Macaulay Culkin Remembers How John Candy Was a Quiet Protector on 'Uncle Buck'

Actor Macaulay Culkin has shared a deeply moving recollection about his time filming Uncle Buck, and it’s not about the comic hijinks. He remembers a kind of guardian, someone who noticed he was hurting even when few others did. That someone was John Candy.

In the documentary, John Candy: I Like Me, which premiered in September 2025 at the Toronto International Film Festival, Macaulay recalls how John sensed trouble at home long before his rise to superstardom. On set, John quietly asked if he was OK; his presence was gentle, parental, and surprisingly rare.

Entertainment Weekly reported on some of Macaulay's remarks in the documentary. "It doesn't happen that often. It actually happened less as time went on. I wish I got more of that in my life. It's important that I remember that. I remember John caring when not a lot of people did."

Macaulay recalled that long before Home Alone made him a global star, John seemed to sense the weight he carried off set before his family life ever made headlines.

“Even before the wave crested and the Home Alone stuff, it was not hard to see how difficult my father was,” he shared. “He was already a monster.” What made a difference was John’s quiet compassion. In an industry where few adults noticed, John’s kindness became a rare lifeline and one of the memories Macaulay still holds onto.

John’s approach was never loud or showy. Instead, it was quiet compassion, the sort of instinctive care that kids remember decades later. For Macaulay, it was proof that sometimes the best co-stars go beyond the script, noticing the person behind the performance.

Macaulay marveled at the fact that he’s now older than John was when Uncle Buck was filmed. Looking back, he calls the role one of his favorites because John poured so much of himself into it.

Unlike many actors who struggled with child co-stars, John embraced working with Macaulay and his on-screen sister Gabby Hoffman, treating them with patience and kindness. He added he felt "paternal" vibes from John.

“When you’re 8 years old, you don’t really get respect,” Macaulay said. But John made him feel welcomed and included, not just as a kid delivering lines but as part of the work. That sense of being “invited in” stayed with Macaulay, shaping the way he remembers their bond decades later.

For Macaulay, John wasn’t just a co-star; he was a rare adult who treated him with care and respect during a turbulent childhood. Decades later, Macaulay continues to highlight John’s legacy of true warmth in interviews, reminding fans that the laughter on screen came from a man who carried that same generosity behind the camera. It’s why Uncle Buck endures, not just as a comedy classic, but as a snapshot of a friendship that shaped one of Hollywood’s most famous child actors.