Macaulay Culkin’s New Role Is A Perfect Reunion 34 Years In The Making

By Amanda Mullen Published 24 minutes ago

Macaulay Culkin’s new television role is a minor one, but it marks a hilarious and heartfelt reunion that’s actually 34 years in the making.

Summary

• Macaulay Culkin's cameo in The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy reunites him with his real-life brothers, adding a personal touch to the show.
• Kieran Culkin, who voices Dr. Plowp in the series, suggested his siblings for roles, leading to all five Culkin brothers appearing together.
• The Culkin siblings' appearances in the show are perfect due to their on-screen chemistry and the behind-the-scenes coincidence of having five brothers involved.

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The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy features a cameo from Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin, and the actor's new role is a perfect reunion 34 years in the making. Macaulay Culkin appears in The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy season 1, episode 6, playing the brother of the bird alien Dr. Plowp. Like Dr. Plowp, Macaulay's character & and all his other brothers & are empaths. They can sense others' feelings, making them highly attuned to what's going on with every other character. This helps Dr. Plowp in his profession, but it's less useful when courting the commitment-fearing Dr. Sleech.

Macaulay's role in The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy isn't a big one, as his character appears briefly during "That's Science, Baby!" to celebrate St. Cthonks Day. The holiday finds Dr. Plowp and his siblings exchanging heartfelt gifts & gifts that are a bit too meaningful in Sleech's eyes. Despite Macaulay's cameo being a short one, it's hilarious for one big reason: it brings about a reunion that's perfect on-screen and behind the scenes.

The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy is now available to stream on Prime Video.

Five Culkin Siblings Appear Together In The Second Best Hospital In The Galaxy

Custom Image by Yailin Chacon

Macaulay Culkin's role in The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy delivers a major reunion between the actor and his real-life brothers. All five Culkin brothers appear in The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy together, giving the Amazon show name recognition in both its main cast and guest roles. Kieran Culkin, best known for playing Roman Roy in Succession, voices Dr. Plowp in the animated sci-fi series. In addition to Macaulay, the three other Culkin brothers & Rory, Shane, and Christian & voice the rest of Dr. Plowp's siblings.

Sadly, it's difficult to distinguish which Culkin brother voices which character, as Dr. Plowp's brothers only differ in terms of appearance during their brief time together. They all bear strikingly similar personalities, though their styles suggest there's more beneath the surface. With any luck, they'll show up again in The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy season 2. Kieran's character promises to continue being a large part of the show, which means his family could appear. And his reunion with Macaulay, specifically, delivers an exciting reunion after their first collaboration 34 years ago.

Culkin Siblings First Worked Together In 1990's Home Alone

Macaulay & Kieran Are Cousins In The Christmas Classic

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The reunion between all five Culkin brothers in The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy is a fun one, but Kieran and Macaulay's collaboration is 34 years in the making. The two siblings first appeared in a project together in 1990's Home Alone, where they portrayed cousins. Of course, Macaulay's part in the 1990 Christmas classic is much larger; Kevin is the lead character and heart of the film, responsible for all the antics that occur throughout the movie. Kieran appears briefly, playing his cousin Fuller.

Home Alone is currently streaming on Disney+.

Since Home Alone, the Culkin siblings have appeared in a handful of projects together, though none as large as the 1990 film. Lymelife sees Rory and Kieran playing brothers, and 1993's The Good Son features Macaulay, Rory, and their sister, Quinn. While Christian Culkin isn't as involved in the acting space, he also appears alongside Kieran in 1994's My Summer Story. The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy marks the first time all five brothers worked on a project together & and it's a truly great cameo for the milestone.

Why The Culkin Siblings' Second Best Hospital In The Galaxy Cameos Are Perfect

On-Screen & BTS Similarities Make It Great

The Culkins' siblings cameos in The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy are perfect because of how seamlessly and coincidentally they came together. Kieran had already been cast as Dr. Plowp when he discovered that his character had five brothers. This, of course, is the same number of brothers the actor has in real life. Showrunner Cirocco Dunlap told The Hollywood Reporter that this coincidence is what prompted Kieran to suggest his own siblings for the roles. Cirocco confirmed that this was a solid plan, admitting that the brothers are "funny" and "empathetic" like their on-screen counterparts.

The similarities on-screen and behind the scenes make the Culkins' roles in the Amazon series that much funnier & and somewhat sweet. It's nice to see the brothers working on a project together again, even if they're not all playing major roles. Hopefully, The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy can make more appearances work if it's renewed for season 2. Kieran's character certainly has more story in him, and his family could factor into it moving forward.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Cast Natasha Lyonne , Kieran Culkin , Greta Lee , Stephanie Hsu , Keke Palmer , Maya Rudolph , Sam Smith Release Date February 23, 2024 Seasons 1 Streaming Service(s) Prime Video Directors Cirocco Dunlap , Anne Lane , Shauna McGarry , Joanna Bradley , Kirsten King , Asha Michelle Wilson Showrunner Cirocco Dunlap Creator(s) Cirocco Dunlap