Macaulay Culkin is an American actor best known for playing Kevin McCallister in Home Alone, one of the most successful child stars of the 1990s. Born August 26, 1980, he is 46 years old. He has been with fiancée Brenda Song since 2017 and they share two sons. His net worth is estimated at around $25 million.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Macaulay Carson Culkin (legally Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin) |
| Date of Birth | August 26, 1980 |
| Age | 46 |
| Birthplace | Manhattan, New York City, New York |
| Profession | Actor, Musician, Podcaster |
| Known For | Kevin McCallister in Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) |
| Partner | Brenda Song (fiancée; engaged 2021) |
| Children | 2 sons (Dakota and Carson) |
| Estimated Net Worth | $25M – $30M (estimates) |
Early Life
Macaulay Carson Culkin was born on August 26, 1980, in Manhattan, New York City, the third of seven children born to Christopher "Kit" Culkin, a former stage actor, and Patricia Brentrup, a North Dakota native. The family lived in a small apartment in Manhattan's Yorkville neighborhood and struggled financially during his early childhood. His siblings include fellow actors Kieran Culkin and Rory Culkin.
Culkin was raised Catholic and attended St. Joseph's School of Yorkville before transferring to the Professional Children's School to accommodate his acting career. He has spoken openly about a difficult relationship with his father, describing him as violent toward the family; his parents never married and split during his teens, and Culkin went to court to remove their names from his trust fund.
Acting Career
Child Stardom
Culkin began acting at age four, appearing in stage productions and small film roles before breaking out as Kevin McCallister in Home Alone (1990), which became a global phenomenon and earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. He was reportedly paid about $110,000 for the first film.
He reprised the role in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), with his salary jumping to a reported $4.5 million plus 15 percent of merchandising — a 4,400 percent raise. He further cemented his stardom with My Girl (1991), the thriller The Good Son (1993), Getting Even with Dad (1994), and Richie Rich (1994), for which he earned a reported $8 million, making him one of the highest-paid child actors in Hollywood history.
Hiatus and Return
Culkin stepped away from acting in the mid-1990s at just 14 years old. He returned in 2003 with Party Monster and a guest spot on Will & Grace, followed by indie films including Saved! (2004). He also founded the comedy rock band The Pizza Underground in 2012 and, in 2018, became publisher and CEO of Bunny Ears, a satirical pop culture website and podcast.
Recent Work
His recent acting credits include a major role as Mickey in American Horror Story: Double Feature (2021) and an arc on HBO's The Righteous Gemstones. In December 2023 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with Brenda Song and their two sons making a rare public appearance at the ceremony.
Off screen, Culkin has leaned into his Home Alone legacy with "A Nostalgic Night with Macaulay Culkin," a holiday tour pairing a screening of the 1990 film with a moderated Q&A. The first run covered roughly a dozen US cities from late November to mid-December 2024, and a 35th-anniversary edition followed from November 22 to December 12, 2025, opening in Long Beach and closing in Brooklyn.
In November 2024, Deadline reported that Culkin had joined the cast of Prime Video's Fallout Season 2 in a recurring "crazy genius-type" role. When the season premiered in December 2025, he debuted in episode three as Lacerta Legate, a menacing second-in-command of Caesar's Legion who takes Lucy MacLean captive. In the finale, his character reads the dead founder's final note, swallows it to bury its message, and declares himself the new Caesar — marching the Legion on New Vegas. With a third season already renewed, his Caesar is set up as a major villain going forward.
He has also branched into voice work, playing Cattrick Lynxley in Disney's sequel Zootopia 2 (2025), and made two cameo appearances across the first two seasons of Running Point, the Netflix sports comedy starring Brenda Song.
In September 2026, Culkin took the stage at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards for an emotional In Memoriam tribute to Catherine O'Hara, who played his mother Kate McCallister and died in January 2026 at age 71. Joined by her Schitt's Creek screen children Dan Levy and Annie Murphy, Culkin described O'Hara as encouraging, warm, and funny — his "mama" — and closed by urging viewers to call their mothers.
Wife and Family
Culkin was previously married to actress Rachel Miner from 1998 to 2002, and dated Mila Kunis from 2002 to 2010.
He met actress Brenda Song — best known as London Tipton on Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody — in 2014 through mutual friend Seth Green, and they began dating in 2017 after reconnecting on the set of the film Changeland. The couple became engaged over Christmas 2021, a status People confirmed in January 2022. As of 2026 they have not formally married, though Song has discussed the possibility of eloping.
The couple has two sons: Dakota (born April 2021), named after Culkin's late sister, and Carson (born 2022, with his name revealed in a January 2025 interview). They keep their children largely out of the spotlight and raise them without a nanny, relying on Song's parents for help.
Engagement milestones have kept coming without a wedding. In June 2026 Culkin marked nine years of dating with an Instagram tribute to Song, and in April 2026 she revealed on Kylie Kelce's Not Gonna Lie podcast that he had re-proposed the previous August with their sons' help — derailed when their youngest shouted "Ram's House!" instead of the rehearsed line. At the Emmys that September, Song confirmed they still aren't married: "Not yet," she laughed, "soon."
Net Worth
Macaulay Culkin's net worth is estimated between $25 million and $30 million (Parade, Finance Monthly, Koimoi, 2026), though some older or more conservative outlets put the figure closer to $18–20 million. The bulk of his fortune comes from his extraordinary run as a child actor in the early 1990s, when he earned roughly $23.5 million from just seven films — worth far more in today's money.
He has preserved and grown that wealth through real estate (including a Toluca Lake estate sold for $14.25 million in March 2026 and a $10.3 million Sherman Oaks purchase), selective acting and voice work, and brand partnerships. Notably, he earns no royalties from Home Alone reruns, so his fortune rests on those original paydays and smart long-term asset management.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Macaulay Culkin's wife?
He is not currently married. His partner is actress Brenda Song, to whom he has been engaged since late 2021. He was previously married to Rachel Miner (1998–2002).
How old is Macaulay Culkin?
Born August 26, 1980, he is 46 years old.
What is Macaulay Culkin's net worth?
Estimated at $25–30 million, built primarily on his 1990s child-acting salaries and real estate investments.
Does Macaulay Culkin have children?
Yes — two sons with Brenda Song: Dakota (born 2021) and Carson (born 2022).
Is Macaulay Culkin in Fallout Season 2?
Yes — and his arc was bigger than expected. The season premiered in December 2025, with Culkin debuting in episode three as Lacerta Legate, a menacing second-in-command of Caesar's Legion. In the finale he declares himself the new Caesar, setting him up as a major villain for the already-renewed third season.
Is Macaulay Culkin married to Brenda Song?
No. They have been engaged since early 2022, and at the Emmys in September 2026 Song confirmed they still aren't married — "not yet," she joked, "soon."
Why did Macaulay Culkin stop acting?
He stepped away at 14 because, as he explained on the SmartLess podcast, he had made enough money to stop and wanted a normal teenage life — going to school and being around people his own age — after years of working only with adults.
How much did Macaulay Culkin make from Home Alone?
He was reportedly paid about $110,000 for Home Alone (1990), then roughly $4.5 million plus 15 percent of merchandising for Home Alone 2 (1992) — a 4,400 percent raise.