Kit Culkin is a former American manager and stage actor, who is famously known for being the father of the actors Kieran Culkin, Rory Culkin, and the acclaimed former child actor, Macaulay Culkin, who starred in the “Home Alone” film franchise.
Age, Early Life, and Education Background
Kit was born Christopher Cornelius Culkin under the Sagittarius zodiac sign on 6 December 1944, in Manhattan, New York City, and is 78 years old as of 2021. He was born to Philip Harley Culkin, who worked in public relations, and his wife, the editor and writer Marian Ethel, who edited the book “The War Years” by Carl Sandburg. Kit was brought up in a middle-class Christian household together with his three younger siblings, brother Terry, and two sisters, actress Bonnie Bedelia, who appeared in the films “Die Hard 2,” “Bonanza,” and “Diehard” and Candace Culkin. He had a difficult childhood because his mother passed away when he was a teenager – his father also died of ulcers shortly after his mother’s demise, so the family’s responsibility came to rest on his shoulders at an early age.
Kit went to St. Thomas Choir School, situated in Midtown Manhattan, for his middle school. He later honed his acting skills – together with his sister Bonnie – at The School of American Ballet, which is based in the Lincoln Center.
Career
Kit began his career appearing in several Broadway productions, working with several famous personalities such as Anthony Quinn, Richard Burton, Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud. He also worked together with his sisters and brother, managed by their mother, whom he credits for his success.
Kit has only made two film appearances – his debut in 1961 was an uncredited role in “West Side Story”, and in 1964, he played Player Queen in the film “Hamlet.”
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Personal Life
Kit walked the aisle with Adeena VanWagoner in 1970, and welcomed a daughter they named Jennifer Adamson on 27 June 1970. Unfortunately, Jennifer passed away in 2000, aged 29, from
a heroin overdose. The couple enjoyed three years of togetherness before their marriage ended sadly when Adeena passed away – she was laid to rest in Ravalli County, Montana. In 1974, Kit met Patricia Brentrup during an event, and they began dating not long afterwards. The duo didn’t legally marry during their two decades of togetherness – however, they bore seven children: daughters Quinn Kay Culkin and Dakota Ulissa Culkin, who were born on 8 November 1984 and 15 June 1970 respectively, and five sons, Shane Culkin, born on 8 January 1976, Macaulay Carson Culkin on 26 August 1980, Kieran Kyle Culkin two years later, Christian Patrick Culkin on 30 January 1987, and Rory Hugh Culkin, born on 21 July 1989. Sadly, Kit’s daughter Dakota, who was the production designer in the movie “Lost Soul”, was hit by a car in 2008 and succumbed to the injuries soon afterwards. Kit and Patricia separated in 1995, and she is now in a relationship with Mart D. Cox – of his seven children, six are actors.
Following his separation from Patricia, Kit began dating his longtime friend, Jeanette Krylowski, and they lived together in Grand Pass, Oregon, before she passed away on 31 May 2017. The father of eight is now living a secretive life, and is believed to be single.
Rumors and Controversies
It’s reported that Kit was mentally and physically abusive towards Patricia, who she accused of extreme violence, and claimed in court documents shared in The Telegraph that, ‘He punched me in the head and about the body, causing me substantial injury, and dragged me out to the balcony, threatening to push me over the railing’ adding that some of the children witnessed what she called Culkin’s ‘reign of terror.’ Macaulay also recalls how his father was violent, and previously shared in the Marc Maron WTF Podcast that ‘He was abusive, physically and mentally… I could show you all my scars.’
The Culkins were rocked by a scandal shortly after Patricia and Kit separated, and went to court fighting for Macaulay’s custody. Both Macaulay’s parents, who were his managers, wanted to raise him separately, in addition to managing his – and his siblings’ – career solely. As Macaulay’s co-managers, Culkin and Brentrup split a 15% commission of his total earnings, as revealed by the Los Angeles Times, and according to the director of “Home Alone” movies, Chris Columbus, ‘the custody battle seemed to be two parents fighting over a young guy’s earnings. If I were a kid, I’d want my parents to be fighting for custody of me because they love me–not for my money. It’s a little bit depressing.’ In the end, the judge granted Brentrup sole custody of the children.
Height, Weight, and Physical Appearance
Kit is 5ft 10ins (1.78m) tall and weighs approximately 195lbs (88kgs). He has a set of brown eyes, and brown hair.
Net Worth
Culkin has made a good sum from his long-spanning career as an actor, and his works in theatrics have made him a recognized name. His net worth is approximately $1 million as of 2022. His children have made a fortune from their successful acting careers too: Macaulay is his richest child as his net worth is around $15 million, Kieran has accumulated a net worth of around $4 million, while Kit’s youngest child, Rory, is worth $1.5 million.
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Kit Culkin’s Family
Shane Culkin, who is the eldest of Kit’s children, was his first pet project and although he didn’t achieve as much success as his younger brothers, he has several acting credits to his name. He’s famously known for playing Wally in the TV series “Great Performances” and for accompanying his brother Macaulay on the set of the film “Our Town.” His sister Quinn has made only one appearance – she shared the screen with her brother Macaulay in the film “The Good Son”, and then took a long break. Christian has also made an appearance alongside Kieran in “It Runs in the Family”, but he left the showbiz industry after that. Rory has appeared in a number of projects such as “You Can Count on Me,” “Scream 4” and “Lord of Chaos.” It’s reported that Kieran Culkin, who appeared in “Succession,” didn’t get along well with his father, because of his abuse.
Macaulay Culkin, who also doubles as a web host and musician, has appeared in many other projects apart from the “Home Alone” film sequel – he was seen in 1985’s “The Midnight Hour,” and “Uncle Buck” and “Rocket Gibraltar” both in 1988. He performed in many other projects in the 1990s and 2000s, and recently appeared in the 2019 series “Dollface”, and “The Eric Andre Show” in the year that followed. He was previously married to American actress Rachel Miner, and then dated actress Mila Kunis (2001-2011) after their divorce. He thereafter began dating Brenda Song in 2017.
