Sad reason Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin 'doesn’t leave his house' around Christmas time

You'd think former child star Macaulay Culkin would thrive when the Christmas season rolls back around, having starred in one of most-loved festive flicks of all time.

Apparently, however, nothing could be further from the truth.

For those that are bad with names, or simply need a little reminder, Macaulay was just 10-years-old when he was cast as the lead actor in director Chris Columbus' 1990 Christmas hit Home Alone.

The childhood role served as Macauley's breakthrough, and the years that followed not only saw him appear in the popular sequel Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, but several other cult classics, like My Girl and Ritchie Rich.

Despite the actor enduring a drug-induced rough patch in his twenties, he's often considered to be one of the most successful child actors in history, and has since gotten back on his feet to star in the likes of comedy hit Changeland and TV thriller American Horror Story.

Only in recent years, however, have fans discovered that Home Alone provides some rocky memories for Macaulay, with his brother Kieran Culkin - who played cousin Fuller in the film franchise - revealing that he struggled after being sky-rocketed into the spotlight as a child.

"Even at that time, as a kid, I remember thinking, 'That sucks for him,'" Kieran joked last year.

Macauley was just 10 when he was cast in the festive film (20th Century Fox/MGM)

"Poor f**king guy. He was little and having to try to accept that level of fame as reality."

And by the sounds of things, that level of stardom has left life-long scars on Macaulay, revealing that he even struggles to leave the house when the holiday season comes around.

Discussing the film series in general, the now 44-year-old told talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres, 'I don't really watch them all that often,' describing them as 'background radiation at Christmas time'.

He added: "I've had people want to sit down and watch it with me, which is, like, both flattering and creepy.

"I can't watch it the same way other people do."

Macauley's rigid stance doesn't even change around Christmas time - a turbulent time of year for the former child star.

"It's my season….It's Macaulay season," he laughed, revealing that he's often asked by strangers to make the classic 'Kevin McCallister face'.

The actor is now 44 (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

"I try to go out less and less around that time of year.

"I've been there, done that already guys. I'm 37 now, OK mom?"

He also described being recognised often as both a 'curse and a blessing', adding: "I can get into any restaurant I want without a reservation. But while I'm there, everyone's staring at me and all going ‘awwww' the whole time."