
Joe Pesci starred as the hot-headed thief Harry in two “Home Alone” movies opposite Macaulay Culkin and Daniel Stern. In a new interview with People to celebrate the 30th anniversary of “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Pesci looked back at the “demanding” physical comedy that went into making the family comedy. One prank in the sequel in which Harry’s hat gets set on fire left Pesci with “serious burns.”
“In addition to the expected bumps, bruises and general pains that you would associate with that particular type of physical humor, I did sustain serious burns to the top of my head during the scene where Harry’s hat is set on fire,” Pesci revealed. “I was fortunate enough to have professional stuntmen do the real heavy stunts.”
Related Stories

How YouTube and Netflix Copied Each Other’s Homework

'Sweetpea' Trailer: Ella Purnell Plays an Unassuming Serial Killer in Sky and Starz's Thriller Series
On working with Culkin, Pesci added, “I remember Macaulay as being a really sweet kid and, even at his age, very professional. I intentionally limited my interactions with him to preserve the dynamic between his character, Kevin, and my character Harry. [I did not] want it to come across on the screen that we were in any way friendly. I wanted to maintain the integrity of the adversarial relationship.”
Popular on Variety
While the “Home Alone” franchise continued far beyond “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” it was only the first two movies that featured the central trio of Pesci, Culkin and Stern. Would Pesci return for a third “Home Alone” movie? Perhaps yes, but he doesn’t think it’d happen because it’s too “difficult to replicate” the innocence of the original films.
“While you never say never, I think that it would be difficult to replicate not only the success but also the overall innocence of the originals,” Pesci said. “It’s a different time now; attitudes and priorities have changed in 30 years.”
Read More About:
Jump to CommentsMore from Variety
Apple’s New AirPods 4 Are Now Available for Pre-Order Online
‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Success Doesn’t Downplay Risky Reboots Coming to Theaters
Apple’s iPhone 16 Is Out Now: Here’s Where To Pick One Up Online
Apple Must Pay $14 Billion-Plus in Back Taxes to Ireland, EU Court Rules
Cloud Adoption Key to Media Business Exploiting AI
Apple Discounts AirPods to More Than 30% Off — The Cheapest Price We’ve Ever Seen for Prime Day
Most Popular
Inside the 'Joker: Folie à Deux' Debacle: Todd Phillips ‘Wanted Nothing to Do’ With DC on the $200 Million Misfire
‘Kaos’ Canceled After One Season at Netflix
‘Menendez Brothers’ Netflix Doc Reveals Erik’s Drawings of His Abuse and Lyle Saying ‘I Would Much Rather Lose the Murder Trial Than Talk About Our…
Saoirse Ronan Says Losing Luna Lovegood Role in ‘Harry Potter’ Has ‘Stayed With Me Over the Years’: ‘I Was Too Young’ and ‘Knew I Wasn't Going to Get…
‘Joker 2’ Axed Scene of Lady Gaga’s Lee Kissing a Woman at the Courthouse Because ‘It Had Dialogue in It’ and ‘Got in the Way’ of a Music…
Kathy Bates Won an Oscar and Her Mom Told Her: ‘You Didn't Discover the Cure for Cancer,’ So ‘I Don't Know What All the Excitement Is About…
Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried to Star in ‘The Housemaid’ Adaptation From Director Paul Feig, Lionsgate
Kamala Harris Cracks Open a Miller High Life With Stephen Colbert on ‘The Late Show’
‘Skyfall’ Director Sam Mendes Says James Bond Studio Prefers Filmmakers ‘Who Are More Controllable’: ‘I Would Doubt’ I’d…
Christopher Nolan’s Next Movie: Matt Damon in Talks to Star in Universal Film Set for Summer 2026
Must Read
- Film
COVER | Sebastian Stan Tells All: Becoming Donald Trump and Starring in 2024’s Most Controversial Movie
By Andrew Wallenstein 3 weeks
- TV
Menendez Family Slams Netflix’s ‘Monsters’ as ‘Grotesque’ and ‘Riddled With Mistruths’: ‘The Character Assassination of Erik and Lyke Is Repulsive…
- TV
‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 Part 2 to Air on CBS After Paramount Network Debut
- TV
50 Cent Sets Diddy Abuse Allegations Docuseries at Netflix: ‘It’s a Complex Narrative Spanning Decades’ (EXCLUSIVE)
- Shopping
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Sets Digital and Blu-ray/DVD Release Dates
Sign Up for Variety Newsletters
By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Variety Confidential
ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXN%2Bjp%2BgpaVfo7K4v46jpp5loJrApLWMrJyroZ%2BqwG6u1KulrGWWnrmutc2gZKGnnZp6orjOp5xmal2btrOxjKGYrWWgp66vt4xqaWxtZGmBd4OPaA%3D%3D