Kieran Culkin Remembering John Candy On the 'Home Alone' Set Is Incredibly Sweet

Sure, Kieran Culkin may be lighting up your screen with his spitfire insults and expletives in the new season of Succession. But he's been in your memory for much longer than that. Remember a thick-rimmed-glasses-wearing little boy who drank too much soda in Home Alone? Yeah, that was a young Kieran Culkin. In the actor's new digital cover story with Esquire—as well as a new "Explain This" video for the occasion—he dished about all that and more.

In the "Explain This" video, we asked Culkin about his fondest memory of working with the legendary John Candy on the Home Alone set. "I only met him once as far as I know," Culkin says, because he did one day on Home Alone." Of course, the short timeframe didn't stop Candy from making a big impression on Culkin. "I remember going in the trailer and seeing him and was just starstruck," Culkin continues. "I don't remember anything specific, except that he was really nice. That's all. And I was like, 'I love this guy.'"

Culkin remembers the huge impact Candy's time on set had on the film. "Apparently because he only showed up and did one day of work and most of what he did in Home Alone was improvised," Culkin says. "There was all that stuff about how he left a kid at the funeral home. That's amazing. It's one day's work. If you see that it's a big chunk of movie that he's in, all in one like twenty-something-hour-long day that's mostly improvised. The man was brilliant."

Culkin may have grown up on set around huge comedic talents like Candy, but he's developed his own comedy chops. Known for his hilarious timing, knockout witty comebacks, and mastery of awkward tension, Culkin is one of the reasons fans have waited with bated breath for the new (and final!) season of Succession. We can't wait to see what he does next.

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