First, he nearly dropped out ofA Real Pain.
Then he convinced Jesse Eisenberg to change the way he directs.
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This article was originally published on October 22, 2024.
At the 97th Academy Awards, Kieran Culkin won the award forBest Supporting Actor.
The ferry pulls into the dock at the exact moment that I spot him on the horizon.
This is what I do, he says.
I pull up to airports, I dont even know what airline Im flying.
Sometimes I dont know what city Im going to.
I still get on the plane and everythings fine.
I just have to get here early enough to go to the kiosk and fucking do it.
And now Im bitching about how lazy I am).
And Culkin nearly dropped out of the film.
He took the role after theReal Painproducers told him the film wasnt shooting for another year.
Im like, Oh, a year?
Thats not real life.
Then that year was up.
And I had a panic.
Some people say that but dont really mean it, he says, knowing how the whole thing sounds.
And some definitely just couldnt do that.
So he was particularly stressed by the idea of being separated from Charton and their two kids.
I dont know who I am without them, he says.
As we exited the ferry, Culkin instinctively reached to grab a stroller from the storage area.
Where are my fucking kids?!
She did an almost reverse-psychology thing on me, he says, laughing.
She was like, Oh, I totally get that.
If I were you, Id probably feel that way.
And I was like, But have they started?
She goes, Oh, yeah.
Theyre actually already in Poland scouting locations; people are hired.
I was like, Its not like people would be out of a job?
Shes like, No, no, they would, but its not on you.
Its fine; you do whatever you want.
And I got off the phone and I went, Ah.
Stone laughs recalling the conversation.
I cant believe he talked about it publicly, she says.
Producing, Ive realized now, is like parenting every kid needs different things.
I was so grateful that he did it, but, also, thank fucking God.
When I ask how he pushed through the 25 days without them, he deadpans, Alcohol.
Eisenberg didnt learn about Culkins attempt to back out until after the film was finished.
But when Culkin eventually told him, he was relatively nonplussed.
It was just another thing in a long line of, like,Who is this person?
He cast Culkin without ever having seen him perform in anything.
When I bring this up to Eisenberg, he pauses thoughtfully.
I had forgotten about that.
Thats right, he says.
Weve never discussed it.
I think he squeezed my breasts.
He exhibits real quickness, but theres also a kind of real-world heaviness to him, Eisenberg says.
David in particular cant seem to understand why Benji is so consistently plagued by suffering.
You see how people love you?
You see what happens when you walk into a room?
he goes on to ask him.
I would give anything to know what that feels like, man.
And shell show me on her phone.
And Im scrolling, like, Oh, yeah,I sit weird in the show.I didnt know that.
Its been so long now that he and Charton are planning a rewatch going back to episode one.
He admits he might also be avoiding the finale because then the whole thing will really be over.
I think maybe the reason is because I didnt get the closure of watching the last fucking episode.
Suddenly, we are confronted by the half-naked body of hisSuccessionco-starAlexander Skarsgardhovering above us on a gigantic billboard.
Culkin stops talking and looks up at him, beaming with pride.
Its written, and I understand the character, and then some shit comes out sometimes; thats it.
And I dont force it, he says.
Eisenberg is a key in-A planner and had each scene carefully blocked and plotted out.
Culkin felt stifled by the relative formality.
It felt a little bit like going backward, he says.
Jesse had set up shots before I got there to be like, Youre going to stand here.
And Im like, How do you know?
He goes, Why wouldnt you?
Im like, Well, we havent tried it yet is all Im saying.
He was so free and funny that I didnt mind throwing out the blueprints.
He spots her from across the street and makes a loud birdcall to get her attention.
Charton lovingly mocks Culkin for being winded from our walk.
Culkin picks up the story: I made it to the third, and I took a break.
She thought I was kidding.
Charton imitates Culkin: I can feel my heart!
She had no faith that I was going to, he explains, shaking his head.
I didnt have that forethought of like,Whats going to be the response to this?
I was very moved, No.
1, Charton says.
And then I was very confused that he would bring up my uterus.
Culkin nods cheerfully, willing to accept notes.
That I was calling you out publicly, he adds.
I feel like my uterus is now public domain.
Culkins next big project isGlengarry Glen Rosson Broadway, opposite Bob Odenkirk and Bill Burr, in the spring.
He agreed to do the play because he thought it would give him more time with his family.
Theyre like, No, you never see your kids.
Youre working every night.
You never do bath time, bedtime.
You get one night a week, he says.
To his surprise, they said yes and moved the show to Mondays.
Ive never heard of the show going dark on a Sunday, he says.
Now I get one day a week dedicated to just being a dad.
He takes a deep breath and begins describing the recipe for it in passionate, exacting detail.
Production Credits
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