For years, Home Alone fans have loved watching the hilarious antics of the bumbling burglars, but one of the movie’s most iconic stars has left Hollywood behind for a completely unexpected new path.

What seemed like a career locked in front of the camera has transformed into something entirely different – and it’s sure to surprise you.

Here’s how this actor’s journey took a dramatic turn.

Home Alone star Daniel Stern has surprised fans with a new career after stepping away from Hollywood.

The actor, best known for playing Marv in the Christmas classic, now leads a simpler life on a farm, where he grows tangerines, works as a cattle rancher, and creates sculptures.

Daniel Stern’s unexpected career shift from Hollywood. Image source: @realdanielstern on Instagram

Stern shared his new lifestyle with fans in a social media video, which garnered over 2.1 million views.

In the clip, he explained: 'Hello, as you have come to discover, I live on a farm and we grow tangerines here.

'They came and picked them the other day and I like to have them pick me a bin and then I juice them up, and then I freeze them and give them away to my friends.

'I just wanted to show you what is it like, here are our tangerines, there is my bucket.'

In another video, which received more than 1.6 million views, Stern showed off an impressive sculpture he was working on.

He captioned the video: 'I thought I would share this work-in-progress video of a new sculpture I am creating. Thinking of naming it Dancer On A Chair.'

The artwork featured a woman in a dancing pose, draped over a chair and wearing a sequinned dress. Fans of Home Alone were left shocked by his life outside of Hollywood.

One viewer commented: 'Omg Marv!!! I thought you were just a actor and comedian, this is amazing!'

Another wrote: 'I had no idea that Daniel Stern did sculpture. That's awesome.'

Someone else said: 'You're an artist??? Woooow! How wonderful!' A fourth person added: 'What I love the most is seeing famous people doing normal people stuff.'

Stern, who had a long history in the arts, explained his career shift in a bio on his website.

He revealed: 'When I was a kid, I was a terrible student but I excelled in all things artistic - theatre, choir, band, woodshed, metal shop, ceramics, and sculpture.

'I dropped out of high school when I was seventeen and moved to New York to become an actor. I got married and was a father by the time I was 23, and obviously had to just focus on my show business career.'

'I did a lot of great movies but there came a point where I missed being away from my family.

'I decided to stop travelling so much, stay home and focus on my family and my other artistic passions. The result of that decision is that I have a wonderful family life and this body of work.'

It wasn’t just his life that took an unexpected turn. Stern also revealed how he had to fight for a raise when Home Alone became a massive success and a sequel was immediately planned.

In his memoir, Home and Alone, Stern recounted how the studios offered him $600,000 for the sequel, which was double his pay for the first movie. However, his co-stars had been offered multi-million-dollar deals.

Stern, whose co-star Joe Pesci earned around $2 to $3 million, decided to negotiate for more.

He shared: 'I asked Twentieth Century Fox for more money because Joe Pesci, who played his Wet Bandits sidekick Harry, was making around $2 to $3 million.'

Stern also mentioned that Home Alone lead Macaulay Culkin had secured a $5 million deal for the sequel, along with 5 per cent of the box office gross.

Stern explained: 'Initially, producers took six months just to make me the offer of $600,000, which was double my original salary, but not quite the pot of gold I was hoping for.'

After discovering that Pesci was receiving much more, Stern made a bold move and asked for $1.5 million plus two per cent of the profits. Negotiations dragged on, and Stern was even asked to begin filming before the contract was finalised.

Eventually, his persistence paid off. Stern received $1.5 million and one per cent of the gross profits.

He admitted: 'I knew they couldn't do the movie without me, but I was also insecure since I almost blew it the first time.'

Reflecting on nearly losing the role, Stern confessed: 'I didn’t want to be too greedy when I loved the movie and the part so much.'

The actor also revealed that he almost lost his role in Home Alone 2 due to a pay dispute. When the six-week shoot was unexpectedly extended to two months, Stern threatened to back out unless the pay was increased.

After another actor was briefly cast, Stern was asked to return, and negotiations resumed. He explained: 'They were asking me to add on 33 per cent more shooting time, so I asked if they were going to raise my salary the same amount, and they said they would not.'

Ultimately, Stern got his role back, and Home Alone became the iconic film we know today.

Key Takeaways

• A major Home Alone star has made a surprising career change, stepping away from Hollywood for a new life.
• The actor now works on a farm, growing tangerines, ranching cattle, and pursuing sculpture.
• Fans were shocked by his new lifestyle, with many expressing surprise at his artistic talents.
• The actor also shared how he negotiated for a larger salary for Home Alone 2, after initially being offered much less than his co-stars.

What do you think about this unexpected career shift—would you make a similar move? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

 

[Veggiepatch]

Never watched Home Alone.

 

[novezar]

Never watched Home Alone.

Same here.