Meet Macaulay Culkin's 7 Siblings, Including Breakout Star Kieran
Macaulay Culkin, widely recognized as a prominent child actor, has a lesser-known family connection to showbiz success through some of his seven siblings. Born in 1980 as the third child of Patricia Brentrup and the fourth for Kit Culkin, who had a daughter from a previous relationship, Macaulay's journey into acting began under the encouragement of his Broadway actor father. After a few smaller roles, Macaulay's breakthrough came with the iconic role of Kevin McCallister in the 1990 Christmas classic "Home Alone" at the age of 10, followed by the 1992 sequel "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York."
While Macaulay's success was impressive, it also severely strained his relationship with his father. In a 2018 episode of the "WTF with Marc Maron," podcast, Macaulay shared, "My father was jealous of me. He was a bad man. He was abusive." The star explained, "Everything he tried to do in life, I excelled at before I was 10 years old."
Among the Culkin siblings, some pursued careers in acting, while others explored different paths. Jennifer Adamson, Kit's first child, chose not to enter the entertainment industry, and Shane Culkin, Kit's first son and second child, quickly abandoned acting after scoring a single theater role. Dakota Culkin expressed interest in behind-the-scenes work, and Kieran Culkin achieved household fame later in his career. Quinn and Christian Culkin had brief acting stints in the 1990s before deciding not to pursue it further, while Rory Culkin is carving his path toward becoming the third Culkin superstar.
Shane and Christian Culkin dabbled into acting
Shane Culkin, the eldest brother of Macaulay Culkin, was born in 1976 to Kit Culkin and Patricia Brentrup. Despite leading a private life away from the spotlight, his IMDb profile notes that he portrayed the role of Wally Webb in the 1989 production of "Our Town" on Broadway at Lincoln Center Theater. In a 2018 interview with Vanity Fair, Kieran Culkin, the fourth Culkin sibling, mentioned that Shane, Macaulay, and himself used to sometimes reenact wrestling matches in their small New York City apartment during their younger years instead of going to school.
Christian Culkin, born in 1987 as the second youngest in the Culkin family, also has only one credited role on his IMDb profile. He appeared in the 1994 movie "My Summer Story" as Randy Parker, the younger brother of Ralphie Parker, played by his brother Kieran.
After exploring acting, Christian shifted his focus to a different creative pursuit. His website states that he graduated from Manhattanville College with a B.A. in Creative and Professional Writing. While he has diversified his interests, Christian has not completely abandoned his passion for cinema. He pursued further education at the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema with Brooklyn College, earning his M.F.A. in Screenwriting and Cinema Arts in 2018. On his LinkedIn profile, Christian listed having worked for Lid Magazine for over 11 years, as well as for The Waverly Press.
Dakota Culkin tragically passed away in 2008
Dakota Culkin, Macaulay Culkin's third-eldest sibling, was born in 1978. Just like her two brothers, Shane and Christian Culkin, Dakota, nicknamed Cody, has only one project credited on her IMDb page. She worked as an art production assistant on the 2009 supernatural horror film "Lost Soul." Tragically, Dakota passed away when the movie was still in production.
In November 2008, TMZ first reported the news of Dakota's heartbreaking death, revealing that she had been struck by a car in Los Angeles. "Detectives have determined that the driver was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, so no crime was committed," LAPD shared in a statement, as reported by ABC News. According to the outlet, although Dakota initially survived the impact, she ultimately succumbed to severe head trauma at UCLA Hospital.
In a 2021 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Dakota's younger brother, Kieran Culkin, discussed the heartbreaking experience of losing his 30-year-old sister, whom he remembers as funny. The "Succession" star shared, "That's the worst thing that's ever happened, and there's no sugarcoating that one." He added, "Each one of us handled it very differently. I think everyone was just torn up inside." That same year, Macaulay welcomed his first child with actor Brenda Song, best known for her roles in "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" and "Secret Obsession." The couple named the boy Dakota as a tribute to Macaulay's late sister, as reported by People.
