Kieran Culkin recalls director's brutal remarks during first commercial shoot

Hollywood star Kieran Culkin has made shocking claims about his director while recalling first acting gig at six years old.

While conversing on the Smartless podcast, which is co-hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett, Culkin shared that his director used harsh words to get him into his character.

The 42-year-old shared that the director’s approach was anything but gentle, "He called me a dummy, idiot, stupid, and kept asking, ‘What’s wrong with you?’"

He further shared, “The concept was I’m standing in front of a chalkboard with chalk in my hand and I don’t know how to solve the easy thing in front of me."

"And the kids in the class are supposed to be calling me a dummy and stupid, all that,” the Igby Goes Down actor explained.

Home Alone star confessed that this forceful treatment assisted him to understand the demands of the profession at an early age.

Despite the harsh language, the actor emphasized that the director’s goal was to push him into a more focused and emotionally charged performance.

This early experience played a significant role in shaping Culkin's career in the entertainment industry.

While his breakthrough came later in life with his role in Succession, Kieran Culkin's reflection on his formative years gives insight into the challenges child actors face when it comes to navigating the pressures of performance and expectations in Hollywood.