EXCLUSIVE: John Candy's 'Uncle Buck' Performance 'Was Aimed at Macaulay Culkin's Monstrous Dad' — 'He Was Trying to Show Him How to Be a Caring Father'
John Candy showed Macaulay Culkin how a father should be with his 'Uncle Buck' performance.
Sept. 16 2025, Published 10:00 a.m. ET
John Candy's tender performance in Uncle Buck was far more than just acting – it was a message directed at Macaulay Culkin's domineering father about what a loving parent should be, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The late comedy star, who died in 1994 aged just 43, is remembered in the new documentary John Candy: I Like Me, which recently opened the Toronto International Film Festival.
Candy's 'Uncle Buck' Performance Was Aimed At Culkin's Dad
Candy is said to have used his 'Uncle Buck' performance as a dig at Culkin's father.
In the film, Culkin, now 45, recalls Candy's protective presence on set during the making of John Hughes’s 1989 hit Uncle Buck, where he played the chaotic but caring uncle opposite Culkin and Gaby Hoffmann.
"I think that's why that's one of my favorite performances, because I think he put a lot of himself into it," Culkin says in the film. "John was always really kind and really good with me and Gaby. He showed a lot of respect. When you're 8 years old, you don’t really get respect from adults, but with him, you felt invited in."
Insiders believe Candy's warmth was very intentional. One source told us: "Everyone could see how difficult Kit Culkin was being with Macaulay, especially once the money started rolling in – the man was the definition of a monster dad. John was consciously showing on screen what a gentle, protective father looks like.
"Those scenes where Uncle Buck shields the kids weren't just for laughs – they were lessons aimed at Kit."
'Already A Monster'
Culkin noted how kind Candy was to him while filming 'Uncle Buck.'
Culkin, who shot to global fame a year later in Home Alone, has long described his father, Kit, now 80, as abusive and controlling. As his career skyrocketed, Culkin's earnings became a battleground. By his mid-teens, he was reported to have made tens of millions of dollars, yet much of it was tied up in disputes over his trust fund and his parents' bitter custody battle.
In 1995, his mother, Patricia Brentrup, sought custody of six of her seven children, and Culkin removed both parents' names from his finances to prevent, as he put it, anyone sticking their "f------ pinkie in the pie."
In the documentary, Culkin also reflects on Candy's intuition. "Even before the Home Alone stuff, it was not hard to see how difficult my father was," he says. "He was already a monster. And then all of a sudden, the fame and the money came, and he became an infamous monster.
According to Culkin, Candy always checked in on him.
"I think John was looking a little side-eyed, like, 'Is everything alright over there? You doing good? Everything good at home?' He was just looking out for me."
Another source close to the production said: "Those moments where Candy's Uncle Buck confronts authority figures, including the kids' parents, mirrored what was happening behind the scenes. He was subtly showing Kit how to behave differently, how to be gentle instead of frightening."
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Culkin has revealed just how much of a 'monster' his father, Kit, was.
Culkin adds Candy's kindness was rare in Hollywood. "It doesn't happen that often. It actually happened less as time went on. I wish I had gotten more of that in my life. I remember John caring when not a lot of people did."
The film also features tributes to Candy from Steve Martin, Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Andrea Martin, and Tom Hanks – whose son Colin directed the project.
