Kieran Culkin names his dream acting role: “I’ll never get to play it”
Perhaps actor Kieran Culkin is surpassing the success of his older brother Macauley. He too began as a child actor in the 1990s but has since forged an excellent career for himself, starring in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Margaret and No Sudden Move. Culkin is perhaps best known for his role as Roman Roy in HBO’s drama series Succession.
In an interview with The Guardian, Culkin once named his dream acting role, and it’s not what one might think. “I’ll never get to play it, but there is one: Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd,” he said. “We sing those songs all the time, and for whatever reason, I always sing Mrs Lovett’s parts.”
“I’d love to take a crack at being Angela Lansbury,” he added. Mrs Lovett is a London baker in the Sweeney Todd story, an accomplice of the titular serial murdering barber, who makes meat pies with the bodies of his victims. Angela Lansbury famously played Lovett in the 1979 Broadway version of Sweeney Todd, and she subsequently won a Tony Award for ‘Best Leading Actress’ for her efforts.
That version of the story toured America throughout the year 1980 and was filmed and eventually broadcast on PBS in 1982 on the Great Performances show. Following the show’s success, Lansbury was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for ‘Best Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program’ in 1985.
In the same interview, Culkin said that his success largely comes down to his role in Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, a role that he very nearly turned down. “It’s a dream job and such fun; I’m scared what comes next might not live up to this,” the actor said. “But it goes back to when I almost didn’t do Scott Pilgrim. I remember Michael [Cera] telling me: ‘When you say no to things, that’s fine; life carries on. But if you say yes, all this extra stuff happens’.”
He added, “I was like: ‘That’s really good advice.’ Michael said: ‘But you told me that a year ago.’ I was like: ‘Really? Fuck, I should learn to take my own advice.’ I truly believe I’m here today because I said yes to Scott Pilgrim all those years ago, and it led me down this wonderful path.”
So while Culkin might have a desire to play a role that he is highly unlikely to ever get the chance, perhaps he has already given his dream performance. Playing in Scott Pilgrim has allowed the actor to consider what kind of role would be his most sought-after in the first place, so maybe he can now look back rather than forward at his blooming career.
