Directed by Greg Mottola in 2009, Adventureland cast Eisenberg as a college graduate who, during the summer of 1987, takes a job at the local amusement park to subsidize a dream trip to Europe and, in the process, kindles a romance with his co-worker, played by Kristen Stewart. Culkin doesn't appear in the movie, but he did audition for a role that ultimately went in another direction. Shortly after, he'd take on an even bigger part as Wallace Wells in Edgar Wright's 2010 cult classic Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, yet Eisenberg didn't forget the experience of briefly working with him in the years between their next meeting. Rather, it ultimately inspired his decision to cast Culkin opposite him.
When asked if Succession had played any role in Culkin's casting, Eisenberg shared that he, surprisingly, still hadn't seen the hit HBO series despite it ending back in May 2023. Instead, it was Adventureland that demonstrated how talented his eventual co-star was given how much he made out of a small role. He recounted how Culkin came in and stole the scene in a way that Eisenberg says was very similar to how he ultimately stole the show in A Real Pain:
"Yeah, Kieran, I'd actually never seen him act before, but this... It's strange. I didn't watch Succession. And I can't... I'm an angry, weird person, so if something's popular, I deny its existence until it's over. And, you know, I was doing a movie in 2009 called Adventureland, and Kieran came in to audition for another part, and... And Kieran came in to audition for a part, and the part was like a smaller part in the movie, the part of the guy who kind of beats me up throughout the movie. And Kieran came in and actually was, like, hitting me in the movie, in the audition for this part that he didn't get. And he was so brilliant and funny, and it was exactly like this movie. It was like he came into my space, you know, like I'm the one that pays for the trip, and he comes in and takes over. And it's the same as the audition. I just remembered this thing from, like, this is now, like, you know, 15 years ago, and, I just thought, oh, yeah, he would be so perfect."
Culkin Has Quietly Built an Impressive Resume Beyond 'Succession'
A Real Pain is shaping up to be Culkin's biggest post-Succession role to date, showcasing his talents and thrusting him into Oscar contention. It's just the latest in a strong, yet understated resume, however. First establishing himself with the indie coming-of-age flick Igby Goes Down, he's enjoyed a wide range of roles in recent years from Steven Soderbergh's heist conspiracy flick No Sudden Move to Netflix's animated series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off which reunited him with the old Scott Pilgrim vs. the World colleagues. More recently, he's remained attached as a recurring guest on Hulu's Solar Opposites, voicing the main character of the Silver Cops side story, Glen/Dodge Charger. What comes next for Culkin on-screen remains to be seen, but he's got a lot to look forward to on-stage in the meantime, as he's set to play Richard Roma in the star-studded revival of Glengarry Glen Ross this spring, joining Bob Odenkirk and Bill Burr in their Broadway debuts.
A Real Pain is now available on digital platforms and is expected to stream on Hulu soon.
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Two cousins travel to Poland after their grandmother's death to see where they came from and end up joining a Holocaust tour.
Release Date
January 20, 2024
Cast
Jesse Eisenberg
, Kieran Culkin
, Will Sharpe
, Jennifer Grey
, Kurt Egyiawan
, Liza Sadovy
, Daniel Oreskes
, Ellora Torchia
, Jakub Gąsowski
, Krzysztof Jaszczak
, Piotr Czarniecki
, Marek Kasprzyk
Runtime
90 Minutes
Watch on Prime Video
Image via Searchlight
English (US) ·