Another week, another Bunny Ears podcast follow up! This time we sat down with host Macaulay Culkin to rehash the recent “Bunny Ears Highlights Episode” in which he revisited some of his favorite moments from past conversations (Kevin Smith, Seth Green, and Natasha Lyonne are just a few of the past guests to make appearances). Join us as we delve deeper into these conversations, unearthing things like “toilet sleeping” and the time Macaulay Culkin almost died.
In the Season 1 conversation with Seth Green and Breckin Meyer, Breckin revealed that he slept in a coffin for several years as a teenager. Where’s the strangest place you’ve ever slept?
Mack: “I once woke up hugging a toilet. Literally hugging it. I was dazed at first and didn’t know where I was. And then it was like, ‘Oh. It’s my toilet and I clearly made it home. Score!’ #TotallyWorthIt.”
We replayed the (iconic) clip of songwriter Allee Willis describing the time she saw Sammy Davis Jr. save Elizabeth Taylor from choking. Have you ever almost died?
Mack: “I almost drowned once. [My brother] Kieran was swimming in the ocean, and he started drowning. I was nine and he was seven. I went to go try to help, but he ended up pulling me down with him. So we were both drowning. Eventually, my other brothers saved us and dragged us out. My dad just laughed. Typical.”
Follow up to that, have you ever saved someone’s life?
Mack: [Laughing] “I’m on the lookout every day.”
You talked to Kevin Smith about getting bullied in school—specifically about how being famous meant you had a “target on your back.” A lot of your observations about bullies/their psychology is pretty evolved. Did you always feel that way, or did that understanding come with time?
Mack: “You know I actually understood it at the time. I went to a performing arts high school where basically every kid wanted to act—it was their “thing”—the thing that made them unique. And then I show up—a kid who’s already super successful at the thing they want to do. I got it. But let’s just say it was like The Sharks and The Jets … and there was only one Jet, and it was me. At least for a while.”
Last thing—Kevin Smith seemed genuinely surprised that you’re so knowledgeable about geek culture. Does that often surprise people?
Mack: “You know it does. Maybe it’s because I don’t spend a lot of time in the public eye. But I read comics and play video games and am into all the [geek culture] things. I’m a normal person. But you know, in general, my attitude about people who make assumptions about me is f-ck ’em.”
F-ck ’em indeed, Mack! You can listen to the full Seth Green and Breckin Meyer ep here, Allee Willis here, and Kevin Smith here. And catch the full highlights ep here (and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review when/where you can!).