35 years on from its release, Home Alone is a certified Christmas classic. It turned Macaulay Culkin into a star, and is beloved by adults and kids alike. It’s rewatched every single year, and has taught multiple generations lessons about the importance of family, the real meanings of the holidays, how to be adaptable and not panic in dangerous situations, and how to booby-trap your home to such a level that it’d kill any regular burglars several times over (but not the Wet Bandits). Even as I write this, it’s number one worldwide on Disney+, and a huge reason for that is the movie’s cast – but it almost looked very different.
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As hard as it might be to imagine, several other notable actors were almost cast in Home Alone, including one of the best to ever do it, James Stewart. In a post by the Academy Museum on TikTok, archivist Louise Hilton shared casting materials that mentioned several names who’d been in the running for various roles. Stewart, who already appeared in one all-time Christmas movie thanks to It’s A Wonderful Life, was eyed for the role of Old Man Marley, but they went in another direction: “His agent was interested and he was available, but they ended up going with Robert Blossom.”
Several other key roles could’ve gone elsewhere as well. While the plan was for an older Harry and younger Marv, one memo noted that “Tim Curry and Dan Stern make an exciting pair.” It also stated that Joe Pesci had been offered the part of Harry (he didn’t audition), but they didn’t actually think he’d agree to do it – which, of course, he did, teaming up with Stern, and the rest is Christmas movie history. Curry would later appear in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York as the concierge at the Plaza Hotel.
As for Kevin’s parents, Kate and Peter McAllister, there were some other notable names in contention before Catherine O’Hara and John Heard landed the roles. These included Susan Sarandon, Blythe Danner, Joanna Cassidy, and Kirstie Alley for the former, and Sam Waterston and David Dukes for the latter.
Home Alone’s Cast Is Perfect
While some of the names linked to the roles are impressive, and likely would’ve done a great job if they’d ended up in the movie, it’s impossible to argue with the final product. Every character is perfectly cast, and a big reason the movie was not only a success at the time, but why it endures as such a festive family favorite.
Pesci’s history of playing tough guys and gangsters gives him a believable menace as Harry, but paired brilliantly with his physical comedy, and the partnership between Harry and Marv works wonderfully by having one older and ostensibly wiser, the other younger and more prone to immature antics. Likewise, Blossom’s scenes with Culkin’s Kevin are sweet and heartwarming, but there had to be a real sense of potential danger from the character before we learn the truth, which may not have existed with Stewart.
Perhaps above all else, it’s extremely hard to imagine anyone other than O’Hara as Kate. The relationship between Kevin and his mom is the beating heart of the first two Home Alone movies, and the dynamic between O’Hara and Culkin is what makes that so great. They play off one another perfectly, and her line delivery is frequently a highlight. Could another actress have pulled off that “KEVIN!” as well as her? I think not.
Home Alone is streaming on Disney+.
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