Home Alone’s Director Finally Opens Up About What Happened With Donald Trump’s Cameo Years After The Billionaire Said The Movie ‘Begged’ Him To Do It

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As a child of the ’90s, I vividly remember the magic that was Home Alone 2: Lost In New York. The movie, now streaming on Disney+, holds a special place in my heart and has been a part of countless holiday traditions for millions of families. The scene where Kevin McCallister (played by Macaulay Culkin) runs into Donald Trump at the Plaza Hotel is one that always stood out to me, even if I didn’t fully understand its significance at the time.

Recently, I learned more about how this iconic cameo came to be from none other than Chris Columbus himself. It turns out that the production team had no choice but to include Trump in the film due to his ownership of the Plaza Hotel at the time. While Trump has claimed otherwise, it’s fascinating to learn that it was actually a stipulation for filming on location.

I find it amusing to think about how different the movie might have been if they had chosen to replicate the Plaza Hotel elsewhere. The hotel is such an iconic part of New York City and its signature look would have been difficult, if not impossible, to replicate. Opting to shoot elsewhere would have significantly altered the feel of the film, making it less magical for audiences like myself.

In hindsight, Trump’s cameo in Home Alone 2 feels even larger than life. It’s hard not to notice his appearances in other films when you watch them now, and I can’t help but chuckle at the thought of him as a cultural figure in movies like Two Weeks Notice, Little Rascals, and Zoolander.

So, if you want to revisit Donald Trump’s cameo in Home Alone 2, you can do so by streaming the film now on Disney+. It’s always a good time to remember the holiday classics that have brought joy to families for generations. And who knows, maybe one day we’ll find out that Kevin McCallister was actually working with Trump all along! After all, it is a Home Alone movie – anything can happen!

30 years have passed since the debut of “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” and many things have evolved. This beloved holiday movie, available for streaming on Disney+, centers around Macaulay Culkin’s character, Kevin McCallister, who finds himself left behind once more – this time in New York City. Using his father’s credit card, Kevin enjoys a brief spell of high living at the Plaza Hotel, where he encounters Donald Trump, a meeting that later became iconic due to a scene filmed 15 years before Trump became president. The circumstances surrounding how this cameo was arranged have been a subject of some debate.

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, director Chris Columbus clarified the events surrounding Donald Trump’s appearance in the “Home Alone” sequel, years after Trump claimed it was his idea. Columbus discussed his work on several popular Christmas films and addressed the question of whether Trump had requested to be part of the movie during his presidency.

Columbus clarified that contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t just a matter of choice; instead, filming in the renowned Plaza Hotel, which happened to be owned by Trump at the time, was a requirement for the production. Columbus elaborated on this point.

To film at the Plaza Hotel, our only option was to include Trump in a brief appearance… And that’s exactly what we did. I told my team, “We can always remove this scene later.” We previewed the movie, and when Trump appeared on screen, the audience applauded and cheered. So we decided to keep it. And it remains part of the film to this day, as he was a well-known real estate figure in Manhattan at the time.

During that period, Trump enjoyed broad support as a cultural icon and from his real estate developments within New York City, making it difficult for anyone to challenge his role in the “Home Alone” sequel, unlike what happened later on. As a property owner, he had the power to choose which productions could use the Plaza Hotel as a filming location. Replicating the Plaza’s distinctive atmosphere anywhere else would have been quite challenging for the movie crew, given that the hotel is one of New York’s most iconic landmarks with a unique aesthetic. Shooting elsewhere would have significantly altered the film’s ambiance, so it was in the best interest of the production to accommodate Trump’s decision.

As a movie enthusiast, I’ve always been intrigued by the tales surrounding Trump and his alleged cameo in Home Alone 2. It seems that over time, Trump has dismissed such claims, but the director unequivocally asserted that he was indeed asked to appear in the film. When the 45th president publicly stated that the production begged him for a role, the filmmaker chose to remain silent rather than fueling the fire further. In his own words: “I kept my mouth shut to avoid stirring up more controversy.”

Trump stated that he never requested an appearance in the movie, nor was there any pleading for him to be involved. Just as I was about to respond, my wife advised me to keep quiet. Essentially, it’s not worth arguing over a cameo in Home Alone; there are far more significant conflicts to tackle instead.

In every tale I reflect upon, regardless of whose story you decide to follow, one scene remains etched in movie lore – the cameo scene featuring none other than me, your humble film enthusiast. Over the years, I’ve graced various silver screens with my presence, from Two Weeks Notice and the Little Rascals, all the way to the hallowed halls of Zoolander. My cameos have not only been a part of these films, but they’ve also carved my image into our cultural landscape, transcending what most New York real estate moguls could ever aspire to achieve. As I look back on those movies now, it feels like my presence looms even larger than before, making itself unmissable during each rewatch.

Take another look at Donald Trump’s appearance in “Home Alone 2” by streaming the movie right now, if you have a Disney+ subscription.

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2024-12-31 17:40