Had it not been for Eric André, Kieran Culkin's triumph at the 2025 Oscars might have remained a distant dream. Prior to casting the Succession star as Benji Kaplan in his 2024 comedy-drama A Real Pain, Jesse Eisenberg had initially extended the role's invitation to André. Though the comedian was touched by the gesture, he ultimately declined, deeming the film's premise as "downright depressing" and outside his usual "wheelhouse."
During a Friday episode of Andrew Santino's Whiskey Ginger podcast, André revealed, "Two years back, Jesse Eisenberg rang me up and offered me the very role that ultimately bagged Kieran Culkin his Oscar. My response? 'That sounds utterly miserable and way out of my comfort zone.'" After perusing the script, André's sentiment remained unchanged, contemplating, "Spending six weeks in Poland, shooting a flick where we incessantly mourn over the Holocaust? That's a recipe for a real downer." Unaware of the film's impending success in the 2025 awards season, André respectfully declined, wishing Eisenberg the best. "I told him, 'Thanks for the offer. I'm sure it'll be fantastic. It's just not what I'm after right now,'" he recounted. "And look at him now, winning an Oscar for the part I turned down. Roles don't come knocking at my door every day."
Beyond his Oscar glory in 2025, Culkin also garnered a SAG Award and an Independent Spirit Award for his portrayal of Benji in A Real Pain. Eisenberg, who penned, directed, and starred alongside Culkin, crafted a tale of two cousins reconnecting to honor their grandmother's memory.
