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In terms of transforming young actors into celebrities, few directors have a legacy as impressive as Chris Columbus. He played a key role in making Macaulay Culkin a true phenomenon when he directed”Home Alone,” a standout success from the 1990s. Columbus is also the individual who initiated the “Harry Potter” series, directing the first two films, “The Sorcerer’s Stone” and “Chamber of Secrets.” As a result, he also contributed to launching the careers of Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger).
It’s difficult to dispute the outcomes;”The Philosopher’s Stone” earned $975 million at the theater.and initiated a multi-billion-dollar franchise. Columbus had a clear understanding of how the film would impact Radcliffe and his fellow actors. The events involving Culkin on “Home Alone” and the subsequent developments significantly shaped how he approached the casting decisions for “Harry Potter.”
“We transitioned from filming ‘Home Alone’ 1 [where] no one was interested, but during the course of a year, Macaulay Culkin turned into a major star, which was unforeseen,” Columbus mentioned in the documentary “Child Star” (viaEntertainment Weekly). “It’s not similar to Harry Potter, where you are aware that it could be exceptionally successful.”
Indeed, J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” book serieshad already turned into a worldwide phenomenon. As long as Columbus performed his role, it presented a chance to create a star. The director recognized that this would lead to significant opportunities not only for an actor like Radcliffe, but for everyone around him. As Columbus explained…
I grew up in a working-class family, and I’ve witnessed it a few times with children when someone from such a background suddenly finds themselves as the main provider for their family.
Read more: 30 Top Male Actors Throughout History, Ranked
Chris Columbus did not wish for the Harry Potter actors to go through the Macaulay Culkin situation
This is where the experience Columbus observed firsthand while working with Culkin proved valuable. The “Home Alone” films were tremendous successes that made the actor a cultural icon. And althoughColumbus doesn’t enjoy films following “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,”It sparked a continuous series. Culkin later appeared in numerous other films, such as “My Girl” and “Richie Rich.”
“After we finished, I had no idea what was happening,” Columbus shared withThe Guardianin 2013. “We weren’t very familiar with the [Culkin] family initially; as we were filming, we discovered more. The tales are astonishing. I was casting a child who genuinely had a difficult family background.”
Culkin has openly discussed his abusive father, Kit Culkin, and the challenges he faced at home, which led him to take a break from acting for several years. In a 2001 article forNew York Magazine, the actor provided some insight into what was happening behind closed doors.
I was earning an unknown amount of money, and Kit was forcing me to sleep on the couch, simply because he had the power to. Just so you understand who holds control, and to show that if he doesn’t want you to sleep in a bed, you won’t be sleeping in one.
I was becoming a bit more exhausted — during ‘The Good Son,'” Culkin recalled. “I just told Kit, ‘Hey, I’m really getting tired and I’m not in school as much as I’d like to be; I really need some time off.’ He replied, ‘Sure, okay,’ and before I knew it, I was on the next set working on the next scene.
Chris Columbus drew upon previous experiences when selecting the cast for Harry Potter.
When selecting an actor for a role such as Harry Potter, or any of the related characters, there was immense pressure. “I had to block everything out because that’s all I was hearing everywhere,” Columbus remembered. “You walk down the street, you go into a bar, you go anywhere, and people are asking, ‘Who are you going to cast? Who’s going to be Harry Potter, who’s going to be Harry Potter?’ And then you take that information and share it with the actor and their parents: ‘This is going to be pretty intense.'”
Daniel Radcliffe became well-known for his role in “Harry Potter,”Even today, despite his successful career since then, the same applies to many of the cast members from the films. Columbus mentioned that he “felt a huge responsibility” to make sure the young actors “understood what they were getting into.” Radcliffe and the other main young actors had to commit to multiple movies at once when they were still young.
“That’s what the rest of your life looks like as a child star,” Columbus said in the documentary. “That’s going to be your legacy, and you’ll have to figure out how to cope with it.” The director also mentioned that, largely because of what happened with Culkin, the parents played a significant role, not just the actor himself.
I understood that parents needed to play a significant role. I can’t let [an actor] return to a very unstable home environment for the sake of a movie. It’s not worth it. It was just as crucial to choose the right parents as it was to select the right children.
You can purchase the “Harry Potter” 8-film set in 4K or Blu-ray format from Amazon..
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Read the original article on SlashFilm.