Daniel Stern, the bumbling burglar Marv in Home Alone, has recently opened up about his memories of the holiday classic. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, the 67-year-old actor shared his memories behind the scenes of the film that made it an endearing favorite.
One surprising revelation was when it emerged that Joe Pesci, who played Harry, the partner Marv, accidentally bit Macaulay Culkin during shooting. In the famous scene in which Harry threatens to bite off Kevin McCallister’s fingers, this turned real when Pesci ended up leaving his then-10-year-old actor a scar on the hand. “Joe is a great friend, but he’s intense,” says Stern laughing. “He wanted to be mean, but things got just too real.
He also narrated the famous scene with a tarantula crawling on his face. He had placed a live spider on his face. “I thought they’d use a prop, but no. The wrangler assured me it wouldn’t bite, so I let it crawl around on my face until we were comfortable with each other,” Stern said. According to him, the spider used to dictate the shot; the crew had to wait for it to move to a position where it was acceptable to take a shot.
Reflecting on the movie’s staying power, Stern described Home Alone as a “kid empowerment movie.” He said, “It’s so funny and heartwarming, but at its core, it’s about a child triumphing over adversity. That’s why it resonates even 34 years later.”
Written by John Hughes, the 1990 holiday hit tells the story of young Kevin McCallister as he defends his home from two hapless burglars after being left behind by his family. With a mix of slapstick humor and heart, Home Alone continues to capture the spirit of Christmas for audiences of all ages.
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