Biography
Actor Kieran Culkin eclipsed both his early career in juvenile roles and avoided the overwhelming attention afforded to his brother, Macaulay, to enjoy critical praise as sardonic, occasionally misanthropic young men in "Igby Goes Down" (2002), "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" (2010) and "Succession" (HBO, 2018- ). Born Kieran Kyle Culkin in New York City on September 30, 1982, he was one of seven children born to former actor Kit Culkin and Patricia Brentup, all of whom were encouraged to become actors by their father. The siblings enjoyed varying degrees of success in films and on television, with Macaulay the breakout star thanks to "Home Alone" (1990), while Rory Culkin transitioned from juvenile roles to character parts in "Lords of Chaos" (2018) and on "City on a Hill" (Showtime, 2019- ). Kieran enjoyed a similar career path, appearing opposite Macauley in minor roles in "Home Alone" before moving up to a supporting turn in "Father of the Bride" (1991) that earned him a Young Artist Award nomination. From there, Culkin built an impressive c.v. of sympathetic supporting roles in "She's All That" (1999), "The Cider House Rules" (1999) and "The Dangerous Life of Altar Boys" (2002), as well as the occasional lead, most notably as a young man with a debilitating disease in "The Mighty" (1998). His star-making role would come in 2002 with Burr Steers' "Igby Goes Down," an indie drama about a teenager (played by Culkin) rebelling against his wealth and eccentric family. A critical success, "Igby" earned Culkin a Golden Globe Award nomination, among other laurels, for his performance, but the spotlight's glare that had followed Macaulay after "Home Alone" - and which eventually drove him away from acting - kept Culkin from pursuing mainstream features. He instead focused on character-driven independent efforts, including the Martin Scorsese-produced "Lymelife" (2008) and Kenneth Lonergan's "Margaret" (2011). Culkin would then reunite with Lonergan a year later for a revival of his 1996 play This is Our Youth, and toured with the production for two years until a Broadway run in 2014. When the play completed its tenure in New York, Culkin returned to independent features, including Todd Solondz's "Wiener-Dog" (2016) before earning widespread critical praise for the HBO drama "Succession." Culkin played Roman Roy, the youngest son of media mogul Logan Roy (Brian Cox), whose caustic and immature nature put him at odds with his flawed brother Kendall (Jeremy Strong) and ambitious sister Siobahn (Sarah Snook).
