Daniel Stern is known worldwide as one half of the Wet Bandits from Alone in the house — but at home they call him simply “grandpa”.
Stern, 67, spoke with PEOPLE about leaving Hollywood, becoming an artist and trying to embrace his legacy as one of the most recognizable movie characters for the 1990 holiday classic.
But for now, his grandchildren have no idea that he is an actor.
“Now I have six grandchildren and one more coming, and I’m like, ‘Okay, well, who are these people going to think I am?’ ” says the father of three children.
“They know me as grandpa,” Stern adds. “At some point they’re going to watch those movies, or their kids might watch the movies — and it’s a real miracle — to see their grandfather get pelted with a brick.”
Daniel Stern says Joe Pesci is a ‘terrible guy’ as he reflects on the ‘dear friend’ who bit Macaulay Culkin in the Alone in the house
Daniel Stern and Joe Pesci in the promotional photo of ‘Home Alone 2’.
Snap/Shutterstock
The Diner the actor, who lives on a ranch in California’s Central Valley, says he made the decision years ago to step away from the spotlight to live a “real” life and immerse himself in family.
“I coached all my children’s teams. I taught in their classes. I ran a playground in our community. I received a presidential award for … an award for volunteer work. So I loved giving back to the community and it became a big part of my life.” he explains.
Today, Stern spends his time managing a citrus farm and cattle ranch, as well as focusing on creative fulfillment through writing and sculpture.
“I’m an artist and I hate… that sounds pretentious, but I have to be creative,” he says. “I constantly have to make something. So whether I’m making a film, writing a screenplay, writing a book, making a sculpture, or even cleaning horse stables or making tangerine juice, I’m creating something. I feel satisfied in that.”
The actor also reflects on ranch life, as well as updates on his sculptures on his personal Instagram and TikTok accounts.
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Stern tells PEOPLE that she especially loves communicating through social media because it allows people to tell their story in their own voice.
“You can tell your story and it feels good to tell it,” he says. “And that’s kind of the last step of any artistic creation — giving it to the audience. So it’s a beautiful world, and I’m so tickled that people have discovered some of my stuff through the TikTok stuff.”
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Source: HIS Education