Kieran Culkin Admits To Pranking Mark Ruffalo With Marijuana in 1999

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As a seasoned cinema enthusiast with a knack for recalling the most peculiar tales, I must share the amusing escapade involving Kieran Culkin and Mark Ruffalo, two of my favorite acting talents, on the stage of James Lapine’s Off-Broadway production of “The Moment When.”

Back in 1999, when Culkin was still a precocious teenager, he decided to pull a prank on his co-star by swapping out Ruffalo’s fake marijuana joint for the real deal. To my delight, this mischievous act led to an unforgettable moment in theater history, with the group passing the joint around like a hot potato. I can almost hear Culkin’s sheepish voice as he handed the roach to the stage manager, who chastised him by saying, “Ruin your life on your own time.”

It is heartening to learn that the two actors have carried this incident with them throughout their careers and are able to laugh about it now. Their camaraderie and ability to find humor in such a situation make me appreciate their artistry even more. And as a bonus, I’ll leave you with this joke:

Why don’t we ever invite Kieran Culkin to our potluck parties? Because he always brings the joint!

In 2011, Kieran Culkin and Mark Ruffalo featured in the movie “Margaret”, but their off-screen experience together was more eventful. They had previously acted together in a 1999 Off-Broadway play titled “The Moment When”. At that time, Culkin, who was only 17, played a trick by substituting Ruffalo’s fake marijuana joint with a real one as a prank. After almost three decades, the actor from “Succession” admits he wouldn’t dare repeat such an act again.

When interviewed by The Guardian, Culkin reminisced about the incident, stating that he initially believed it was a fun joke. Remarkably, Ruffalo and others, such as Phyllis Newman – a seasoned stage actor who tragically passed away in 2019 – handled it gracefully along with those involved in passing around the joint.

At seventeen, I was foolish and naive. “I thought this would be a clever prank, but boy, was I wrong.” I was so stupid, my heart sank as I apologized internally. Yet, surprisingly, they found it amusing. Mark exclaimed, “The second half’s going to be fantastic! It’s been a decade since I last smoked pot.”

There was an actress among us who had never partaken in the green leaf before. She looked around, her eyes wide with surprise, and whispered, “Is this what being high feels like? This is delightful.”

Then, Phyllis Newman walked in, carrying a whiff of the past. Her voice echoed with the nostalgia of the 1960s, “Thank you, dear. It’s been ages since I last smoked pot.

During their enjoyable moment with various activities and a slight hunger for some small bites, their amusement was abruptly halted when a crew member found them all apparently under the influence of something strong. As he stormed in, he demanded, “I don’t mind who it belongs to or what transpired, but Kieran, pass me that joint,” he said. Feeling embarrassed, I reluctantly gave her the remains and she warned, “Destroy your own life when you want to.” Indeed, at that time I was young. Now, I am 42 and wiser. I understand better. I won’t try to make anyone high during a performance.

Mark Ruffalo Got the “Best Reviews” of His Career After Getting High

It might seem logical that smoking a joint would negatively impact an actor’s performance, potentially leading to line flubs or muddled speech. However, this wasn’t true for Ruffalo. He openly discussed the experience on The Graham Norton Show several years ago. Remarkably, he claimed that by the end of it all, he received some of the finest reviews of his acting career.

In a production I was part of, there was a scene where I pretended to smoke marijuana. There was a mischievous young actor in the cast with me. On the opening night, he placed a real joint on the prop table. During the performance, both of us ended up smoking what seemed like a large joint onstage. The experience was chaotic and not one I’d want to repeat. However, it resulted in the best reviews I’ve ever received throughout my career. But let me assure you, I wouldn’t do something like that again. It was a harrowing ordeal.

I’m thrilled that everything turned out well, and it’s great to see the duo finding humor in the past events. As for now, Macaulay Culkin is stealing the show in the dramedy titled “A Real Pain,” which can be streamed on all Video On Demand platforms, and will air on Hulu starting January 16. Meanwhile, Mark Ruffalo continues to bask in the glory of his success from 2023’s “Poor Things.” He’ll next appear in the sci-fi comedy “Mickey 17,” set for release on March 7.

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2025-01-03 21:01