Kieran Culkin recently reflected on his teenage mischievous antics, including a bold prank that turned a theater performance into an unforgettable night. At just 17, during the opening of James Lapine’s The Moment When in 2000, Culkin swapped a harmless prop joint for the real deal, unknowingly sending Mark Ruffalo and the cast into an impromptu high on stage.
Kiera Culkin’s Costars Embraced The Moment
Although initially regretful as the smell of marijuana wafted through the theater, Culkin’s co-stars—including Ruffalo and the legendary Phyllis Newman—surprisingly embraced the moment. “I’m like, ‘I thought this was a good prank. I’m stupid. Oh my God, I’m so sorry.’ But actually, they loved it,” Culkin told People Magazine.
“Mark says, ‘I haven’t smoked pot in 10 years; the second half’s going to be so much fun.’ There was this other actor who had never smoked pot in her life. She goes, ‘Is this what being high is? This is lovely.’ And then Phyllis Newman comes in and goes, ‘I haven’t smoked pot since the 1960s. Thank you, darling.’”
While the stunt led to some amused reactions, others, like the stage manager, were far less entertained, promptly confiscating the evidence and issuing a stern warning. “Then the stage manager comes stomping in and goes, ‘I don’t care whose it is, or what happened, but Kieran, give me the joint. I sheepishly handed her the roach and she said, ‘Ruin your life on your own time,’” the Succession alum said.
Kiera Culkin Thought About Pulling The Same Prank Years Later
Years later, during a London run of This Is Our Youth, Culkin considered pulling a similar prank on co-star Colin Hanks. This led to a chaotic yet controlled moment when the real joint made an accidental appearance. Despite the mishap, the play carried on with laughs and quick thinking.
Culkin continued, “But then towards the end of the run, I said it again and he shrugged like he was saying, ‘If you do, it might be fun.’ The thing is, his character has to roll the joint every night on stage. So, one day I hand him the real pot on stage and I see him, like, react. It looked like he was excited.”
He added, “But then he got too excited and got nervous. And his hands started shaking so much that he couldn’t get the joint rolled, and when he tried to light it, it fell apart. Thankfully, we had a pre-rolled fake joint behind him, so we ended up with that.”
Though Mark Ruffalo later recounted the incident with humor, Kieran Culkin looks back on those days with a wiser perspective. Now, at 42, the star assures everyone that his days of stage pranks are behind him. “I’m 42 now. I know better,” he said. “I’m not going to try to get anyone high on stage.”
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