Daniel Stern overwhelmed by Home Alone attention
Daniel Stern finds the attention he receives from Home Alone "overwhelming" and won't be participating in events to mark the 35th anniversary of the festive classic.
Daniel Stern finds the attention he receives from playing Marv in Home Alone "overwhelming".
The 68-year-old actor is best known for playing the hapless criminal in the festive favourite but left Hollywood some time ago and now lives on a farm in California, and while he loves the enduring popularity of the 1990 film, he prefers to appreciate it from a distance.
He told People magazine: "I love knowing that everybody loves it but, like, actual people come at me and say, 'We love it.' It's a little overwhelming sometimes."
And Daniel has no plans to take part in any 35th anniversary celebrations for Home Alone.
He laughed: "I don't leave my farm. It's no offense to the movie. I'm just ... a phone call, Zoom call, I'm in. but... I'm a bit of a homebody."
The sculptor wasn't expecting the movie to prove so popular over the years, but he had an idea it would be a hit when he first read the script.
He said: "I did know that it was a gem of a movie.
"John Hughes wrote the funniest script I've ever read. I mean, I was rolling on the floor, laughing reading it. It was so funny, but it was also full of heart and you know — the kid and the neighbour saves him and he and the mother reunite ... I mean it was so emotional.
"It was so funny, it was so true and so I did know that. I was hopeful that we were making a great movie. I had no idea obviously — no one could — of the longevity of its life."
Daniel previously spoke of his fears for children enterting the entertainment industry but praised his Home Alone co-star Macaulay Culkin - who was just nine years old when he made the movie - for the way he handled life in the spotlight.
He told People: "Macaulay [was] a wonderful kid and had the pressure of the world on him at such a young age and [he] handled it so brilliantly and was incredible in the movie. That's why everybody's watching the movie, that kid.
"Can you imagine being a 12-year-old kid and people investing that in you? And then living your life? ... I mean, he's managed his life brilliantly.
"It's a very dangerous route for young actors to enter show business because either you are a success and then you're dealing with that, or you're a failure."
Daniel also starred on The Wonder Years and recalled that he was "really just protective" of the children on set there as well.
He said: " So we had a very caring set on The Wonder Years, and I was really just protective. And I'm protective of kids anyway.
"So I didn't make any special effort. I'm just very protective of children in general, but especially on movie sets because the pressure can be enormous.
"I coached all my kids' teams. I taught in their classes. I manned the playground in our community. I was awarded the President's award for — it's called the Call to Service Award for volunteerism. So I loved to give back to the community, and that became a huge part of my life."
