Home Alone 2 director jokes he’ll be ‘sent out of the country’ for cutting Trump cameo
'It's become this curse.'
Chris Columbus has opened up about Donald Trump’s infamous cameo in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, and why he ‘can’t cut it’.
The iconic Christmas flick was released in 1992, and saw Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) accidentally hopping on a flight to New York for the festive period, after getting separated from his Miami-bound family.
The quick-thinking youngster set up camp at the Plaza Hotel, which was owned by the US President at the time, and he made the most of the opportunity by popping up in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance, giving the lead star directions to the lobby.
However, that split-second scene has gone on to cause chaos in the decades since, with the director claiming that the politician ‘bullied his way into the movie’ – something he later refuted, alleging that those behind the camera ‘begged’ him to take part.
In a new interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Columbus quipped that he can’t cut the footage now as Trump would probably deport him over the move.
‘I can’t cut it,’ the filmmaker – who was born and raised in the US but has Italian ancestry – said. ‘If I cut it, I’ll probably be sent out of the country.
The iconic film came out in 1992 (Picture: Disney) Trump was on camera for a matter of seconds (Picture: 20th Century Fox)‘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.’
It is well known that if you filmed in a property owned by Trump at the time, you had to give him a role in the project.
While many directors have left the footage on the cutting room floor, Columbus explained that the audience ‘went crazy’ for his cameo at a screening.
Their reaction convinced him that the scene should be left in, a move he now regrets even more after tussling with the Republican leader publicly.
‘They cheered and they cheered and they thought it was hilarious. 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 continued.
‘Years later, it’s become this curse. It’s become this thing that I wish it was not there. What’s going through this guy’s mind? He said I was lying. I’m not lying.
‘He said I begged him to be in the movie, but 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.
‘But it’s there. It’s become an albatross for me. I just wish it was gone.’
The film was shot at the Plaza, which was owned by Trump at the time (Picture: Disney) Chris Columbus directed the first two Home Alone movies (Picture: Getty)Trump previously blasted Columbus on Truth Social, after claims that he ‘bullied his way into the movie’.
In a bizarre attack on social media, more than 30 years after his cameo came to light, he claimed that he was the reason for the film’s success, despite coming off the back off of the hugely popular first film.
‘They rented the Plaza Hotel in New York, which I owned at the time,’ he posted. ‘I was very busy, and didn’t want to do it. They were very nice, but above all, persistent. I agreed, and the rest is history!
‘That little cameo took off like a rocket, and the movie was a big success, and still is, especially around Christmas time. People call me whenever it is aired.
Trump blasted claims he ‘bullied’ his way into the film (Picture: Getty)‘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.’
Questioning why the scene was left in, he suggested that he ‘helped make the movie a success’.
‘Because I was, and still am, great for the movie, that’s why!,’ he added. ‘Just another Hollywood guy from the past looking for a quick fix of Trump publicity for himself!’
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