What did Kevin McCallister's parents do for a living in 'Home Alone' film? Director shares.

What did Kevin McCallister’s parents do for a living in ‘Home Alone’ film? Director shares.

Posted by Admin December 26, 2024 Jobs

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We finally have an answer to a decades-old question: What did Kevin McCallister’s parents do for a living in “Home Alone” to afford their picture-perfect house in Chicago and all those expensive vacations?

Well, sort of.

In a recent episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, “Home Alone” Director Chris Columbus said that he and writer/producer John Hughes “had a conversation about it” back while they were making the film and “decided on what the jobs were.”

Kevin’s mom Kate McCallister (Catherine O’Hara) “was a very successful fashion designer,” he said. (The film’s fans may have gotten a clue from the mannequins in the family’s basement.)

But Kevin’s dad, Peter McCallister, (John Heard) had a less-defined profession and now Columbus says: “I don’t remember what the father did.”

“The father could have, based on John Hughes’ own experience, worked in advertising,” Columbus said before debunking one fan theory that the McCallisters were involved in organized crime.

“Not organized crime,” Columbus said. “Even though there was, at the time, a lot of organized crime in Chicago.”

Casting Macaulay Culkin

In the podcast, Columbus also shared how he cast Macaulay Culkin, saying Hughes was all in on casting the young actor, but Columbus decided to check out other contenders and “ended up meeting 300 other kids, too.”

“Total colossal waste of time, because then I met Macaulay again, and it was magical,” Columbus said.

More about the iconic Christmas classic

A cherished favorite, especially during the holidays, “Home Alone” was first released in 1990. The Christmas comedy was directed by Columbus and written and produced by Hughes. The first film in the “Home Alone” franchise features Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard and Catherine O’Hara in lead roles.

The film is centered around Kevin McCallister, a naughty 8-year-old who is accidentally left behind at home in Chicago as his family flies to Paris for the Christmas holidays. While Kevin loves having the house to himself, he soon finds himself defending his home from a pair of determined burglars.

How to watch ‘Home Alone’ on streaming

You can stream the complete “Home Alone” collection, including “Home Alone,” “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” and “Home Alone 3” on Disney+.

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Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.