“If you don’t do it, the entire movie falls apart”: Kieran Culkin Was Ready to Leave ‘A Real Pain’ But It Wasn’t for His Past History With Ex-Girlfriend Emma Stone

The entertainment industry is no stranger to projects falling apart and actors bailing out of films. But when Kieran Culkin tried doing the same, he recalled being trapped by his ex-girlfriend Emma Stone, using reverse psychology. Apparently, it all happened when Culkin joined the 2024 comedy-drama A Real Pain, amid his packed schedule of shooting Succession. 

Kieran Culkin in a still from Succession | image: HBO

Dealing with two projects at one time, left Kieran Culkin with little to no time with his wife Jazz Charton, and kids. This lack of work-life balance choked Culkin to the point where he called Emma Stone, producer of the film, to bail out. But it was ultimately Stone’s sarcastic remarks and heartfelt gestures that led the actor to complete the film, alongside Jesse Eisenberg. 

Had it not been for Emma Stone, Kieran Culkin would have quit A Real Pain

Giving up on opportunities is not what Kieran Culkin has learned through his decades-long career in Hollywood. That’s why, the actor signed Emma Stone and Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain while still working on the final season of Succession. But unfortunately, as the TV show ended up wrapping its finale later than anticipated, it wrecked Culkin’s schedule for the 2024 movie. 

Worried that he won’t have time to spend with his family in between his shoots, Kieran Culkin told Vogue, how he panicked about having less time with his wife Jazz Charton, and his two kids, especially since the filming for the movie was taking place in Poland. That’s when he revealed calling Emma Stone, who served as the producer of the movie, and breaking the news of bailing out. 

She goes: ‘If you don’t do it, the entire movie falls apart. But that’s not your responsibility. You shouldn’t feel that burden at all.’

Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg in A Real Pain | image: Searchlight Pictures

Further, during another interview with Vulture, Kieran Culkin recalled the clever tactics that his ex-girlfriend Emma Stone used to stop him from dropping out of A Real Pain. Revealing how the actress, who was well aware of his weaknesses, used reverse psychology to manipulate him and make him feel bad, Culkin later noted Stone’s heartfelt gestures that convinced him to carry on. 

She did an almost reverse psychology thing on me… I was like, ‘But have they started?’ She goes, ‘Oh, yeah. They’re actually already in Poland scouting locations; people are hired.’

I was like, ‘It’s not like people would be out of a job?’ She’s like, ‘No, no, they would, but it’s not on you. You said “yes,” but if you have your reasons for not doing it, you’re not responsible for these people’s jobs. It’s fine; you do whatever you want.’ 

Emma Stone in a still from La La Land | image: Lionsgate

Further adding how Emma Stone reassured him that she understood his concerns about work-life balance and promised to handle the situation, Kieran Culkin noted how the actress arranged for his wife and kids to join him in Poland for two weeks at the start of filming. Stone also made sure that she and her husband, Dave McCary, were on the same flight as Culkin and his family, for extra support. 

A glimpse into Kieran Culkin and Emma Stone’s short-lived romance 

It seems that perhaps being in a relationship with each other from 2010 to 2011 helped Emma Stone tap into Kieran Culkin’s soft spot and convince him to continue the project. Yes, according to Hello Magazine, the two Hollywood A-listers meeting on the set of Paper Man in 2009, began dating a year later.

Although little is known about their relationship, the duo eventually parted ways in 2011 and have remained friends, ever since. Thereafter, Kieran Culkin married Jazz Charton in 2013 and welcomed two kids—a daughter Kinsey Sioux, and a son Wilder Wolf. Later on, even Emma Stone married Dave McCary in 2020 and welcomed a daughter in 2021. 

Stone and Culkin in a still from Paper Man (2009) | Image: MPI Media Group

In 2022, Emma Stone and Kieran Culkin were reunited at the Met Gala, where they posed for photos together as they enjoyed a catch-up. Thereafter, Stone hired Culkin to share the screen with Jesse Eisenberg in A Real Pain in 2024, where he played the role of the actor’s mismatched cousin Benji Kaplan. 

A Real Pain is currently available to watch on Apple TV+.