Where Home Alone stars are now – tragic deaths, award winners and American Horror Story

“Merry Christmas you filthy animals” is just one of the memorable film moments from Hollywood Christmas classic Home Alone.

Released 31 years ago, it became a box office hit, making a huge $476.7 (£351 million) and spawning the successful sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York with the same cast and stars including Tim Curry.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, star Macauley said that he can’t watch the film in the same way as other people, as he constantly starts remembering behind the scenes moments.

He said: “I’m remembering that day on set, like, how I was hiding my Pepsi behind the couch. I can’t watch it the same way other people can.”

Daily Star looks back on where stars like Macaulay are now, along with its other huge Hollywood A-Lister cast members.

Macaulay Culkin – Kevin

Home Alone was the film that made a star of Macaulay Culkin as the confident Kevin, who saves his home from the ‘Wet Bandits’ Harry and Marv.

He was already known to writer John Hughes, having appeared with Home Alone co-star John Candy in another of Hughes’ comedies Uncle Buck – although in Home Alone, Macaulay and John didn’t get to share any screen time together.

With the success of Home Alone 2 and films including My Girl, Macaulay featured in more early nineties films including Richie Rich and Getting Even With Dad, before taking a hiatus from film roles until 2008 as an adult in Saved!.

Since then he has had a number of film and television roles, with a huge fortune estimated at $17 million (£12.56 million).

Macaulay has also recently drawn critical praise for his role as Mickey in American Horror Story: Double Feature, and modelled on the runway at the recent premiere of film The House of Gucci, in Los Angeles.

He also became a dad earlier in the year with girlfriend Brenda Song, and their son, Dakota Song Culkin, is named after Culkin’s sister who died in a car accident in 2008.

Talking about Macaulay Culkin to Esquire magazine last year, Brenda said: “You can’t be around him and not be happy.”

Catherine O’Hara – Kate

Award-winning actress Catherine O’Hara was already a huge star before appearing as Kevin’s mum in Home Alone, having featured in films including Beetlejuice.

One of her most famous roles is also her most recent, as Moira in the hit comedy series Schitt’s Creek.

However the character’s quirkiness, including her collection of wigs that Moira refers to as “my girls” was shaped by Catherine, who was used to shaping her own characters having begun in improv theatre in the 1970s.

She told The Guardian: “I have these emails Eugene [Levy] and I exchanged early on, in which I said, ‘I’d like to inject big words into Moira’s vocabulary,” adding that “In the emails, I can see me becoming Moira and him being Jonny.”

It was an influence that paid off, bagging Catherine multiple awards including an Emmy, and multiple Golden Globe nominations.

She also added in the interview that in a recent tribute documentary to John Hughes, fans of Schitts’ Creek were shocked to learn that she also played Kevin’s mum in Home Alone, as many did not recognise Catherine as Moira.

Catherine said: “Wasn’t that funny? It was fun to read the comments online but really, I never think of anyone knowing me from anything.”

Joe Pesci – Harry

Beloved actor Joe Pesci is known for his star turns in films including Goodfellas, Raging Bull, My Cousin Vinny and the Lethal Weapon film series, as well as his humorous roles as criminal Harry in Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

Not only is Joe a star, he was also childhood friends with stars including Tommy DeVito, Franki Valli and Nick Massi.

He was instrumental in finding songwriter Bob Gaudio, who he introduced to Tommy, Franki and Nick, with the quartet going onto form the Four Seasons and write hit songs including Sherry and December, 1963 (Oh what a night).

Joe was also portrayed in Clint Eastwood’s Jersey Boys film in 2015, where the legendary moment was recreated, as well as being portrayed in the hit stage musical of the same name about the group.

He most recently starred alongside legendary actors Al Pacino and close friend Robert De Niro in the critically acclaimed 2019 film The Irishman.

Joe was married to Claudia Haro from 1988-1992 and he has one daughter, Tiffany Pesci.

John Candy – Gus Polinski

Comedy actor John Candy had a close friendship with writer John Hughes, and starred in many of his films including Planes, Trains and Automobiles alongside Steve Martin, The Great Outdoors and Uncle Buck opposite Macauley Culkin, before playing musician Gus in Home Alone.

He is most memorable for his dry wit and singing a polka song to Catherine O’ Hara’s character in the airport, before giving her a ride back to Chicago to see Kevin.

All of the scenes in the van were completely improvised, with Catherine O’ Hara telling The Guardian: “Candy was so busy we could only get him for 24 hours, so we sat in the van and improvised for at least 21 hours.

“John Hughes would go, ‘What if you did this?’ and John Candy would go, ‘Yeah! Yeah!”

Along with starring in films including Spaceballs and Cool Runnings, John was married to Rosemary Harbor from 1979, with who he had two children.

While filming in Mexico, John Candy suffered a heart attack and died on March 4 1994.

Daniel Stern – Marv

Where there was Harry, there was also his hilarious and clumsy criminal partner Marv, most fondly remembered for his high pitched scream when Kevin places Buzz’s tarantula on his face.

As well as starring in its sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, where Harry and Marv became known as ‘the sticky bandits’ instead of ‘the wet bandits’, Daniel already had a long acting career dating back to 1979 and he hasn’t left our screens since.

He most recently starred in 2019 film James Vs his future self and tv series Shrill from 2019-2021.

Daniel has been married to Laure Mattos from 1980 and they have three children.

John Heard – Peter

John Heard starred as Kevin’s father Peter in Home Alone, after a long acting career in films and tv series including Miami Vice, Big and Beaches, alongside Bette Midler.

In the nineties, he was nominated for his role as a corrupt police officer in hit television series The Sopranos in 1999.

John was married three times, first to Margot Kidder from 1979-1980 and then to Sharon Petersen from 1988-1996, with who he had two children.

He was then married to Lana Pritchard in 2010.

John continued to star in productions including television series Elementary and MacGyver, until his death on July 21 2017 at the age of 71.

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk