LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� won the Oscar for best supporting actor Sunday at completing a sweep of the category that followed his dominance in television awards last season.
The award, for portraying the chaotic but endearing Benji in Jesse Eisenberg鈥檚 marked his first win and nomination.
Culkin thanked his manager, his mom, Eisenberg and his wife, Jazz Charton 鈥� taking the moment to remind his wife that he wants more kids.
鈥淎bout a year ago, I was on a stage like this, and I very stupidly, publicly, said that I want a third kid from her because she said if I won the award, I would, she would give me the kid," he said, recalling his speech at the . After the show, 鈥淪he goes, 鈥極h, God, I did say that. I guess I owe you a third kid.鈥� And I turned to her and I said, 鈥楻eally? I want four.鈥欌��
鈥淪he said, 鈥業 will give you four when you win an Oscar,鈥欌�� Culkin, who has two kids with Charton, said to a chorus of laughs from the audience. 鈥淛azz, love of my life, ye of little faith. No pressure. I love you.鈥�
Culkin triumphed over nominees Guy Pearce for Edward Norton for Yura Borisov for and his fellow 鈥淪uccession鈥� alum Jeremy Strong for The category was one of few with a clear favorite ahead of this year's ceremony, after Culkin picked up the , , , and a slew of critics awards earlier this month.
鈥淎 Real Pain鈥� follows cousins 鈥� played by Culkin and Eisenberg 鈥� on a trip through Poland for a Holocaust tour to honor their late grandmother. Culkin鈥檚 Benji is introduced as unfiltered but quick to connect. Eisenberg鈥檚 David is his rule-following, guarded foil. Oscillating between serious reflections on Jewish identity, generational trauma and mourning and the inherent comedy of mismatched relatives, Eisenberg鈥檚 script deftly navigates heavy themes with humor that lands because of Culkin鈥檚 ability to deliver it earnestly.
鈥淛esse Eisenberg, thank you for this movie. You鈥檙e a genius," Culkin said on stage. "I would never say that to your face. I鈥檓 never saying it again. So soak it up.鈥�
It wasn't a sure bet that Culkin's Benji would make it to screens. When production on the final season of 鈥淪uccession鈥� ran long, Culkin considered dropping out of the film to spend time with his family. , last year's best actress Oscar winner whose company Fruit Tree produced the project, convinced him to stay on 鈥� by reassuring him that they could make it work without him, knowing that wasn't necessarily true.
鈥淪he let me off the hook completely,鈥� Culkin of his ex-girlfriend. 鈥淎nd I think it was the moment I got off the phone that I was like 鈥極h (expletive), I鈥檓 doing this movie.鈥欌��
Culkin鈥檚 film debut came at age 7 in 鈥淗ome Alone,鈥� where he played the soda-slurping younger cousin of his older brother Macaulay Culkin鈥檚 Kevin McCallister. His first major award nomination was a Golden Globe nod for the 2002 film 鈥淚gby Goes Down.鈥� But it was his turn as Roman Roy, on 鈥淪uccession鈥� nearly two decades later that brought Culkin widespread fandom and acclaim, including a and for the series' final season.
鈥淪ometimes people will say like, oh, you鈥檙e a lot like that character. I'm like, I wasn't until I did it, and now I feel like I took something with me," Culkin said of Benji after his win. 鈥淏ut I'd like to think that I'm a little more together than that guy. I'd like to think that I鈥檝e figured some stuff out."
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Elise Ryan, The Associated Press
