Home Alone: You’ll Never Believe The Actors Almost Cast in Key Roles

As a devoted fan who has grown up with the magic of Home Alone, I can’t help but marvel at the intriguing tales that lie behind its creation. The film, which has become an indispensable part of my Christmas tradition, was almost a very different movie—a tantalizing thought that leaves me breathless.

Imagination: Robert De Niro facing off against a clever eight-year-old in one of America’s beloved holiday comedies, or comedian John Mulaney outwitting burglars using complex traps – these aren’t plots from fantasy stories set in parallel universes; instead, they were potential castings that could have significantly altered the course of Home Alone.

The iconic 1990 Christmas movie that ruled the box office for twelve consecutive weeks and held the record as the highest-grossing live-action comedy for 27 years almost took on a very different form from what we’re familiar with today. Initially, the role of Harry, played by Joe Pesci in his burglar hat, was first offered to Robert De Niro, his co-star from “Goodfellas”. In an interview in 2020, director Chris Columbus expressed surprise when Pesci agreed to the part.

In the end, finding the right actor for Harry’s role turned out to be quite a challenge. After Robert De Niro declined, the production team considered and eventually approached comedian Jon Lovitz. However, he decided against it, expressing in an interview with Huff Post that he didn’t want to play second lead to a young actor. Ironically, the role ended up becoming the biggest comedy hit of all time. “Oops,” Lovitz later commented.

Interestingly enough, it wasn’t Macaulay Culkin who was initially in line to become a future comedy legend. Before he donned the iconic role of Kevin McCallister, a then 11-year-old Mulaney had a chance at stardom on the silver screen. He was part of a children’s sketch comedy group when a talent scout discovered him and asked for an audition. Regrettably, his parents declined the opportunity for a Hollywood debut, choosing not to let him attend the movie audition.

In time, Mulaney holds no grudge over losing the role. He shared with Vogue back in 2015 that the original Home Alone is “nearly flawless,” and he didn’t believe anyone could match Macaulay’s performance. The comedian has actually used this missed chance as material for his stand-up, often referencing it in his Netflix special titled The Comeback Kid.

The selection process for the characters didn’t end there. Initially, Kelsey Grammer was the preferred choice for Uncle Frank, and Chris Farley tried out for Santa’s role but wasn’t chosen. Even the final cast had some learning curves—Joe Pesci, who had recently been in serious roles, found it challenging to avoid using profanity on set, so Columbus suggested he say “fridge” instead of his usual expletives.

Back in the day, when I first watched “Home Alone,” I couldn’t help but notice how perfectly Macaulay Culkin embodied the role of Kevin. His performance was nothing short of spot-on, and it’s clear now, over three decades later, why he was chosen for this iconic character. He struck just the right chord with audiences, making Kevin a character we all still feel connected to as movie lovers.

It was clearly noticeable when the franchise tried to carry on without him, as the third installment, featuring Alex D. Linz, turned out to be one of the most disliked Christmas movies. Even the 2021 Disney+ reboot titled “Home Sweet Home Alone” fell short in recapturing the charm of the original film.

Even though we can’t imagine how De Niro might have reacted to a paint can or guess the humor Mulaney could have added to Kevin’s plots, the film’s remarkable achievements – such as its 12-week reign at the top and earning over $500 million internationally – imply that the casting gods made an exceptionally wise choice.

Regarding Mulaney, skipping out on “Home Alone” didn’t halt his journey in entertainment. Instead, he forged his own route to family film success by excelling in voice acting, appearing in box office sensations like “Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse” and “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”. This merely reinforces the idea that sometimes not landing a role can actually work out for the best.

2024-11-25 04:10

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