‘Succession’ Star Kieran Culkin Says Parenting Is ‘Better Than I Could Have Imagined’ as He Welcomed His 2nd Child
Kieran Culkin joined the ensemble cast of the wildly popular HBO show Succession in 2018 and became a megastar. Culkin recently welcomed his second child with his wife Jazz Charton. As he enjoys playing Roman in Succession, he says parenting is “better than I could have imagined.”
Kieran Culkin didn’t want to be an actor until ‘Succession’
The Culkins have been in the entertainment industry for years. Like his older brother Macaulay, Culkin has been acting for a huge chunk of his life. The star’s first role was in his brother’s film Home Alone. Culkin played his brother’s Pepsi-addicted cousin, and while his part was small, it opened the right doors for him.
After his turn on Home Alone, Culkin began receiving more job offers. He appeared in Nowhere to Run, Father of the Bride, and The Mighty. By the time he turned 13, Culkin had already garnered seven acting credits, constantly switching between mainstream and indie films.
Culkin’s most notable performance was in the 2002 film Igby Goes Down, where he played the titular character. The star’s performance received praise and earned him a Golden Globe nomination. However, his accomplishments in his career (including the prestigious nomination) weren’t fulfilling for the actor.
According to him, his career was forced on him until that point. The star said he realized he hadn’t made the conscious decision to pursue acting full-time. So he did what most who are done with the spotlight do; he faded away.
Culkin opted to take an indefinite hiatus from acting and returned in 2008 with Lymelife. However, it wasn’t until 2018 that Culkin began to feel accomplished.
His critically acclaimed role as the greasy Roman, one of the self-absorbed Roy siblings, turned him into an overnight star again. The show helped Culkin realize that acting was a passion he wanted to pursue for a long time.
Kieran Culkin is excited about parenting after welcoming his second child
Culkin and his wife Charton met at a bar in New York City. The star told Britain’s iNews that he saw Charton from across the bar. But she was there with another man. When his wife’s companion went to the bathroom, Culkin used it as an opportunity to talk to her. After confirming that the man wasn’t Charton’s boyfriend, he asked her out.
The pair dated for two years and eloped in 2013 during a road trip around the U.S., opting to get married “by the side of the road in Iowa” in the presence of “three strangers.”
The pair welcomed their first child, a daughter named Kinsey Sioux, on September 13, 2019. Charton and Culkin had another son, Wilder Wolf, on August 17, 2021.
In an interview on the Fresh Air podcast, Culkin told host Terry Gross that although he and Charton never planned on becoming parents, he has found the experience pleasant. “It was never something I considered until we did it. Now it is quite actually the greatest — way better than I could have imagined!” he said.
Culkin acknowledged that parenting can get tough. But for him, “it’s always fulfilling and wonderful.”
Kieran Culkin witnessed firsthand how toxic fame is to children
Culkin and his siblings were thrown into the limelight at a very young age. However, his brother experienced the negative aspects of it more than Culkin, who reminded audiences that Macaulay was just a child, who hadn’t chosen that path, so he didn’t know how to handle it.
“It’s not a very nice thing, fame. No anonymity, it’s terrible,” Culkin remarked. The Succession actor said that being famous can be tough as celebrities almost always don’t get moments to themselves without people interrupting them for a picture or an autograph.
