Macaulay Culkin Shares Emotional Reaction to Brother Kieran's Oscar Victory: 'I Cried'
Macaulay Culkin celebrated his brother Kieran Culkin's win at the 97th Academy Awards for his supporting role in Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain.
Oscars 2025
Macaulay said he knew his brother was going to win best supporting actor for his role in A Real Pain
Macaulay Culkin celebrated his brother Kieran Culkin‘s win at the 97th Academy Awards for his supporting role in Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain.
When speaking at the Vanity Fair Oscars party on the red carpet, Macaulay said that the he only tuned into the ceremony for his brother’s moment. “That’s the only thing I watched. True story, true story,” he said, adding, “I cried. And I was like, ‘I’m gonna see you later.’”
After host Tan France asked if Macaulay and his partner, actress Brenda Song, expected the Culkin sibling to win, Song replied, “Of course. Let’s be real. We’re allowed to say that.”
“Yeah, absolutely,” Macaulay, who was honored with a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023, added. “He was front row, aisle, closest to the stairs. There was no way he was not going to win.”
Kieran took home the Oscars trophy following acclaim for his portrayal of Benji opposite Eisenberg’s David — the pair portray cousins reckoning with their pasts as they tour Poland in remembrance of their late grandmother Dory. Kieran garnered several critics’ groups awards including a SAG Award, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and a Critics’ Choice Award for his performance.
“Eisenberg has generously gifted his costar with the sort of raging-id role that most actors could only dream of, and Culkin rewards his director/castmate with the single greatest, funniest, most cringe-comic and heartbreaking performance of his career — and yes, we are counting Roman Roy from Succession,” wrote writer David Fear for Rolling Stone‘s review of the film.