For someone who popped up on the 2025 movies calendar and the streaming schedule, Macaulay Culkin is surprisingly firm about one thing: he’s retired. Or at least, retired in the way that makes sense to him. The My Girl actor has never fully stepped away from the spotlight, but he’s also never gone back to chasing roles. Overall, he's built a career that runs entirely on his own terms, even if that means redefining what “retired” means.
That mindset came into focus during a recent appearance on the SmartLess podcast, where Culkin spoke candidly about why acting is no longer something he feels obligated to do. After years as one of the most famous kids in the world, he reached a point where he felt finished, both creatively and financially. The Home Alone star explained:
I was doneskies. I was full, I was done. I was like, 'I hope you all made your money because there's no more coming from me. I made my name. I made my mark. I made my fortune.’ The only reason why I even do it now is because I like to do it. What is it? Pay, pleasure, prestige — that's the only reason to do a gig.
Speaking candidly, the former child star said retirement isn’t a goal for him, but it’s his default setting. Acting only happens when something genuinely appeals to him. He continued:
Technically, I’m retired right now. Like, I retire and then, if I find something I like, I unretire, do that, and I immediately retire afterwards. Every gig is my last.
Part of what allowed Culkin to make that decision was money. Unlike many former child stars, including SmartLess host Jason Bateman, who shares more than a few parallels with the Uncle Buck breakout, The Good Son performer said he received the bulk of his earnings early on. That put him in a rare position where he didn’t need to keep working just to stay afloat, giving him the freedom to walk away without the pressure to look back.
Bateman, for his part, noted that he didn’t have that same luxury, explaining that he felt constant pressure to keep his grades up to maintain his acting permit, pay the bills, and continue working. That kind of stress never quite applied to The Getting Even with Dad actor, and Culkin made it clear just how different his situation was, adding:
I was in a position where I could just put my thumb up my butt and play video games all day long. I could do anything I wanted, really.
That approach explains why Macaulay Culkin's recent work has felt selective. Over the past few years, he has quietly built a second act on his own terms, including voice work in Zootopia 2 and a mysterious role in Fallout Season 2, which is streaming with a Prime Video subscription.
Culkin’s version of retirement is something I could totally get behind. He doesn’t need to prove anything, rebuild anything, or stay visible. He shows up when he wants to, disappears when he’s done, and treats every job like the final chapter.
Fans can catch up with Macaulay Culkin in Zootopia 2, still playing in theaters, or in Fallout Season 2. The newest season kicked off on Amazon Prime Video on December 16, 2025, surprising fans with an early launch. The series now releases new episodes every Wednesday, building toward a February 4, 2026, finale.
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