---
name: "Kieran Culkin"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/kieran-culkin"
fi1m_id: "kieran-culkin"
imdb_id: "nm0001085"
tmdb_id: 18793
wikidata_id: "Q313204"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "30 September 1982"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 10
average_fi1m_score: 69
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 10
updated: "2026-10-22T04:29:48.649986+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Kieran Culkin

## Identity

Kieran Culkin

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/kieran-culkin
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** kieran-culkin
- **IMDb ID:** nm0001085
- **TMDB ID:** 18793
- **Wikidata ID:** Q313204
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kieran_Culkin, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q313204, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001085/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/18793

Actor. Born 30 September 1982 in New York City, New York, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 30 September 1982, New York City, New York, USA
- **Active:** 1990–present
- **Also known as:** Kieran Kyle Culkin
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 69, as actor, over 10 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 67 (4), 2010s 68 (4), 2020s 76 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 70 to 65 across 9 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 6 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 8 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Comedy 7, Drama 4, Family 2, Romance 2, Action 1, Adventure 1
- **Screen time:** 17 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $1,162m across 8 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kieran_Culkin, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q313204, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001085/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/18793

## Coming up

- *The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping* (2026-11-18), as Caesar Flickerman — [page](https://film.one/film/the-hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping.md)
- *Paris Paramount* (2027-12-23)
- *Clay* (2028-11-22), as Flip (voice)

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*Margaret*](https://film.one/film/margaret.md) (78), [*A Real Pain*](https://film.one/film/a-real-pain.md) (76), [*Father of the Bride*](https://film.one/film/father-of-the-bride-1991.md) (65)
- **HBO Max:** [*Succession*](https://film.one/tv/succession.md) (88), [*No Sudden Move*](https://film.one/film/no-sudden-move.md) (76)
- **Pluto TV:** [*The Cider House Rules*](https://film.one/film/the-cider-house-rules.md) (61)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Movie 43*](https://film.one/film/movie-43.md) (24)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Kieran Culkin

> Kieran Culkin makes abrasive men worth listening to without asking us to excuse them. We rate him highest when their jokes fail to hide how unhappy they are, as in Jesse Eisenberg’s *A Real Pain*.

In *A Real Pain* (2024), Kieran Culkin’s Benji Kaplan hugs strangers at the airport. He seems to have skipped the part where people decide how well they know one another, and Culkin makes that unsettling as well as funny. The panic remains visible beneath the noise, so his friendliness never looks entirely comfortable. Culkin lets us see how exhausting it would be to travel with him.

The lead in *Igby Goes Down* (2002) marked the move out of child roles, followed by several years away from the screen, working in theatre. He returned as Wallace Wells in Edgar Wright’s *Scott Pilgrim vs. the World* (2010), whose precise jokes make its repetitive fights forgivable. Then *Succession* (2018–2023) brought widespread recognition for his Roman Roy, another sarcastic man whose abrasiveness does not quite conceal his vulnerability. It is a recognisable set of parts; we would be interested to see him deprived of the ready supply of insults.

Soderbergh finds something nastier in Culkin’s unpredictability in *No Sudden Move* (2021), casting him as Charley Barnes among the armed men holding a family in a kitchen. We were frightened by how little Charley seemed to have decided about what he might do next. Soderbergh keeps the morning light flat and the music absent while toast is made; Culkin needs no shouting to make the kitchen unsafe. The film’s later explanations are less interesting than these men, which is a limitation of the writing rather than of his performance.

Jesse Eisenberg gets the best from him in *A Real Pain*, directing and playing Benji’s cousin David. Culkin’s preference for spontaneous delivery and minimal rehearsal suits a man who says what everyone else is too polite to say. It is his finest work because he never softens Benji’s behaviour to make his distress easier to watch. Our reservation is that when he stops talking, there is too little elsewhere to hold our attention. Start there for Culkin, but expect to spend some of the quieter passages waiting for him to speak.

## Biography

Kieran Culkin is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor, making his feature film debut alongside his brother Macaulay in *Home Alone* (1990). He later appeared in *Father of the Bride* (1991) and achieved a breakthrough with the lead role in *Igby Goes Down* (2002).

