Kit Culkin
Christopher Cornelius "Kit" Culkin (born December 6, 1944) is an American stage actor and former manager. He is best known as the father of actors Macaulay Culkin, Rory Culkin and Kieran Culkin, and the brother of actress Bonnie Bedelia.
Kit Culkin | |
|---|---|
| Born | Christopher Cornelius Culkin December 6, 1944 |
| Occupation | Actor, Manager |
| Partner(s) | Patricia Brentrup (1974–95) Jeanette Krylowski (1995–d. 2017) |
| Children | 8, including Macaulay, Kieran, and Rory Culkin |
| Relatives | Bonnie Bedelia (sister) |
Early life
Culkin was born in Manhattan, New York City, New York, the son of Philip Harley Culkin (1898–1977), who was in public relations,[1] and Marian Ethel (née Wagner) (1914–1964), a writer and editor.[2] He and his sisters Candice and actress Bonnie[3] were raised in New York City.[1]
For middle school, Kit attended The St. Thomas Choir School in Midtown Manhattan. He and his sister Bonnie took classes at School of American Ballet[1] (as did his son Macaulay in the late 1980s).[4]
Career
Culkin's early career involved working on Broadway in theater productions with actors such as Richard Burton, John Gielgud, Laurence Olivier and Anthony Quinn. His brother Terry and sisters Bonnie and Candace also worked in theater and television. Culkin credits his mother, who was their manager, for these early successes.
Three of his sons — Macaulay, Rory, and Kieran — are professional actors whose careers eclipse their father's acting career, but gained him prominence as their manager from the late-1980s to the mid-1990s.Macaulay became extremely popular due to his starring roles in the Home Alone films, and he was the first child in Hollywood to receive a million dollar salary for My Girl in 1991. From 1995 to 1997, Kit was part of a child custody trial.
Personal life
Culkin has eight children; his oldest, Jennifer Adamson (1970–2000), was with Adeena VanWagoner. His other children, Shane (b. 1976), Dakota (1979–2008), Macaulay (b. 1980), Kieran (b. 1982), Quinn (b. 1984), Christian (b. 1987), and Rory (b. 1989), were with Patricia Brentrup. Culkin and Brentrup were together for 21 years from 1974 to 1995, but never married.
On December 9, 2008, Kit and Patricia's daughter Dakota was struck by a vehicle when she stepped off a curb into its path.[5] She was taken to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where she died at age 29 of her injuries the following afternoon.[6] Kit and Adeena's daughter, Jennifer Adamson, died in 2000 from a drug overdose.[7]
Culkin resided in Grants Pass, Oregon. After his long-time friend and partner Jeanette Krylowski died, on May 31, 2017, Culkin left his Grants Pass residence.[8]
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | West Side Story | Extra | Uncredited |
| 1964 | Hamlet | Player Queen |
References
- Bandler, Michael J. (October 25, 1992). "Character Study Despite Her Laurels, Bonnie Bedelia Wonders When Stardom Will Arrive". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- "Bonnie Bedelia". filmreference.com. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
- "Bonnie Bedelia: Biography". TV Guide. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
- "Culkin to Appear in 'Nutcracker' Film". The New York Times. August 15, 1992. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- Schmidt, Veronica (December 12, 2008). "Macaulay Culkin's sister, Dakota, killed". The Times. Archived from the original on May 15, 2009. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
- "Macaulay's Sister Dies". TMZ.com. December 11, 2008. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
- "Fun Facts". macaulay-culkin.com. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
- "Report of Kit Culkin". New York Magazine. Retrieved 2 March 2010. Paragraph 13.
External links
- Kit Culkin on IMDb
- Kit Culkin at the Internet Broadway Database