One of the Most Iconic Home Alone Scenes Made the Actors Suffer for Real
The cast really had to go through a lot on set.
One of the best film series associated with Christmas is certainly the Home Alone franchise, with its second installment, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, about to turn 30 years old.
Macaulay Culkin is now a grown man who has had to deal with adult issues – no doubt about it – but the spirit of the movies we grew up with is here to stay.
In a recent interview with People, Joe Pesci, who played Harry from the ill-fated gangster duo, shared his memories of filming the world-famous franchise. One of the more shocking moments he remembers was an injury he suffered on set.
"I did sustain serious burns to the top of my head during the scene where Harry's hat is set on fire. I was fortunate enough to have professional stuntmen do the real heavy stunts," the Godfellas actor said. Not to mention other minor injuries like "the expected bumps, bruises, and general pains that one would associate with that particular type of physical humor," Joe Pesci recalled. (via)
He also revealed what it was like to work with the young Culkin on set, who he described as very professional despite his age.
"I remember Macaulay as being a really sweet kid and, even at his age, very professional," Pesci admitted.
In order to maintain the dynamics of the characters they play, he deliberately limited his contact with the boy. The key was to never give the impression on screen that the actors were friends.
"I wanted to maintain the integrity of the adversarial relationship," he said. And, by all accounts, they have been successful in their efforts. When asked if he would do another installment of the Home Alone sequence, the award-winning actor did not say anything specific other than "never say never.
"While you never say never, I think that it would be difficult to replicate not only the success but also the overall innocence of the originals," Pesci said, adding that a lot has changed in the last 30 years, including attitudes and priorities.
There are five Home Alone movies in addition to the original 1990 Home Alone, which grossed nearly $477 million worldwide, setting a record for live-action comedy for decades to come. It also catapulted 8-year-old Macauley Culkin to international stardom. The latest film in the franchise, Home Sweet Home Alone, released in 2021, was not as successful.
Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York are currently streaming on the Disney+ platform.