After a period away from screen work, Culkin returned with roles including Wallace Wells in *Scott Pilgrim vs. the World* (2010). He played Charley Barnes in *No Sudden Move* (2021) and portrayed Roman Roy in the series *Succession* (2018–2023). For the latter he received a Primetime Emmy Award. In *A Real Pain* (2024) he played Benji Kaplan, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, vanityfair.com, apnews.com, nytimes.com.*

## On Fi1m (10)

- *A Real Pain* (2024), Fi1m 76, as Benji Kaplan — [page](https://film.one/film/a-real-pain.md)
- *No Sudden Move* (2021), Fi1m 76, as Charley Barnes — [page](https://film.one/film/no-sudden-move.md)
- *Succession* (2018), Fi1m 88, as Roman Roy — [page](https://film.one/tv/succession.md)
- *Movie 43* (2013), Fi1m 24, as Neil (segment "Veronica") — [page](https://film.one/film/movie-43.md)
- *Margaret* (2011), Fi1m 78, as Paul — [page](https://film.one/film/margaret.md)
- *Scott Pilgrim vs. the World* (2010), Fi1m 81, as Wallace Wells — [page](https://film.one/film/scott-pilgrim-vs-the-world.md)
- *The Cider House Rules* (1999), Fi1m 61, as Buster — [page](https://film.one/film/the-cider-house-rules.md)
- *Home Alone 2: Lost in New York* (1992), Fi1m 63, as Fuller — [page](https://film.one/film/home-alone-2-lost-in-new-york.md)
- *Father of the Bride* (1991), Fi1m 65, as Matty Banks — [page](https://film.one/film/father-of-the-bride-1991.md)
- *Home Alone* (1990), Fi1m 80, as Fuller — [page](https://film.one/film/home-alone.md)

## Complete filmography (49)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Clay* (2028), as Flip (voice)
- *Paris Paramount* (2027), Actor
- *The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping* (2026), as Caesar Flickerman — coming soon, [page](https://film.one/film/the-hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping.md)
- *Animal Farm* (2026), as Squealer (voice)
- *#1 Happy Family USA* (2025), series, as Dr. Riley (voice)
- *An SNL Thanksgiving* (2024), as (archive footage)
- *A Real Pain* (2024), as Benji Kaplan — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/a-real-pain.md)
- *The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy* (2024), series, as Dr. Plowp (voice)
- *Scott Pilgrim Takes Off* (2023), series, as Wallace Wells (voice)
- *Krapopolis* (2023), series, as Wormius (voice)
- *Agent Elvis* (2023), series, as Gabriel Wolf (voice)
- *The Boys Presents: Diabolical* (2022), series, as O.D. (voice)
- *Gaming Wall St* (2022), series, as Narrator (voice)
- *No Sudden Move* (2021), as Charley Barnes — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/no-sudden-move.md)
- *Father of the Bride Part 3 (ish)* (2020), as Matty
- *Solar Opposites* (2020), series, as Glen (voice), Glen / Astronaut (voice), Dodge Charger (voice), (voice)
- *Succession* (2018), series, as Roman Roy — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/succession.md)
- *Infinity Baby* (2017), as Ben
- *Approaching a Breakthrough* (2017), as Norman
- *Wiener-Dog* (2016), as Brandon McCarthy
- *Long Live the Royals* (2015), series, as Peter (voice)
- *Quitters* (2015), as Mr. Becker
- *Fargo* (2014), series, as Rye Gerhardt — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/fargo-2014.md)
- *Movie 43* (2013), as Neil (segment "Veronica") — Fi1m 24, [page](https://film.one/film/movie-43.md)
- *Margaret* (2011), as Paul — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/margaret.md)
- *Scott Pilgrim vs. the World* (2010), as Wallace Wells — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/scott-pilgrim-vs-the-world.md)
- *Paper Man* (2009), as Christopher
- *Lymelife* (2008), as Jimmy Bartlett
- *Robot Chicken* (2005), series, as Joe Jonas / Nostradamus' Intern (voice)
- *Igby Goes Down* (2002), as Igby
- *The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys* (2002), as Tim Sullivan
- *Go Fish* (2001), series, as Andy 'Fish' Troutner
- *The Cider House Rules* (1999), as Buster — Fi1m 61, [page](https://film.one/film/the-cider-house-rules.md)
- *The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns* (1999), series, as Barney O'Grady
- *Music of the Heart* (1999), as Lexi at 15
- *Home Alone - Making of & Behind the Scenes* (1999), as Fuller
- *She's All That* (1999), as Simon Boggs
- *The Mighty* (1998), as Kevin "Freak" Dillon
- *The Wonderful World of Disney* (1997), series, Actor
- *Amanda* (1996), as Biddle Farnsworth
- *Father of the Bride Part II* (1995), as Matty Banks
- *It Runs in the Family* (1994), as Ralph "Ralphie" Parker
- *Frasier* (1993), series, as Jimmy (voice) — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/frasier.md)
- *Nowhere to Run* (1993), as Mike 'Mookie' Anderson
- *Home Alone 2: Lost in New York* (1992), as Fuller — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/film/home-alone-2-lost-in-new-york.md)
- *Father of the Bride* (1991), as Matty Banks — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/father-of-the-bride-1991.md)
- *Only the Lonely* (1991), as Patrick Muldoon Jr.
- *Home Alone* (1990), as Fuller — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/home-alone.md)
- *The Simpsons* (1989), series, as Hub (voice) — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-simpsons.md)

