Here’s What The ‘Home Alone’ Cast Has Been Up To Over The Last 25 Years

When Home Alone came out in 1990, kids everywhere were given a new ultimate fantasy. Your house to yourself, being the hero/menace without consequence, and your awful family finally realizes that you’re awesome and they should be nicer to you? That was truly the dream. While Kevin McCallister also had to deal with the Wet Bandits trying to burglarize his home and loneliness, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. Home Alone is truly the most hilarious example of child neglect in cinema history, and has withstood the scrutiny of time.

With Christmas just around the corner and the 25th anniversary of the film today, what better time to catch up with the McCallisters? Check out what they’ve been up to since Kevin defended his home, ya filthy animals.

Macaulay Culkin — Kevin McCallister

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20th Century Fox/ Getty

Kevin McCallister is probably Macaulay Culkin‘s most iconic role, but he is considered one of, if not the, greatest child star of all time. After Home Alone, he would go on to break hearts as Thomas J in My Girl (he was gonna be an acrobat!), terrify parents in The Good Son, terrify children in The Pagemaster, make kids jealous once again in Richie Rich, and reprise his role as the adorable truant in Home Alone 2: Lost In New York. Due to family issues and the stress of being a movie star as a kid, he would retire from acting at the age of 14.

He would eventually return to the business in 2003 with Party Monster and Saved!, but he continued to be troubled, and was arrested for drug possession in 2004. Culkin has since had roles on the television shows Kings, Robot Chicken, and The Jim Gaffigan Show (as himself). He’s also in a pizza-themed cover band called The Pizza Underground and dated Mila Kunis for eleven years, which is a lot longer than it takes for bourbon to mature.

Joe Pesci — Harry Lime

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One-half of the dopiest pair of criminals ever, Harry was the “brains” of the operation. Joe Pesci was already an Oscar nominee (Raging Bull) by the time he joined the Wet Bandits, and would win an Oscar for Goodfellas, which came out the same year as Home Alone. Pesci followed that up with JFK, My Cousin Vinny, two installments of Lethal Weapon, Home Alone 2, With Honors, and Casino, as well as a brief appearance in A Bronx Tale. Despite officially retiring in 1999, Pesci would return to film in 2006 with frequent collaborator Robert De Niro’s The Good Shepherd for a cameo in 2006 and opposite Helen Mirren in 2010’s Love Ranch.

An icon of gangster cinema, Pesci isn’t afraid to spoof his image. He made this quite clear with a rap single called “Wise Guy” in 1998 and a Snickers commercial (with Don Rickles!) in 2011.

Daniel Stern — Marv Merchants

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Seriously, how was Marv even alive at the end of this movie? Daniel Stern‘s character couldn’t help but leave a calling card at the scenes of their crimes and bore the brunt of Kevin’s creative attempts to defend his home. He would return to the franchise for Home Alone 2 as well, on top of film work in City Slickers and its sequel, Rookie of the Year (which he also directed), Very Bad Things, Whip It, and The Next Three Days. He also provided the adult voice of Kevin Arnold on The Wonder Years and Dilbert on Dilbert. He is currently on the show Manhattan.

On top of acting and growing a righteous beard, Stern is an artist specializing in bronze sculpture and does a significant amount of charity work, especially with the Boys & Girls Club. He was even presented with the President’s “Call To Service” award by President Barack Obama in 2009.

John Heard — Peter McCallister

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20th Century Fox/ Getty

Parental negligence, thy name is Peter McCallister. John Heard has been a “hey, I know that guy” kind of actor for decades, garnering 170 acting credits over the course of his career. He followed up his role as the McCallister patriarch with films like In Line of Fire, The Pelican Brief, Pollock, O, White Chicks, The Lucky Ones, and the cinematic masterpiece known as Sharknado where he carried on a deep friendship with a stool.

He’s also stopped by a ton of television shows over the years, including guest appearances on multiple iterations of Law & Order, The Sopranos, Jack & Bobby, Prison Break, and NCIS: LA. Heard appeared in one episode of Battlestar Galactica, and earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor for his role as Commander Barry Garner.

