The full Culkin clan – including Kit’s daughter from a previous relationship – consisted of five boys and three girls. The eldest was Jennifer, who was born in 1970. Next to arrive was Kit and Patricia’s first child, Shane, in 1976. The couple’s first girl, named Dakota, was born three years later in 1979.

The younger crew

The next child Kit and Patricia would have in 1980 was the one that we all know: Macaulay Carson Culkin. Macaulay was followed by younger brother Kieran and sister Quinn, in 1982 and 1984 respectively. But his parents weren’t quite finished yet, with two more boys – Christian and Rory – arriving in 1987 and 1989.

What their parents did

And Kit Culkin’s hopes for his kids were some way above the humble life that he and his partner Patricia led. Kit, for instance, worked as a sacristan at a Catholic Church in New York, whilst Patricia toiled as a telephone operator. That’s outside of raising their many children, of course.

Humble upbringing

Those kids were not raised in a large, luxurious suburban home like the fictional Kevin McCallister and his family. No, the Culkin kids grew up in a miniscule Manhattan apartment. The flat was so small, in fact, that there were only two doors and one bedroom. So Macaulay and his siblings had to sleep in bunk beds.

Kieran remembers

Kieran Culkin recalled to Vanity Fair in 2018 that the apartment was scarcely large enough for a childless couple. He said, “It was just a hallway, and there were no separating doors, except for the bathroom, which didn’t have a lock.” Kieran added that his parents “just kept bringing babies home to this little space.”

No choice in the matter

Macaulay’s early childhood, then, wasn’t easy for him and his siblings. Not only did they have to live together in a cramped apartment, the Culkin children also had to endure a somewhat pushy father who’d wanted them to go into show business. This was whether they wanted to be actors or not.

Remained in cramped housing

Don’t know about you reader, but we just kind of assumed that Macaulay Culkin was living in a giant mansion after he made it big in Home Alone. But no, far from it. Although he’d earned $1 million for his part in My Girl at the age of 10, he was still living in that tiny apartment, where he didn’t even have his own room!

It started with the firstborn

Kit had initially pushed hard for his eldest son Shane to make it in showbusiness. He would go on to try out for numerous roles with little success as a boy. And aside from a Broadway performance of Our Town, he appeared in TV’s Great Performances in 1989. But it soon became clear it was Macaulay who had the required X-Factor.  

Managed by dad

Kit took on the role of Macaulay’s manager during his career, as he transitioned from an unknown youngster to a world-famous actor. The Home Alone star, in fact, first began acting at the age of four. We can’t even remember what we were doing at that tender age, but it sure wasn’t embarking on a high-pressure career!

Kieran's early roles

But Macaulay wasn’t the only Culkin to make an early splash in the world of show business. His younger brother Kieran also appeared in minor roles in both Home Alone movies, as well as in Only The Lonely, two Father of the Bride films and Nowhere to Run. Plus youngest sibling Rory appeared in his older bro’s movie Richie Rich, fittingly playing the younger version of him.  

Macaulay opens up

So Macaulay and his siblings had to grow up fast. And the Richie Rich star revealed some eye-opening things about his early years on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast in 2018. He firstly told the host that his relationship with his father was, “sour from early on, even before the fame stuff.” The actor also claimed that Kit was abusive “physically and mentally.”

Called his father jealous

Macaulay additionally suggested to Maron that his frosty relationship with Kit was largely born out of resentment over his success. The actor said, “He was jealous. Everything that he tried to do in his life, like, I excelled at before I was 10-years old.” But he isn’t the only one of the kids to publicly hit out at their father.

Kieran speaks about his family

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Macaulay’s younger brother Kieran said, “He’s not a good dude, but he wasn’t really a big part of my life after the age of 15. Sometime in the 1990s, he went away and disappeared for two, three weeks, and the babysitter remarked to my mom, ‘What’s funny is their father’s been gone for three weeks, and not one of them has said, ‘Hey, where’s Dad?’” 

Their ultimate split

Kit and Patricia would go their separate ways in 1995. And the split was anything but amicable. Yes, the result was a hostile legal fight over custody of the Culkin children. Plus, who had the right to Macaulay’s considerable fortune from his movie stardom was disputed by his parents, too.

Mother granted custody

That custody battle would stretch across two years, from 1995 until April 1997. And Patricia prevailed at the Supreme Court in Manhattan, so the younger Culkin children went to live with their mom. But Macaulay explained to New York Magazine why, when still in his early teens, he took personal control of his millions and cut his mother out of the loop.

Taking control

Macaulay said, “Basically, I had millions and millions of dollars in the bank and my mother couldn’t pay the rent because she was spending all of her money on lawyers. We were about to get evicted from our apartment. The only way I could get access to that money was to take my father’s name off it, but I didn’t want to make it messy, so I figured I’d take both their names off.” 

Early retirement

The Home Alone star would famously retire when he was just 14-years-old. But Macaulay – who became a global phenomenon before he was even in his teens – would make a comeback of sorts, with a host of different projects both weird and wonderful. Yet what became of his brothers and sisters? 