## Gallery

- ![Kieran Culkin](https://film.one/media/person/704/gallery-51f95f2f1ffa.jpg) Kieran Culkin — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dc/ARealPainBFILFF131024_%2882_of_138%29_%2854065186044%29_%28cropped%29_%28cropped%29.jpg/1280px-ARealPainBFILFF131024_%2882_of_138%29_%2854065186044%29_%28cropped%29_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![ARealPainBFILFF131024 (100 of 138) (2024)](https://film.one/media/person/704/gallery-0c05107f6cf2.jpg) ARealPainBFILFF131024 (100 of 138) (2024) — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4f/ARealPainBFILFF131024_%28100_of_138%29_%2854065323320%29.jpg/1280px-ARealPainBFILFF131024_%28100_of_138%29_%2854065323320%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![ARealPainBFILFF131024 (101 of 138) (2024)](https://film.one/media/person/704/gallery-59a9ebc6a6f2.jpg) ARealPainBFILFF131024 (101 of 138) (2024) — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/ARealPainBFILFF131024_%28101_of_138%29_%2854063995257%29.jpg/1280px-ARealPainBFILFF131024_%28101_of_138%29_%2854063995257%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![ARealPainBFILFF131024 (102 of 138) (2024)](https://film.one/media/person/704/gallery-70e0dfb6d32c.jpg) ARealPainBFILFF131024 (102 of 138) (2024) — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/ARealPainBFILFF131024_%28102_of_138%29_%2854065323265%29.jpg/1280px-ARealPainBFILFF131024_%28102_of_138%29_%2854065323265%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Kieran Culkin](https://film.one/media/person/704/gallery-7af2b04c8bbc.jpg) Kieran Culkin — Image via TMDB
- ![Kieran Culkin](https://film.one/media/person/704/gallery-b3afbce6fb2b.jpg) Kieran Culkin — Image via TMDB
- ![Kieran Culkin](https://film.one/media/person/704/gallery-284f403aee80.jpg) Kieran Culkin — Image via TMDB
- ![ARealPainBFILFF131024 (103 of 138) (2024)](https://film.one/media/person/704/gallery-5ec518f621fa.jpg) ARealPainBFILFF131024 (103 of 138) (2024) — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/ARealPainBFILFF131024_%28103_of_138%29_%2854065323245%29.jpg/1280px-ARealPainBFILFF131024_%28103_of_138%29_%2854065323245%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![ARealPainBFILFF131024 (104 of 138) (2024)](https://film.one/media/person/704/gallery-6d9f4fcc4ced.jpg) ARealPainBFILFF131024 (104 of 138) (2024) — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/ARealPainBFILFF131024_%28104_of_138%29_%2854065185574%29.jpg/1280px-ARealPainBFILFF131024_%28104_of_138%29_%2854065185574%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Kieran Culkin](https://film.one/media/person/704/gallery-c317a7011f46.jpg) Kieran Culkin — Image via TMDB
- ![Kieran Culkin](https://film.one/media/person/704/gallery-951f9c4efa85.jpg) Kieran Culkin — Image via TMDB
- ![Kieran Culkin](https://film.one/media/person/704/gallery-7b26a9405f3e.jpg) Kieran Culkin — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won

- 2025: Best Supporting Actor (won), for *A Real Pain*

### BAFTA Film Awards — 1 won

- 2025: Best Actor in a Supporting Role (won), for *A Real Pain*

### Golden Globes — 2 won, 1 nominated

- 2025: Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture (won), for *A Real Pain*
- 2024: Best Actor – Television Series Drama (won), for *Succession*
- 2018: Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (nominated), for *Succession*

### Primetime Emmy Awards — 1 won

- 2024: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (won), for *Succession*

### SAG Awards — 3 won

- 2025: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role (won), for *A Real Pain*
- 2024: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (won), for *Succession*
- 2022: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (won), for *Succession*

### Other awards — 10 won

- Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor 2025: Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor (won), for *A Real Pain*
- Independent Spirit Awards 2025: Best Supporting Performance (won), for *A Real Pain*
- Critics' Choice Awards 2024: Best Actor in a Drama Series (won), for *Succession*
- National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor 2024: National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor (won), for *A Real Pain*
- Satellite Award for Best Cast – Television Series 2024: Satellite Award for Best Cast – Television Series (won), for *Succession*
- Critics' Choice Awards 2022: Best Drama Supporting Actor (won), for *Succession*
- Satellite Award for Best Cast – Television Series 2022: Satellite Award for Best Cast – Television Series (won), for *Succession*
- Satellite Award for Best Cast – Television Series 2019: Satellite Award for Best Cast – Television Series (won), for *Succession*
- Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Young Performer 2003: Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Young Performer (won), for *Igby Goes Down*
- Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture 2003: Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture (won), for *Igby Goes Down*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/kieran-culkin