Catherine O’Hara — Kate McCallister

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Catherine O’Hara was clearly frazzled beyond belief as Kate McCallister, but forgetting one of her children while leaving on vacation? Yikes. And again in the sequel? For shame. However, O’Hara’s biggest claim to fame is being one of Christopher Guest’s regular weirdos, collaborating with him on Waiting for Guffman, Best In Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration. This is hardly the extent of O’Hara’s film work, though, racking up film credits for a cameo in Dick Tracy and roles of various sizes in There Goes The Neighborhood, Orange County, Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events, Penelope, Away We Go, and ACOD. On top of that, she’s done considerable voice work, notably as Sally in A Nightmare Before Christmas, Brother Bear 2, Over The Hedge, and Where The Wild Things Are.

While she hasn’t done much television work since her stint on SCTV in the ’80s, she did get an Emmy nomination for HBO’s Temple Grandin. While she may be a naturalized American citizen, Canada is still happy to claim her as their own, even putting her face on a stamp and having her speak at the closing ceremonies of 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, eh.

Devin Ratray — Buzz McCallister

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20th Century Fox/ Getty

After the Home Alone films, Devin Ratray took some time off from acting before nabbing guest roles on television shows like Law & Order, Supernatural, The Good Wife, Person of Interest, Louie, and Agent Carter, and appeared in films like R.I.P.D., Nebraska, and Blue Ruin.

However, easily his weirdest and most interesting project was a bizarre documentary about his love for and subsequent wooing of Condoleezza Rice called Courting Condi. Watch the trailer. It really is something.

Michael C.  Maronna

How many kids added “phlegm wad” to their ready arsenal of insults after watching Home Alone? Probably all of them. At least Jeff wasn’t quite as terrible as Buzz. Michael C. Maronna would go on to star in the iconic Pete & Pete as Big Pete, and had roles in the films Slackers and 40 Days 40 Nights. However, he works mostly behind the scenes now as an electrician on films like Be Kind Rewind, Sex and the City, The Smurfs, The Sitter, Men in Black 3, and The Normal Heart, and the TV shows Ugly Betty, Nurse Jackie, and Elementary.

>Maronna is pretty active on Twitter, and he and Pete & Pete costar Danny Tamborelli occasionally reunite for panels and podcasts, so check out his timeline if you want your nostalgia bone tickled.

Hillary Wolf — Megan McCallister

Let’s be real: all of Kevin’s siblings were jerks, including Megan. Hillary Wolf would follow up Home Alone with Big Girls Don’t Cry… They Get Even and Home Alone 2, but she would eventually leave Hollywood behind for a totally different profession: judo. She is a second-degree black belt and went on to compete with the United States Olympic team in 1996 and 2000. Talk about a certified badass.

Angela Goethals — Linnie McCallister

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20th Century Fox/ Getty

Angela Goethals followed up Home Alone with a cameo in Jerry Maguire as the girl who can cry on cue, but took a break from acting to get a degree in French from Vassar College, graduating in 1999.

Since then, she’s had some guest roles on television, including shows like Six Feet Under, Without a Trace, Grey’s Anatomy, and Royal Pains. You probably recognize her as the unstable Maya Driscoll from 24.

Kristin Minter — Heather McCallister

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20th Century Fox/ Getty

She may have made a solid Christmas pun, but Heather was just as horrible as the rest of them. Kristin Minter has continued to work in the industry, mostly in television, guesting on shows like Highlander: The Series, NYPD Blue, Nip/Tuck, The Mentalist, and Ray Donovan, and a recurring role on ER.

However, her biggest claim to fame is starring opposite Vanilla Ice in his ’91 remake of The Wild One, Cold As Ice. While it may not have turned Ice into a movie star, it did spawn one of the greatest film taglines of all time: “When a girl has a heart of stone, there’s only one way to melt it. Just add Ice.”

Spoiler alert: They did and he did.

John Candy — Gus Polinski

Sadly, John Candy died four years later, but we couldn’t in good conscience leave off the Polka King of the Midwest. After helping the McCallisters get back home, Candy continued to work steadily in film with Nothing But Trouble, Only the Lonely (reuniting with Home Alone director Chris Columbus), JFK, Cool Runnings, Wagons East, and Canadian Bacon. He also lent his voice to the Disney film The Rescuers Down Under.

Outside of acting, Candy co-owned the Toronto Argonauts football team with Bruce McNall and Wayne Gretzky. He died from a heart attack in 1994.

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