Kieran Culkin triumphantly claimed the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his mesmerizing portrayal of a Holocaust descendant undertaking a poignant family pilgrimage to Poland in the whimsical drama-comedy, "A Real Pain." This historic win marked Culkin's maiden Oscar nomination, cementing his status as the frontrunner for the prestigious honor at the age of 42. His captivating turn as Benji Kaplan, a freely expressive yet emotionally volatile charmer accompanied by his anxious cousin (played by Jesse Eisenberg), garnered Culkin an impressive array of accolades this awards season, including triumphs at the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and BAFTAs.
"A Real Pain" boasts an additional nod with Culkin's nomination, vying for Best Original Screenplay, penned and directed by Eisenberg. In the Best Supporting Actor category, Culkin faced formidable competition from Yura Borisov in the modern fairy tale "Anora," Edward Norton as Pete Seeger in the Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown," Guy Pearce as a predatory patron in "The Brutalist," and Jeremy Strong, Culkin's "Succession" cohort, who portrayed Donald J. Trump's mentor Roy Cohn in "The Apprentice."
In a delightful and relaxed speech, largely directed at his wife, Jazz Charton, Culkin shared an endearing anecdote about a long-forgotten conversation where he'd playfully proposed adding a fourth child to their family should he ever win an Oscar. Bringing back that cherished memory, he jestingly quipped, "Let's get cracking on those kids." Culkin also extended heartfelt gratitude to his manager, his team, and his co-star Eisenberg, saying, "Thank you for this, baby. You're a genius, though I'd never dare say that to your face. Thank you for this movie."
