Macaulay Culkin has opened up about someone who played an important role in his life, the late comedian John Candy.
In the new documentary John Candy: I Like Me, Culkin, now 45, reflects on his time working with Candy, who died at 43 from a heart attack in 1994.
The two starred together in John Hughes’ 1989 film Uncle Buck, during which Culkin says Candy became a protective, almost “paternal” figure.
"I think he always had that really great instinct," Culkin shares in the documentary.
"I think [Candy] saw. Listen, even before the wave crested and the Home Alone stuff was happening, it was not hard to see how difficult my father was. It was no secret. He was already a monster."
He added, "All of a sudden, the fame and the money came, and [my father] became an infamous monster. He was already not a good guy. I think John was looking a little side-eyed, like, 'Is everything alright over there? You doing good? Good day? Everything's alright? Everything good at home? Alright.'"
Both Culkin and his brother, Succession star Kieran Culkin, have previously spoken about their troubled relationship with their father.
For Macaulay, Candy’s kindness stood out during a time when he needed it most.
Ryan Reynolds, who produced the documentary, explained why Culkin was finally ready to share his story.
“Honestly, I think because John Candy meant that much,” he said at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Reynolds described Culkin as “one of the funniest, smartest, sharpest people I’ve ever met,” while director Colin Hanks also praised the actor as “so sharp.”
According to Candy’s son Christopher, who co-executive produced the film, the idea of including Culkin came about during a chance meeting at a Whole Foods.
“I introduced myself and then I said, ‘Well, we're doing a documentary on him and we'd love to have you.’ He said, ‘Yeah, give me a call.’ And then we couldn't get ahold of him,” he recalled.
Reynolds joked, “That’s when they send me in.”
Reynolds shared that before Culkin’s on-camera interview, the two spoke at length.
“I had an hour FaceTime with him before he ever did the interview and it was just like, it was really magical to hear him speak about John [and] just speak about his life.”
John Candy: I Like Me will be available to stream on Prime Video starting October 10.
