Macaulay Culkin has “Home Alone” money ― but in another timeline, he’s raking it in with Kaley Cuoco and the rest of the gang from “The Big Bang Theory.”
CBS pursued Culkin for a lead spot on the sitcom, which just wrapped its 11th season, he said on an episode of the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast released Thursday. The former child star didn’t specify which role he was up for ― we’re getting a bit of a Sheldon vibe ― but admitted he shut down the network not once, not twice, but three times.
Advertisement
“I couldn’t see myself doing a sitcom or a television show kind of a thing,” he said. “They pursued me for ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ And I said, ‘Noooo.’”
Culkin apparently was less than impressed with the pitch, which he said was reduced to “two astrophysicist nerds and a pretty girl lives with them, yoinks!”
“Then they came back at me again, and I said, ‘No, no, no; again, flattered―but no,’” Culkin said. “Then they came back at me again, and even my manager was like twisting my arm.”
Advertisement
“I’d have hundreds of millions of dollars right now if I did that gig,” he added. “At the same time, I’d be bashing my head against the wall.”
The cast of “The Big Bang Theory” is one of the most well-paid ensembles around. The original five series regulars ― Cuoco, Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kunal Nayyar, Simon Helberg ― each take home $1 million per episode.
Before the show was renewed for Seasons 11 and 12, the main cast members reportedly agreed to take a $100,000 pay cut per episode to fund raises for co-stars Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch.
And don’t worry about Culkin, who jokingly describes himself as a “man of leisure.”
“I felt like some kid worked really, really hard and I inherited all of his money,” he explained while making a rare TV appearance on “The Ellen Show” in April. “It allows me to treat everything like a hobby.”
Advertisement
Since starring in some of your favorite movies from childhood, Culkin has worked as an actor sporadically, most notably in 2003′s “Party Monster” and the black comedy “Saved!” the following year. He has since launched the lifestyle brand called Bunny Ears, which he described to Rogan as a cross between Goop and The Onion.
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.