Joe Pesci Accidentally Bit Macaulay Culkin During ‘Home Alone’

As a movie critic with over three decades of film-watching under my belt, I must say that the story behind the making of Home Alone is as entertaining as the movie itself! Joe Pesci, the man who played Harry Lime, was a perfect blend of kindness off-screen and intimidation on-screen. His gentle apologies to Macaulay Culkin for accidentally biting him during filming were a testament to his character.

Despite enduring a fall down the stairs and having his hair set ablaze, Joe Pesci, playing one of the burglars in Home Alone, was remarkably considerate and soft-spoken during filming. In an unexpected turn of events, he unintentionally injured Macaulay Culkin, the movie’s child star. In response, Pesci broke character on set, expressing his sincere apologies. Home Alone, a timeless classic, paved the way for numerous Christmas movies with its unique blend of humor and suspense. The story follows Kevin McCallister (Culkin) as he creatively defends his home against the bungling burglars, portrayed by Pesci and Daniel Stern. However, before the film unmasked these crooks as fools, it first established them as formidable threats.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Daniel Stern discussed filming the Wet Bandits as if they were genuine, menacing criminals while breaking into the McCallister family home. “Joe, he’s fantastic, I adore him, he’s a cherished friend, but he’s a genuinely terrifying character, and he wore that well,” Stern explained. “This was because — in the original film, we aimed to be truly frightening at first, only to later discover our own idiocy. However, there was an element of fear that built the tension for the story.

Towards the end of the movie, the Wet Bandits caught Kevin and hung him from his t-shirt on a door. During questioning, Harry Lime (played by Pesci) pretended to bite Kevin’s fingers, but in reality, he bit them a little too hard. According to Daniel Stern, “Yes, I think he did nibble at it while biting his finger.” He then apologized, saying, “Oh dear, I didn’t mean to do that.” The actor mentioned that was the “one instance where you might see Pesci lose his cool.

Macaulay Culkin Was Scarred (Literally) by the Incident

As a big fan, I can share that contrary to Daniel Stern’s jest about a minor injury, it was actually Joe Pesci who left a lasting mark on Macaulay Culkin during the filming of a scene in Home Alone. In an interview with The New York Times this year, Culkin disclosed that Pesci’s teeth indeed caused a scar on his finger. “I have a scar,” he said, pointing out the dent. However, the incident had more of an emotional impact on Culkin than a physical one.

Right now, families all around the globe are repeatedly watching “Home Alone” as Christmas approaches, and it’s only a few days away! Two years later, the original cast members, including Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, and Daniel Stern, returned for the sequel titled “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York“. In this installment, they were joined by Tim Curry, who portrayed the gruff concierge of the Plaza Hotel in NYC.

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2024-12-24 02:03