Trending badgeTrendingPosted 47 minutes agoSubscribe to Screen Time NewsletterCaret DownMacaulay Culkin Said John Candy Was One Of The First To Notice His Dad Was "A Monster," And It's Heartbreaking"I remember John caring when not a lot of people did."by Mychal ThompsonBuzzFeed StaffFacebookPinterestLink Macaulay Culkin, the child star from your favorite '90s movie, made a rare public appearance talking about a late movie legend who shaped our childhoods - John Candy. Universal Pictures John was only 43 years old when he died from a heart attack in 1994. Macaulay was around 14 years old then, but now, at 45, he's sharing his experience working with the late comedian in Colin Hanks's new documentary John Candy: I Like Me. Daniele Venturelli / Getty Images The film had a world-premiere screening on Sept. 4 at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). John starred alongside Macaulay in John Hughes's 1989 comedy Uncle Buck. Other films that featured Macaulay and John were the 1990 hit Home Alone, and another Hughes project, 1991's Only the Lonely. Uncle Buck also featured Jean Louisa Kelly (Top Gun: Maverick), Gaby Hoffmann (Zero Day), and Amy Madigan (Weapons). Per People, Macaulay remembered that John was among the first to notice that his father, Christopher "Kit" Culkin, was "a monster." Ron Galella / Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images "I think he always had that really great instinct," Macaulay said in the documentary. "I think he 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." (C)Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection "All of a sudden, the fame and the money came, and he became an infamous monster," Macaulay added. "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.'" Vinnie Zuffante / Getty Images, Darlene Hammond / Getty Images For context, Macaulay said on a March 30 episode of Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson's Sibling Revelry podcast that he "wanted nothing to do with my father" by the time his parents split in the '90s. New York Daily News Archive / NY Daily News via Getty Images "I haven't spoken to him in, what would it be, about 30-something years?" Macaulay said, talking about his dad. "He deserves it, too. He's a man who - he has seven kids, and now he has four grandkids, and none of them want anything to do with him." In a 2018 episode of WTF with Marc Maron podcast, Macaulay had even accused his father, who also managed his early acting career, of being "physically and mentally" abusive. Macaulay apparently found solace in other father figures in his career, such as John. Emma McIntyre / Getty Images for Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Steve Schapiro / Getty Images Speaking of John, Macaulay said his "paternal" nature was "a testament to the kind of man he was." He added that the comedian "was just looking out" for him while working on Uncle Buck. "It doesn't happen that often. It actually happened less as time went on," Macaulay said. "I wish I got more of that in my life. It's important that I remember that. I remember John caring when not a lot of people did." Patti Gower / Toronto Star via Getty Images "I think that's why that's one of my favorite performances, because I think he put a lot of himself into it," Macaulay said about Uncle Buck, adding that "John was always really kind, and really good" with his costars. (C)Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection Uncle Buck was the film that really kicked off Macaulay's career. His debut was Rocket Gibraltar (1988), but following John Hughes's Uncle Buck, he went on to star in the Home Alone franchise, My Girl (1991), The Good Son (1993), The Nutcracker (1993), The Pagemaster (1994), and Richie Rich (1994). (C)20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection, 20th Century Fox / Courtesy: Everett Collection It's good to know, all things considered, that John really had Macaulay's (and Kieran Culkin's) backs as child actors. The documentary John Candy: I Like Me will be on Prime Video on Oct. 10. View this video on YouTube Prime Video / youtube.com If you are concerned that a child is experiencing or may be in danger of abuse, you can call or text the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453(4.A.CHILD); service can be provided in over 140 languages.