Rory's success

Let’s start with the youngest member of the Culkin litter: Rory. He’d appeared in Richie Rich as the baby of his brother’s titular character. But Rory has since gone on to have a successful acting career of his own. Arguably his breakthrough was You Can Count on Me, with his performance wowing critics and earning him a Young Artist Award.

Where to watch him

Rory has quietly built up an impressive CV since that movie, starring in films including Signs. And when he reached his teens, the youngest Culkin surfaced in a number of independent films, such as Mean Creek and Down in the Valley. But you most likely recognize him from his appearances in the TV series Waco, The Expecting, and City on the Hill.

Kieran's early roles

From Rory we go to Kieran. This Culkin brother has probably been the most successful in the acting game, respective of Macaulay. He got his first break as Fuller on his brother’s star vehicle Home Alone in 1990, before a series of minor appearances on the big and small screens. You might have spotted him in films and TV shows as varied as Frasier, Father of the Bride and The Cider House Rules.

Nabbing awards

But it was in 2002 that Kieran Culkin really came into his own. Because his turn in Igby Goes Down won him acclaim and a Golden Globe nomination. He later appeared in the films Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Movie 43. But he’s perhaps best known to audiences as Roman Roy in HBO’s Succession, and for playing Rye Gerhardt in FX’s Fargo. Kieran is married to Jazz Charton and they have a child together.

Shane walked away from the spotlight

Yet what became of Shane, you might be asking. Well, the eldest male Culkin has had a much quieter life than his celebrated siblings Macaulay, Kieran and Rory. Since that early pressure to act and his one-off role in Great Performances in 1989, he has not done any acting work of note. Yes, Shane has shunned the spotlight, and we don’t blame him.

Quinn Culkin

Then there’s Quinn, the youngest sister in the Culkin clan. Like her brothers, she dipped her toes in acting early on, making an uncredited cameo in Home Alone before lending her vocal talents to the animated children’s series Wish Kid. But after starring in The Good Son alongside Macaulay in 1993, Quinn retreated from the spotlight. She is reportedly married with a daughter.

Christian Culkin

What about Christian? Well, he made an appearance in the film It Runs in the Family from 1994. But the second youngest Culkin quickly recognized that a career in show business wasn’t for him. So he pursued writing, relocating to New York City in the process. He has written for the likes of Lid magazine and The Waverley Press and has earned himself an MFA in screenwriting.

Tragic accident

The stories of the next two Culkins are tragic. Macaulay’s older sister Dakota didn’t pursue a life as an actor and led a relatively quiet life compared to her siblings. But she died in December 2008, aged just 29. Dakota had gone out to buy cigarettes in Los Angeles, but was struck by a car when stepping off the curb. She’d been involved in the production design of a horror film called Lost Soul before her death. 

Another loss

Then there’s Jennifer: the daughter of Kit Culkin and his former partner Adeena VanWagoner, and the eldest of the eight children. Jennifer – who reportedly wasn’t close with her half-brothers and sisters – got married at some point in her life, taking the name Adamson. But her time on earth would be cut short in May 2000, when she died from an overdose. She was 29.

Macaulay since retirement

That leaves one Culkin child to catch up with. And that, of course, is the most famous of them all: Macaulay. We’d noted earlier how he “retired” from acting at the age of 14, after a spree of making 15 movies from the age of eight. So what has he been up to since then?

Struggled to adapt to normal life

Macaulay struggled with his fame, particularly the media intrusion in his life, and for a few years largely hid away from it all in his home. He studied at a private high school in New York. He then tied-the-knot with his childhood sweetheart Rachel Miner at the age of 18. But the pair split in 2000, just two years on from their 1998 wedding. The divorce was finalized in 2002.

Return to acting

But the former child-star would return to the spotlight in the 2000s, starring in a production of Madame Melville on London’s West End in 2000. In May 2002 he started seeing actress Mila Kunis. And a year later he appeared both as a juvenile divorce lawyer on NBC’s popular comedy Will & Grace and a murderous druggie in Party Monster. Positive reviews from critics saw him make the often problematic crossover from child star to adult actor.

Addiction

But after playing a narcotic-using party monster, Macaulay would soon be accused of being one. Yes, after his 2011 split from Kunis, The National Enquirer claimed the former child actor had developed a heroin addiction and was months away from death. But he is still here, and before all that had happened he’d appeared in films such as Saved! plus lent his voice to his friend Seth Green’s Robot Chicken.

Mac today

Macaulay has kept himself busy in recent years. First, there’s his media company called Bunny Ears, and his bizarre tribute band to American rock group The Velvet Underground called... The Pizza Underground. He also had a child with actress Brenda Song, named Dakota after his late sister. The acting roles are still sporadic, but the Home Alone star likes picking his own projects. He told The Guardian in 2017, “Not having to do anything for my dinner, financially, lets me treat every gig like it’s the last.”

The Culkins

So there you have it reader. That’s what has happened to the Culkin brothers and sisters. From heady success to crushing lows and terrible tragedy, it really has been one hell of a ride for the family. It’ll sure be interesting to find out what Macaulay, Kieran and Rory get up to in the coming years.