After Kieran Culkin Admitted He Got A Few Actors High During A Play, Mark Ruffalo Told His Hilarious Side Of The Story: ‘It’s Usually Fake. Not This Time.’

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Kieran Culkin, known for his acting career since childhood, has earned a somewhat mischievous reputation. Notably, during a play called “The Moment When” in 2000, he replaced a fake joint with a real one, causing some cast members to unintentionally get high. At just 18 years old at the time, Culkin was seemingly experimenting with a prank that unfolded as anticipated. More recently, Mark Ruffalo, who experienced this theatrical mishap, has shared his account of the incident.

Mark Ruffalo appeared on “The Tonight Show” to publicize his upcoming film with Robert Pattinson, titled “Mickey 17.” The discussion unexpectedly shifted towards Kieran Culkin, who is currently basking in the limelight following his outstanding performance in “A Real Pain,” which has put him in the running for the Oscars. However, rather than focusing on current events, an old story that recently went viral was brought up instead.

25 years back, an actor from the movie “The Avengers” shared an amusing tale about working with Macaulay Culkin on a stage production. In one scene, they were meant to pretend to smoke a bogus joint. However, unbeknownst to them, the mischievous young star had replaced it. Believing it was harmless, both actors approached smoking it with a certain level of confidence, as Ruffalo described.

At the start of the play, the initial act, we share a joint among the three of us – Arija [Bareikis], Phyllis [Newman] and myself. We’re passing it around. You see, when performing on stage in real life, just two puffs can leave you quite high, but during a play, you’re merely pretending. However, this time it wasn’t feigned.

In the opening scene of the play, Arija, Phyllis, and I take turns passing a joint around. Normally, in real life, two puffs can make you pretty high, but when acting, you just pretend. But in this case, it was real.

The actors on stage wound up using a significant amount of marijuana, which affected them all quite swiftly. Initially, Ruffalo experienced a sense of well-being, and he felt an influx of confidence about his acting. However, within moments, Ruffalo understood the situation, and Culkin’s laughter from behind the curtain supported his theory. He recounted:

The actors on stage ended up consuming a lot of marijuana, which took effect quickly on everyone. At first, Ruffalo felt quite good and had a surge of confidence in his performance. But shortly after that, Ruffalo recognized what was happening, and Culkin’s giggles from behind the curtain verified his suspicions. He reminisced:

Arija had never touched marijuana in her entire life. Contrarily, I had dabbled a tad bit with it, hence my familiarity. We took turns passing it around, and I found myself saying, ‘Dude, I’m absolutely immersed right now, I’m so in sync.’ Suddenly, I looked down and saw that it didn’t stop; it just kept going and going. Then the lights began to dim, and I realized it was a real joint. At this point, Arija gave me a worried expression, and then I glanced backstage and saw Kieran Culkin hiding behind the curtains, chuckling silently.

The play took on an invigorating vibe due to the smoke. Despite the actors handling it well, considering the smoke boosted their confidence and composure, not all backstage personnel were as enthusiastic. One of the stage managers even threatened to halt the production, but Ruffalo, despite being in an altered state, wanted to shield Culkin from potential trouble. He stated:

Indeed, they intended to halt the performance. In essence, the stage manager dashed out exclaiming, “We’re wrapping up the play, we’re wrapping it up!” To which I responded, “You can’t end the play! He’d be in trouble if he did!

After the mixed-up situation, the actor from “13 Going on 30” remarked that it led to some of the most favorable critiques he’s ever received. Fortunately, it all worked out in the end.

In 2000, Macaulay Culkin shared an amusing anecdote about receiving a firm reprimand from the stage manager directly, yet he managed to avoid any significant repercussions. Back then, societal views on marijuana were more lenient, but the situation eventually became a humorous tale.

These days, the Succession star is still a bit of a troublemaker, but not in the same way.

In the midst of nearly abandoning “A Real Pain” only a fortnight prior to filming, Emma Stone successfully persuaded him to persist with the project. Moreover, his witty remarks and sarcasm have become his distinctive trademark. And this has merely added to his already amusing and endearing persona.

Despite the story adding an endearing quality to the actor, it demonstrates that he’s not shy about bending the rules or having a good time. He’s progressed significantly since then, but his playful attitude is unmistakable and is what’s inspiring fans worldwide to hope he wins the Oscar this year.

To catch Kieran Culkin in the performance that earned him an Oscar nomination for 2025, stream the movie “A Real Pain” using a Hulu subscription. Additionally, mark your calendars for March 7th, 2025, as Mark Ruffalo’s film, “Mickey 17“, is scheduled to hit theaters then. Keep your hopes high that these two talented actors might collaborate again in the future, as their on-stage antics and humorous narratives are a delight I can’t get enough of!

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2025-03-02 15:37