John Mulaney Was ‘Offered’ an Audition for Kevin in ‘Home Alone,’ But His Parents Wouldn’t Let Him

Mulaney was part of a children's improv group in Chicago and caught the attention of those in charge of casting for the film.

“KEVIN!”

To think, Catherine O’Hara could’ve been screaming that famous “Home Alone” line about John Mulaney.

It’s true. Back in 1989, when Mulaney was seven, John Hughes and Chris Colombus were casting the Christmas caper “Home Alone” in the Chicago area. At the time, the actor was part of local children’s improv group The Rugrats, where he caught the attention of someone in the film’s casting department. The production approached him and his parents with an opportunity to audition for the lead role in the film. Reflecting on this moment in a recent GQ video, Mulaney shared how, ultimately, things didn’t go his way.

“I was offered to audition for the role of Kevin in ‘Home Alone,'” he said. “My mom thought about it for a little while. I was getting a booster shot and my mom waited until we were at the pediatrician and then told me, ‘Your dad and I have talked and we’re not gonna let you audition for that movie,’ and then I got a booster shot.”

Many would put this memory behind them, but it seems Mulaney has carried it and the sense of a missed opportunity for a long time.

“I think it was like… Maybe if we put the two bad things at once, they’ll neutralize each other,” Mulaney said of his parents’ booster shot tactic. “But I remember both and I dislike them both.”

Despite Mulaney missing his early shot at stardom, he does feel the best man got the part.

“I do want to say for the record, there is no better performance in the 1990s than Macaulay Culkin and ‘Home Alone,’ and he deserved an Oscar nomination and an Oscar for that role,” said Mulaney. “If you have a Macaulay Culkin story, call me at my personal number.”

As for work that Mulaney does appear in, the actor/comedian also brought up his talk show he debuted this year on Netflix, “Everybody’s in L.A.” Many have wondered if Mulaney has plans on bringing the show back or setting it in a different city, including Mulaney’s sidekick on the show, Richard Kind.

“Recently when I saw him, he said, ‘Hey, if you do more, ‘Everybody’s in LA’ and you want to replace me, I won’t be offended.’ And I was like, ‘One, I don’t want to replace you, and two, of course you would be offended,'” Mulaney said to GQ. “No one would be more offended than Richard Kind if he was replaced from ‘Everybody’s in LA.’ Sweet man. I’d go to any city in the union with Mr. Richard Kind.”

Watch Mulaney’s full GQ video below.