Kieran Culkin Remembers Director Calling Him a ‘Dummy’ During His First Acting Job: ‘I'm 6. What's Wrong With You?’

Kieran Culkin may be an award-winning actor, but his career didn’t get off to an auspicious start.

In the episode of December 23 Brainless podcast, the 42-year-old actor opened up about his first acting job — and how things quickly went off the rails.

“The first professional experience I had was in commercials when I was 6 years old,” he told hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett. He said he did not remember what the ad was for, but that it had “something to do with learning disabilities”.

“The concept was that I’m standing in front of a blackboard with chalk in my hand and I don’t know how to solve an easy thing in front of me,” he explained. “And the kids in class should call me dumb and stupid, all that.”

Kieran Culkin in 1998.

SGranitz/WireImage

But that’s not exactly what happened. “I clearly remember being there and the director saying, ‘Okay, action.’ And he started saying: ‘You fool. Idiot. stupid.’ ”

The Brainless the hosts were shocked. The Real pain the star said that even at the time he thought it was a bizarre thing for a director to do. “I’m thinking like, ‘I get it. I am 6 years old. Stand here and look sad. I’m not a fucking method. I am 6 years old. What about you?’ ”

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Culkin’s other early acting roles were less traumatizing. In 1990, he appeared alongside his older brother Macaulay Culkin in Alone in the house. He returned in 1992 Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Culkin also starred alongside Steve Martin and Diane Keaton in 1991 Father of the bride and in 1995 Father of the Bride Part II.

Culkin also appeared on Saturday night live 1991 when his older brother, now 44, was the host. The Succession In 2021, the star herself hosted a comedy series. “It was one of those things that I thought would never happen,” he told za Brainless hosts on honor. “I’m not very ambitious. I don’t have those big ambitious dreams, but hosting SNL was one.” Another dream – still unfulfilled, he noted – is voice work The Simpsons.

Kieran Culkin in 1998.

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

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Earlier this month, Culkin said Los Angeles Times that he didn’t really know what Alone in the house he was around when he recorded it. “I had no idea what that movie was about when I saw it, and I was in it,” he said. “I was at the premiere and I was dying of laughter. It was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. I had no idea what the movie was about.”

He said that all he remembers being told on set was, “Drink this Coke, put on your glasses, say what you remember, look cute and go home.”

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He didn’t even know his brother was a star. “Devin Ratray, the guy who plays Buzz, lied to me and told me the movie was about him,” he explained. “I believed him too. And then when I watched it, the movie pissed me off, and I was like, ‘Mac was on set the whole time. It makes sense that the film would be about him.’ ”

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Source: HIS Education