'Home Alone' Director Says Donald Trump 'Bullied' Himself Into Movie

One of the best ways of celebrating the festive season is with the iconic “Home Alone” movies, but most fans don't know how Donald Trump weaseled his way onto the franchise's set!

The heartwarming Christmas movie, released in the early 1990s, remains a comedic masterpiece 30 years later. In fact, the film was so popular that the former US President desperately wanted to be a part of the sequel, even if it meant bullying showrunners to get a cameo.

Trump left a lasting impression on the “Home Alone” franchise's director, Chris Columbus, who recalled how the politician demanded a spot in the movie's sequel.

Years before he became the 45th president of the United States, Trump made waves as a businessman. One of his ventures, the Plaza Hotel, connected him to Columbus and the movie's sequel, “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.”

The plot follows the lead character, Kevin (played by Macaulay Culkin), who is accidentally abandoned by his family and winds up in New York City.

A witty Kevin talks his way into staying at the luxurious Plaza Hotel, a scene the production team needed the building's lobby for. “We wanted to shoot in the lobby. We couldn't rebuild The Plaza on a soundstage,” Columbus recalled in an interview.

At the time, the movie's showrunners believed they would pay Trump a fee, as is the standard procedure when shooting at a different location. However, the former President wanted more than monetary compensation.

“We paid the fee, but he also said, ‘The only way you can use the Plaza is if I'm in the movie.’ So we agreed to put him in the movie,” Columbus told the Business Insider. It is unclear if he agreed to let Trump have his cameo for the lobby and then planned to cut the moment out.

The director seemed to be on the fence about Trump's cameo, seemingly implying he decided to let the politician have the spotlight following the audience's reaction. Columbus recalled when “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” was shown to viewers for the first time, saying:

“People cheered when Trump showed up on-screen. So I said to my editor, ‘Leave him in the movie. It's a moment for the audience.’ But he did bully his way into the movie.”

While Columbus claims Trump bullied his way into the “Home Alone” sequel, the 77-year-old's passionate approach might have come from his love of acting. The Christmas movie may be his most famous cameo, but it was not his first.

Trump's first movie role came in 1989, starring as himself in “Ghosts Can’t Do It.” Although his screen time was brief, he made a splash with his iconic line, “Be assured, Mrs. Scott, that in this room, there are knives sharp enough to cut you to the bone. And hearts, cold enough to eat yours as hors d’oeuvre.”

After his stint on “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” the politician played his first fictional character as Waldo’s father in the 1994 film “The Little Rascals.” Next came more cameos in “Across the Sea of Time” and Whoopi Goldberg's 1996 hit “Eddie,” where he starred as himself.

He also appeared in another Goldberg's movie, “The Associate.” However, not all his cameos made the final cut, with Trump's appearance in “54” removed from the DVD and director’s cut versions. In “Zoolander,” he made a rare appearance with his wife Melania in the comedy movie's runway scene.

The former President made his final film appearance in the romcom, “Marmalade.” Outside the movie scene, he was given cameos on popular TV shows, including “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Sex and the City,” and “Days of Our Lives.” Trump's best TV appearance remains as the host and co-producer of the reality series “The Apprentice.”

While Trump has enjoyed a successful time in the entertainment industry, the same could not be said about his political endeavors.

The 77-year-old's plans to participate in the 2024 Presidential campaign are on hold after he was banned from the state of Colorado’s ballot. This marked the first time in history that a presidential candidate has been disqualified under section 3 of the 14th Amendment.

Colorado Supreme Court noted in a statement that: “A majority of the court holds that President Trump is disqualified from holding the office of President under Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.”

They added, “Because he is disqualified, it would be a wrongful act under the Election Code for the Colorado Secretary of State to list him as a candidate on the presidential primary ballot.”