Rory Hugh Culkin (born July 21, 1989) is an American actor known for his roles in You Can Count on Me (2000), Signs (2002), Scream 4 (2011), Columbus (2017), and Lords of Chaos (2018). He has also appeared on television series such as Waco (2018), Under the Banner of Heaven (2022), and the Black Mirror (2023) episode "Beyond the Sea." In 2025, his short film Dear Shop Girl premiered at the Woodstock Film Festival.
He is the youngest brother of actors Macaulay and Kieran Culkin.
Early life
Culkin was born on July 21, 1989, in New York City. His father is Christopher "Kit" Culkin, a former Broadway stage actor. His mother is Patricia Brentrup, a native of North Dakota who met Kit in 1974 while working as a road traffic controller in Sundance, Wyoming. Rory is the youngest of their seven children. Culkin's siblings include Shane ( 1976), Dakota (1979–2008), Macaulay ( 1980), Kieran ( 1982), Quinn ( 1984), and Christian ( 1987). Culkin's paternal aunt is actress Bonnie Bedelia. He has German, Irish, and Norwegian ancestry.
Career
Culkin began acting by playing alongside his elder brothers, among them Macaulay and Kieran, often as the younger versions of their characters. He first appeared in a photograph as a baby in The Good Son (1993), then as Young Richie in Ri¢hie Ri¢h (1994) (Richie being played by his brother Macaulay) and in 2002, played 10-year-old Igby in Igby Goes Down (17-year-old Igby was played by his older brother Kieran).
Culkin's breakthrough role was in You Can Count on Me (2000), opposite Laura Linney, a role for which he received much praise and a Young Artist Award. Since then, Culkin has appeared in numerous films, including Signs (2002), in which he starred alongside Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix and Electrick Children, in which he starred alongside Julia Garner.
As a teenager, Rory started moving into more independent films. He took a leading role in Mean Creek (2004), a film about a group of teenagers that plan revenge on a bully. The entire youth cast won an Independent Spirit Award for this film. He appeared in other independent films, such as The Chumscrubber (2005), Down in the Valley (2005), and Hick (2011).
Since his Young Artist Award win for You Can Count on Me, Culkin has received three more nominations. He had a guest role in the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Manic", and in the episode "Azoth the Avenger Is a Friend of Mine" of The Twilight Zone alongside Patrick Warburton. In May 2010, Culkin was cast for the slasher film Scream 4, which was released on April 15, 2011. Culkin was cast as Euronymous in the biographical film Lords of Chaos (2018) which tells the story about the events of the Norwegian black metal scene and the band Mayhem.
In 2014, Culkin starred as the titular character in Gabriel. Culkin was commended by critics, and was subsequently nominated for the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor.
In 2016, he appeared in the horror movies Welcome to Willits and Jack Goes Home.
thumb|Culkin with Lorraine Farris and Nira Burstein at the [[Woodstock Film Festival|2025 Woodstock Film Festival]]
In 2023, Culkin guest-appeared in Amazon Prime Video series Swarm.
Personal life
Culkin met cinematographer Sarah Scrivener in 2010 during the production of Scre4m, and worked together on several projects. Their wedding was officiated by Paul Heyman on the eve of WrestleMania 34. Culkin and Scrivener eventually separated.
Culkin entered a relationship with cinematographer Katelin Arizmendi in 2023.