**Macaulay Culkin Reveals How John Candy Served as a Father Figure During His Troubled Childhood**
*Published: October 20, 2025, 6:30 a.m. ET*
Former child star Macaulay Culkin has opened up about the late comic John Candy’s role as a father figure during the making of *Uncle Buck*. RadarOnline.com reveals that Candy, who starred alongside 9-year-old Macaulay in the 1989 film, sought to protect the young actor from his real-life struggles with his abusive father, Kit Culkin.
Standing 6-foot-2 and nearly 300 pounds, John Candy tragically passed away at the age of 43 in 1994 due to a heart attack. Despite his larger-than-life presence on screen, Candy had a keen instinct about the difficulties Macaulay was facing at home.
Macaulay, now 45, reflected on Candy’s protective nature, saying:
“I think he [Candy] always had that really great instinct. He [Kit] was already not a good guy. I think John was looking a little side-eyed, like, ‘Is everything all right over there? You doing good? Good day? Everything’s all right? Everything good at home? All right.’ 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.”
Macaulay would later describe his father as “a bad man,” adding, “He was abusive, physically and mentally – I can show you all my scars if I wanted to.”
**Finding Young Success, But Facing a Jealous Dad**
Just a year after *Uncle Buck*, 10-year-old Macaulay skyrocketed to stardom as the clever kid who foils two burglars in the iconic *Home Alone*. However, this fame seemingly triggered jealousy and resentment from his father — who never achieved success as an actor himself.
“Everything he tried to do in life, I excelled at before I was 10 years old,” Macaulay explained.
**John Candy Stepped Up in Many Ways**
Despite the challenges at home, Macaulay fondly recalls John Candy’s “paternal” attitude during that time. He described it as “a testament to the kind of man he was … [he] was just looking out for [me].”
“It doesn’t happen that often. It actually happened less as time went on. I wish I got more of that in my life,” Macaulay shared. “It’s important that I remember that. I remember John caring when not a lot of people did.”
John Candy’s kindness and protective presence left a lasting impression on Macaulay Culkin — a reminder of the caring support he so deeply needed during his childhood.
https://radaronline.com/p/macaulay-culkin-praises-john-candy-protecting-father/