Home Alone actors reveal untold behind-the-scenes injuries… a ‘weird’ Michael Jackson visit… and the moment the laughter stopped

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It’s the madcap Christmas caper more familiar than the names of distant relatives.

Longtime fans of ‘Home Alone’ can probably still quote the famous ‘Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal’ line, remember all the tricks Harry and Marv played, and even sketch out the McCallister house from memory.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve noticed most people remember Home Alone for its heartwarming story and Macaulay Culkin’s breakout performance as the clever Kevin McCallister. But few know the real story of what happened behind the scenes during filming with director Chris Columbus – it’s a fascinating part of movie history that often gets overlooked!

Thirty-five years after its debut, the Daily Mail is sharing behind-the-scenes stories from the set, including hidden injuries, on-set accidents, and an account of a strange visitor.

Terrie Snell, who played Aunt Leslie, remembers a challenging scene where she and her costars – Joe Pesci (as Harry), Daniel Stern (as Marv), and Gerry Bamman (as Uncle Frank) – all got hurt.

Director Columbus, who helmed the first two movies, has previously acknowledged pushing his stunt performers to their limits.

He explained to the American Film Institute that filming the stunts was incredibly tense. They genuinely feared the performers were getting seriously hurt with each take, so nobody on set could find the humor in the situation. The actors were doing everything for real, despite wearing protective padding, and there was a constant worry about causing actual harm.

Even with safety measures in place – like a ceramic helmet for Pesci to avoid burns and rubber soles for Stern to protect against glass – 81-year-old Snell revealed that some injuries during the performance weren’t reported.

‘There were a couple of little mishaps,’ she told the Daily Mail in an exclusive interview.

We had some trouble with a few people – one of the Bandits, Uncle Frank, and Aunt Leslie – and ended up with some minor injuries. We’d prefer to keep it private, though.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m not at all surprised to hear about a few bumps and bruises! When you’re working with a large group, especially lots of energetic kids, accidents are bound to happen. It’s just part of the deal when you have so much lively energy in one place.

The film set was so disorganized that children were supervised by assistants, and they even had to do schoolwork while waiting for their scenes to be filmed.

Hillary Wolf, who played Megan McCallister, one of Kevin’s sisters in the movie, remembers balancing acting with schoolwork and fun – and even a memorable visit from Michael Jackson.

She explained that much of his free time was spent doing schoolwork with tutors. Interestingly, the filming location was a school—New Trier in Illinois—which meant they could easily take breaks outside in the large fields, making things relaxed and enjoyable.

Although the famous house from the movie Home Alone appears grand, most of the interior shots were filmed on a set built inside a former high school. Only a handful of scenes showing the outside of the house were actually filmed at a real five-bedroom home.

Wolf explained that most of the filming took place on sets, including scenes meant to look like locations such as a plane to Paris or Florida.

Wolf, 48, fondly described her on-screen mother, Catherine O’Hara (who played Kate McCallister), as incredibly funny.

Wolf said she was great to work with – really relaxed and fun. It was a particularly enjoyable and easygoing experience, unlike some of the more stressful ones.

Snell, who founded the talent agency TalentINK almost 25 years ago, fondly remembers Joe Pesci, now 82, bringing his dog to the film set. The dog was pampered with its own small pool and apparently enjoyed diving for golf balls and splashing around in the water.

Mara Wilson, who stopped acting at age 14 to focus on becoming an Olympic judo competitor, remembers when Macaulay Culkin earned praise for bringing Michael Jackson to the film set – an experience she found unusual.

She remembers standing outside her house when a windowless van pulled up. Her mom was with her and excitedly pointed out someone who looked like Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson and Macaulay Culkin became friends, and even worked together in the ‘Black or White’ music video. Michael Jackson unexpectedly showed up on set one day to film it.

It was strange, but he was really nice. He unexpectedly joined us and spent a few hours playing with the children – he seemed to only want to be with them.

Mara Wolf began filmmaking at age 12 and became good friends with Macaulay Culkin and his brother, Kieran, who played Fuller in the ‘Home Alone’ movies.

Thanks to them, she received her first kiss.

I remember spending a lot of time with Macaulay and his younger brother, Kieran, back then. They were staying at the old Drake Hotel, and, of course, Macaulay had security with him. Because I lived locally, I was able to just pop over and hang out whenever I could.

Okay, so this is kind of embarrassing, but I have to tell you! My first kiss was with Macaulay Culkin’s older brother, Shane! Seriously! That’s why I was always around, trying to get closer – we really liked each other, and we had some amazing times together. It was such a fun period in my life, getting to hang out with them both!

Though the on-screen romance didn’t last, the actors from Home Alone continue to benefit financially from the enduring popularity of the holiday movies.

Wolf now volunteers with dog rescue groups in Colorado, including National Mill Dog Rescue and Hwy 50 Freedom Ride. She recently told the Daily Mail that she occasionally receives unexpected checks in the mail a few times each year.

She laughed, saying she still finds it amusing every time she receives a royalty check, even after 35 years. The Screen Actors Guild handles all the calculations and distributes the payments from production companies, making it a straightforward process.

I still receive payments for various projects, but the majority of my income comes from the continued success of ‘Home Alone’ and its sequel.

I don’t use direct deposit. I prefer receiving a check in the mail – it’s a fun little surprise! It feels good knowing that money is for things like our yearly vacations.

The friendships formed during filming remain strong. The cast stays connected through a private Facebook group, and this includes most of the actors who played siblings and cousins in the first two movies, along with Wolf and Snell.

Wolf explained that the family maintains a private Facebook group where they connect at least weekly. Despite living in different parts of the country, they’ve managed to stay close and communicate regularly.

The actors from Home Alone enjoy getting together for reunions. As Devin Ratray put it, it’s like getting all the ‘little chicks’ back together – they share meals and fondly remember making the movie.

It was incredible meeting my favorite onscreen couple reunite this year! I was so touched hearing her talk about finally seeing ‘Uncle Frank’ again after 35 years – she said it was like no time had passed, just a warm ‘honey!’ And she joked it was the perfect way to keep their TV marriage going strong. It really made my day seeing them together again.

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2025-12-25 20:22