Thirty-five years after Home Alone became a Christmas classic, Macaulay Culkin has revealed a permanent physical reminder of his time filming the beloved movie - a scar from co-star Joe Pesci's teeth.
The Bite That Left a Mark
During the "A Nostalgic Night with Macaulay Culkin" event celebrating the film's 35th anniversary, the actor shared the surprising story behind his lasting souvenir. Culkin disclosed that Pesci actually bit him during rehearsals before filming officially began.
"He said, 'I'm going to bite these fingers off one at a time,' and then sank his teeth into my finger," Culkin recalled, describing the moment that mirrored their on-screen confrontation where Pesci's character threatens to bite off the young Kevin McCallister's fingers.
A Vulnerable Moment for a Young Actor
Culkin emphasized how particularly vulnerable he felt during this incident. "I was hung up there, so vulnerable - 9, not just a regular 9-year-old," he explained, referencing the scene where his character comes face-to-face with the intruders.
The actor noted that he hadn't spent much time with Pesci during filming since their characters shared limited screen time. "I didn't really know him all that well," Culkin admitted, adding that the bite happened during one of the final days of production.
Lasting Consequences and Humorous Reflection
The bite was serious enough that it broke the skin and left a permanent mark that remains visible today. "It actually left a mark. It's 35 years later, I still have this little divot right there," Culkin shared with the audience.
Despite the initial shock, Culkin now looks back on the incident with humor. "You should have seen his face because he took this tough guy and was like 'Oooh,' because he knew he bit a 9-year-old. A 9-year-old coworker. Get HR involved," he quipped.
Culkin did confirm that Pesci immediately apologized for the incident. The actor now considers it "a nice story to regale you guys with" and calls the scar a "souvenir" from the filming experience.
This isn't the first time Culkin has discussed the biting incident. Back in 2004, he told Conan O'Brien that he reacted angrily at the time, saying: "I don't care how many Oscars you have! You're biting a 9-year-old, what the heck's wrong with you?"
Interestingly, Pesci himself experienced an injury during the filming of Home Alone 2, sustaining serious burns to his head during the scene where his character's hat is set on fire, as he revealed in a 2022 People magazine interview.
