Christopher Cornelius Culkin (born December 6, 1944)[1] is an American former stage actor. He is the father of actors Macaulay Culkin, Rory Culkin and Kieran Culkin, and the older brother of actress Bonnie Bedelia.
Kit Culkin | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Culkin in 1991 | |
| Born | Christopher Cornelius Culkin December 6, 1944 New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Partner | Patricia Brentrup (1974–1995) |
| Children | 8, including Macaulay, Kieran and Rory[a] |
| Relatives | Bonnie Bedelia (sister) |
Early life
editCulkin was born in Manhattan, New York City, the son of Philip Harley Culkin (1898–1977), who was in public relations,[2] and Marian Ethel (née Wagner; 1914–1964), a writer and editor.[citation needed] He and his sisters Candice and Bonnie[3] and his brother Terry were raised in New York City.[2] The family experienced financial hardship when his father's firm went bankrupt, and the family lived in a cold water flat.[4]
For middle school, Culkin attended Saint Thomas Choir School in Midtown Manhattan. He and his sister Bonnie took classes at School of American Ballet[2] (as did his son Macaulay in the late 1980s).[5]
Career
editCulkin's early career involved working on Broadway in theater productions with actors such as Richard Burton, John Gielgud, Laurence Olivier and Anthony Quinn. His brother Terry and sisters Bonnie and Candace also worked in theater and television. Culkin credits his mother, who was their manager, for these early successes.[citation needed]
Three of his sons — Macaulay, Rory, and Kieran — are professional actors whose careers he managed from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s. Macaulay became popular due to his starring roles in the Home Alone films, and he was the first child in Hollywood to receive a million-dollar salary (for My Girl in 1991). From 1995 to 1997, Kit was part of a bitter child custody trial.[citation needed]
Personal life
editCulkin has eight children; his oldest, Jennifer Adamson, was with Adeena VanWagoner. His other children, Shane, Dakota, Macaulay, Kieran, Quinn, Christian, and Rory, were with Patricia Brentrup. Culkin and Brentrup were together for 21 years from 1974 to 1995, but never married.[citation needed]
Kit and VanWagoner's daughter, Jennifer Adamson, died in 2000 from a drug overdose.[6] On December 9, 2008, Kit and Patricia's daughter Dakota was struck by a vehicle when she stepped off a curb into its path. She was taken to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where she died of her injuries the following afternoon, at the age of 29.[7]
Culkin resided in Grants Pass, Oregon. After his long-time friend and partner Jeanette Krylowski died, on May 31, 2017, Culkin left his Grants Pass residence.[8]
Kit Culkin has been almost entirely estranged from his children since 1997.[9] In 2021, Kieran Culkin stated that while Kit did not abuse him, he was a neither a good person nor any kind of parent; Kieran added he had not seen or spoken to Kit since 2014, when Kit went to NYC and they briefly talked at a theatre where Kieran was performing in a play.[10] Kieran alluded to one of Kit's sons, Shane, being his only child to have some contact with him.[citation needed]
Filmography
edit| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | West Side Story | Extra | Uncredited |
| 1964 | Hamlet | Player Queen |
Notes
edit- ^ Two children are deceased.
References
edit- ^ Jessica Sager (January 17, 2024). "All About Macaulay and Kieran Culkin's Parents, Kit Culkin and Patricia Brentrup". People Magazine.
- ^ a b c Bandler, Michael J. (October 25, 1992). "Character Study Despite Her Laurels, Bonnie Bedelia Wonders When Stardom Will Arrive". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- ^ "Bonnie Bedelia: Biography". TV Guide. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
- ^ Bandler, Michael J. (October 25, 1992). "Character Study Despite Her Laurels, Bonnie Bedelia Wonders When Stardom Will Arrive". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
- ^ "Culkin to Appear in 'Nutcracker' Film". The New York Times. August 15, 1992. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- ^ "Fun Facts". macaulay-culkin.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
- ^ "Macaulay's Sister Dies". TMZ.com. December 11, 2008. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
- ^ "Report of Kit Culkin". New York Magazine. Retrieved March 2, 2010. Paragraph 13.
- ^ https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/stephaniesoteriou/macaulay-culkin-dad-abusive-fathers-day [bare URL]
- ^ Abramovitch, Seth (October 6, 2021). "Martinis and Red Meat With Kieran Culkin: The 'Succession' Star on Childhood, Co-Stars and Fame". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
External links
edit- Kit Culkin at IMDb
- Kit Culkin at the Internet Broadway Database