The achievement came shortly after the extraordinary commercial performance of “Home Alone” established Culkin as one of the most bankable young performers in Hollywood.
How ‘Home Alone’ Changed Macaulay Culkin’s Career
Released in 1990, “Home Alone” was made for approximately $18 million and became a major worldwide box-office success, earning more than $476 million globally. Culkin, who played eight-year-old Kevin McCallister, quickly became an international star and a recognizable presence well beyond the film itself. The role also earned him a Golden Globe nomination, further establishing his standing among the era’s leading young performers.
The success of “Home Alone” had a direct effect on Culkin’s earning power. His next major title was “My Girl,” a coming-of-age comedy-drama directed by Howard Zieff and written by Laurice Elehwany. Culkin played Thomas J. Sennett alongside Anna Chlumsky, who made her major motion-picture debut as Vada Sultenfuss. The hit was released by Columbia Pictures on November 27, 1991, and ultimately grossed more than $121 million worldwide.
Culkin’s reported $1 million salary for “My Girl” represented an extraordinary figure for a child performer, particularly because his role was not the film’s sole lead. The deal reflected the commercial value he had acquired so quickly after “Home Alone.” Rather than simply being a young actor attached to a successful production, Culkin had become a major selling point in his own right.
“My Girl” also demonstrated that Culkin’s appeal could extend beyond the broad family comedy that had made him famous. The movie centered on Vada, an 11-year-old girl growing up in a funeral home, and explored childhood friendship, family changes and grief. Culkin’s Thomas J. served as Vada’s closest friend.
The financial milestone was followed by an even larger paycheck for Culkin when he returned as Kevin in “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” in 1992. The biographical source lists his salary for the sequel at approximately $4.5 million, illustrating just how quickly his market value had increased during the early 1990s. By then, Culkin had moved from being a successful child performer to one of the most highly compensated young stars in Hollywood.