Macaulay Culkin Turns 32 Pictures

Macaulay Culkin Turns 32 Pictures - Can you believe that the little blond-haired kid who grabbed his face and screamed "Ahhhh!" in 1991's "Home Alone" is all grown up? Take a look back at his charmed-turned-tragic life.

Born in Manhattan on August 26, 1980, Macaulay Culkin (center) was a born performer. His father Kit Culkin was a small-time Broadway actor himself and encouraged his adorable son (the third of seven children, including older sister Dakota who was struck by a car and killed in 2008) to also get involved in the arts. Macaulay’s first part came when he was just 4 years old in the stage production of “Bach Babies” with the New York Philharmonic. Five years later in 1989, he landed his biggest role to date in the John Candy comedy “Uncle Buck.”

he following year, blond-haired, blue-eyed Macaulay got the break of a lifetime in “Home Alone” as Kevin McCallister, the plucky little boy who accidentally gets left behind by his family on Christmas – and then booby-traps his home to defend it against “The Wet Bandits.” The classic went on to earn $476 million worldwide and certified the then-10-year-old as the biggest child star of the time.

The following year, blond-haired, blue-eyed Macaulay got the break of a lifetime in “Home Alone” as Kevin McCallister, the plucky little boy who accidentally gets left behind by his family on Christmas – and then booby-traps his home to defend it against “The Wet Bandits.” The classic went on to earn $476 million worldwide and certified the then-10-year-old as the biggest child star of the time.

In 1991, at the age of 11, Macaulay became one of the youngest people ever to host “Saturday Night Live." And just like in “Home Alone,” he scored big laughs, especially in the “Simon” skit, in which Mike Myers’ character invites people to sit in the bath with him and draw.

After a string of hit movies, including “My Girl,” “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” and “The Good Son,” Macaulay’s star began to wane in 1994 when he starred in three box office bombs: “Richie Rich” (pictured at left), "Getting Even With Dad," and "The Pagemaster," which all earned him Razzie Award nominations for Worst Actor. In a 2004 interview with Larry King, Macaulay said it had been this failed year that made him retire from acting at the age of 14.

Macaulay found love with fellow actress Rachel Miner, who had done TV and Broadway, and the two shockingly got married in 1998 when they were both just 17-years-old. At the time, the former child star had fired his father as his manager and severed ties with his parents after they fought him for control over his fortune. Macaulay’s father Kit said recently that he has not spoken to his son in 15 years. In 2000, Macaulay split from Miner and two years later they were officially divorced.

That same year, Macaulay began a relationship with “That ‘70s Show” star Mila Kunis (pictured here in 2004). The pair was notoriously private during their 8-year relationship, which ended in late 2010, although the news didn’t come out until January 2011. Back in 2007, Kunis did open up a little about the romance, telling Parade magazine, “We enjoy each other's company. We like to read books or play video games or watch TV or go to the movies. And he's an amazing cook. He makes dinner every night. He's an amazing, simple guy, who is probably the most brilliant person I've ever met. He's so, so smart and so aware and so kind and so sweet.”

After taking almost 10 years off from acting, Macaulay returned to the big screen in 2003's "Party Monster," where he portrayed the real-life, drug-addicted New York City club kid Michael Alig, who was convicted of murder — a role that certainly blew his sweet child star image out of the water. The film, which also starred Chloe Sevigny (pictured) and Marilyn Manson, got abysmal reviews and earned less than $1 million at the box office.

In 2004, Macaulay was arrested in Oklahoma City for the possession of marijuana and two controlled substances (prescription pills). The next year, he initially pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor offenses, but then changed his mind. He was sentenced to three one-year suspended prison terms and ordered to pay $540 in fees.

Years out of the spotlight, Macaulay made a rare appearance at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party in 2010 alongside his good friend and fellow former child star, Natalie Portman. The two are so close, he reportedly attended her August 4 wedding to ballet dancer Benjamin Millepied in Big Sur, California.

Fans and the world alike were shocked when this photo of a gaunt and frail Macaulay in New York City came out February of this year. After a National Enquirer report stated that the actor was battling a heroin addiction, his estranged father spoke out about his concern for his son's life. "I hope that he has the right people looking after him," said Kit.

Despite the concern regarding his health, Macaulay stepped back out in May of this year looking much better than he had previously. The actor, sporting red nail polish, partied with Seth Green at a NYC soiree thrown by Adult Swim. The cable network airs "Robot Chicken," which is a cartoon Seth created and Macaulay has occasionally provided voices for.

Daily Dumper

Aug 26, 2012