Director Regrets Trump Cameo, Fears Deportation for Editing ‘Home Alone 2’

NEW YORK — Director Chris Columbus has expressed deep regrets over Donald Trump’s cameo in the 1992 film, “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.” In an interview published April 14, Columbus described the brief appearance as an “albatross” that he wishes he could erase.

The collaboration came at a time when Trump was a prominent New York real estate magnate and owner of The Plaza Hotel. Columbus revealed that the only way the production could film at the iconic location was if Trump made an appearance on-screen. “We paid the fee, but he also said, ‘The only way you can use the Plaza is if I’m in the movie,'” Columbus recounted, indicating that he had no choice but to comply.

In the movie, the character Kevin McCallister, played by Macaulay Culkin, loses track of his family during the Christmas season and ends up seeking directions from Trump at The Plaza Hotel. During a test screening in Chicago, Columbus noted that audience members cheered uproariously at Trump’s cameo, prompting a last-minute decision to keep the scene.

“Years later, it’s become this curse. It’s become this thing that I wish it was not there,” said Columbus. He admitted that he originally planned to cut the cameo but was swayed after witnessing audience reactions. “I think I know a lot about comedy, but I don’t, obviously, because I never thought that was going to be considered hilarious,” he added.

Controversy surrounding the cameo persisted following Trump’s election to the presidency, intensifying Columbus’s regrets. He revealed a fear that removing the scene now could result in serious repercussions. “If I cut it, I’ll probably be sent out of the country. I’ll be considered sort of not fit to live in the United States, so I’ll have to go back to Italy or something,” he quipped, referencing Trump’s immigration policies.

Trump, now 78, disputed Columbus’s claims in a 2023 post on his Truth Social platform, stating that he was “very busy” and did not initially want to film the cameo. “That little cameo took off like a rocket, and the movie was a big success, and still is…” he wrote. “Now, however, 30 years later, Columbus (what was his real name?) put out a statement that I bullied myself into the movie. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

Columbus chose not to directly respond to Trump’s post at the time of its publication but emphasized his truthfulness about the cameo. “I’m not lying… There’s no world I would ever beg a non-actor to be in a movie. But we were desperate to get The Plaza Hotel,” he reiterated.

Trump’s cameo has reignited discussions around censorship and the film’s legacy, inciting calls for its removal from fans. In 2021, a humorously titled petition suggested digitally replacing Trump with a younger version of Culkin, which the actor seemed to endorse. “Sold,” Culkin tweeted in response to the suggestion.

Columbus’s remarks come at a time when Hollywood is grappling with figures in the industry grappling with political tensions surrounding the current administration. The director referenced a wider climate of fear among creatives facing potential repercussions for their political views.

Despite the regrets surrounding the cameo, Columbus stated that the film’s commercial performance has overshadowed this particular controversy. “Home Alone 2” grossed over $359 million worldwide, making it one of the top films of 1992.