Home Alone hit theatres in 1990 and turned into a box-office monster and one of those Christmas horror movie traditions you just can’t escape every year. But Daniel Stern has zero interest in chasing nostalgia tours. The 68-year-old actor, forever remembered as Marv from the “Wet Bandits” duo, is perfectly happy tending to his Ventura County farm instead of posing for anniversary selfies.
“I don’t leave my farm,” he joked to People. “It’s no offense to the movie. I’m just … a phone call, Zoom call, I’m in. But… I’m a bit of a homebody.”
Marv spent one holiday getting whacked by bricks and iron pipes in suburban Chicago, so choosing peace and quiet with cattle and citrus trees sounds logical. He still appreciates the love for Home Alone, but the continued fan devotion can be a lot, though. “I love knowing that everybody loves it but, like, actual people come at me and say, ‘We love it.’ It’s a little overwhelming sometimes,” he said.
Stern remembers reading John Hughes’ script back in the day and knowing they had something good. “John Hughes wrote the funniest script I’ve ever read. I mean, I was rolling on the floor, laughing reading it,” he recalled. “It was so funny, but it was also full of heart… I was hopeful that we were making a great movie.”
He didn’t expect the film to become a generational Christmas tradition, however. I mean, who did? But Home Alone went on to earn $476 million from an $18 million budget, launching Macaulay Culkin’s career and cementing Joe Pesci’s legacy as the toughest burglar to ever lose to a paint can… a blowtorch, fireworks, ice, a hammer and… you get the point.
That legacy keeps pulling everyone back. Culkin can’t escape it. He even reprised the Kevin McCallister role again in 2025. And, he’s even got an idea for another sequel.
Cast members like Kristin Minter, Michael C. Maronna, Devin Ratray, Angela Goethals, and Jedidiah Cohen reunited in 2024 at Pandoras Box Toys & Collectibles in New Jersey, doing conga lines with fans like it was 1990 again. Catherine O’Hara honored Culkin during his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, telling him, “You made acting look like the most natural thing in the world.”
So yes, the Wet Bandits remain beloved. Just don’t expect Daniel Stern to show up at anything Home Alone related. He’s busy. Farm life waits for no reunion.
Meanwhile, Home Alone is streaming on Disney+, ready for another December rewatch.
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