Kieran Culkin found worldwide fame with HBO's 'Succession'
Born in 1982, Kieran Culkin stands out as Macaulay Culkin's most recognizable sibling. According to his IMDb page, his debut acting role was in 1990 in "Home Alone," where he played Kevin McCallister's bed-wetting cousin, Fuller McCallister. Throughout the '90s, Kieran appeared in various films, including starring in "My Summer Story" in 1994 and "Amanda" in 1996. His lead role in the indie comedy "Igby Goes Down" in 2002 earned him a Golden Globe nomination.
Kieran honed his skills in smaller productions at the Light Opera of Manhattan, a theater owned by his parents' friends, as he shared in his 2018 Vanity Fair profile, and has never had any formal acting training. He admitted to hating Macaulay's early fame, which set the tone for his approach to the business. "I think well-adjusted, smart people that experience [fame] first- or second-hand would not pursue it," Kieran explained, adding, "I'll totally take personal happiness over success, absolutely."
Despite of his initial reservations about the industry, Kieran achieved global recognition through his role as Roman Roy in HBO's "Succession." The show depicts the wealthy Roy family and their business undertakings at Waystar Royco, one of the world's largest media conglomerates. Kieran almost played a different role, that of the insecure Greg Hirsch, but was ultimately cast as Roman. Jesse Armstrong, the creator of "Succession," told Esquire that "there wasn't a cigarette paper between [his] vision of the character and [Kieran's portrayal]. Kieran shares two children with his wife, Jazz Charton.
Jennifer Adamson and Quinn Culkin weren't interested in acting
Jennifer Adamson, the only half-sister of the Culkin siblings, was born to their father, Kit Culkin, and his former partner, Adeena VanWagoner, in 1970. Tragically, like her half-sister Dakota Culkin, Adamson passed away at the age of 30 in 2000 due to a drug overdose, as reported by The Mirror. According to her obituary in the Missoulian, Adamson worked with adults with developmental disabilities and possessed an exceptional sense of empathy. She never acted.
Quinn Culkin, Macaulay Culkin's remaining sister, was born in 1984. Like most of her siblings, Quinn ventured into acting as a youngster, appearing as a girl at the airport in "Home Alone" and as Connie in the 1993 movie "The Good Son," which starred Macaulay. According to the AFI Catalog, Kit insisted both Macaulay and Quinn be cast in "The Good Son," despite the director having different actors in mind for the roles. Quinn's IMDb profile also lists her voicing the character Katie McClary in 13 episodes of "Wish Kid" in 1991. Despite her early success, Quinn wasn't interested in pursuing acting further.
In Vanity Fair's profile of Kieran Culkin, Quinn shared insights into the experience of growing up in such a large, and later famous, family. She shared, "I've even been called 'MacCulkin,' like I'm a collection of Culkins," adding, "As much as we may look alike, we're all very different." Keeping a low profile, not much is known about Quinn's personal life as she prefers to stay away from the spotlight.
Rory Culkin started acting at the age of four
Rory Culkin, the youngest member of the Culkin family, was born in 1989 to Kit Culkin and Patricia Brentrup. Introduced to the acting world at a young age, Rory made his debut alongside his siblings Macaulay and Quinn Culkin in the 1993 film "The Good Son," according to his IMDb page, at just four years old. Over the years, he collaborated with his siblings in movies like "Richie Rich" and "Igby Goes Down," playing Macaulay and Kieran Culkin's younger selves, respectively.
However, Rory established his own identity in the industry throughout the years. He gained recognition for his roles in movies such as "Signs," alongside Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix, and "Scream 4," starring Neve Campbell. Additionally, he made notable appearances in popular series like "Black Mirror" and "Castle Rock." Reflecting on his entry into acting in a 2019 interview with Hero Magazine, Rory attributed his natural inclination towards the profession to the family's background in the theater, particularly citing his father's influence.
In 2018, Rory tied the knot with Sarah Scrivener, whom he met on the set of "Scream 4," according to People, where she worked as a camera production assistant. Interestingly, the couple shares a passion for WWE, which was the theme they chose for their wedding ceremony.