Kieran Culkin: For a long time now, more successful than brother Macaulay

On Sunday, Kieran Culkin (42) once again at the top of the stage of a award ceremony. He won the SAG Award as the best supporting actor in “A Real Pain”. He had previously cleared the Golden Globe for the role as Jesse Eisenbergs (41) Manic-depressive stoner cousin. At the Oscar ceremony on March 2, 2025, he is now the clear favorite.

For Kieran Culkin, gathering prices gradually becomes routine – even if the great success has only really started driving in recent years. He has been in business for over 30 years. For the TV series “Succession” he won the Golden Globe as the best leading actor a year ago. Also in 2024, he won the even more renowned Emmy for “succession”, after two unsuccessful nominations in the secondary actor category for the same series.

At the latest since the 2024 and 2025 award, Kieran Culkin can finally feel like a respected actor – and no longer just as a small brother of Macaulay Culkin (44).

Kieran was born in 1982 as the fourth child in the Culkin clan. Five of his seven siblings also moved to the spotlight – or were pounded by the family patriarch Christopher “Kit” Culkin (80). Since the separation of the parents, Kieran, like Macaulay, has had little contact with his father.

Kieran Culkin owes his film debut Macaulay, in whose shadow he was standing for a long time. His older brother had already gained a foothold in the film business before becoming the title role in “Kevin – Alone at Home” in 1990.

Kieran Culkin was also occupied in “Kevin – alone at home”. He played Fuller McCallister – Kevin’s youngest cousin and notorious bedwetting. Under no circumstances does Kevin want to sleep in a bed with him. In “Kevin – in New York alone” Kieran Culkin returned as a fuller two years later. In between, the Culkin brothers performed together in “Mama, me and we two” by “Kevin” director Chris Columbus (66).

In 1994 Macaulay Culkin turned her back on the film business. Kieran, on the other hand, continued to work as an actor, albeit on a smaller flame than his big brother. His biggest film was “The Mighty in 1998 – together they are strong”. In addition to filmmother Sharon Stone (66), he played a small, handicapped boy named Kevin (!).

Unlike many children’s stars, Kieran Culkin made the leap into adulthood without scandals, but also without large rashes. “Igby” made the most important contribution. In 2002 Culkin played the 17-year-old offspring of a rich but spoiled family. Almost a advance interpretation on “succession”. Unlike Roman Roy in the series, Igby escapes from his clan. For the weird coming-of-age comedy, Kieran Culkin received a nomination for the Golden Globe as the best leading actor in a comedy.

As a result, Kieran Culkin specialized in independent films such as “Scott Pilgrim against the rest of the world” (2010) or “Wiener Dog” (2016). The main roles embodied others. In addition, he also played theater, a rarity among former children’s stars without classic acting training.

In recent years the breakthrough has been made, which was hardly to be expected. In 2018, Kieran Culkin got the role of Roman Roy in “Succession”. The youngest son of Medienmogul Logan Roy desperately fights for his father’s recognition. Only during the first season of the series did he feel as an actor, revealed Culkin in 2024 in one. Before that, he moved in an environment in which he was thrown as a child without being asked.

Incidentally, Kieran Culkin has long been in firm hands. In 2013 he married Jazz Charton (36). With the British, the American has two children. Daughter Kinsey was born in 2019, son Wilder 2021. It shouldn’t stay with two kids. Kieran Culkin revealed this in his Emmy danking speech a year ago: “I want more. You said, maybe when I win.”