"Home Alone 2" director wishes he could remove infamous cameo from movie

By Chris Morgan | Last updated Apr 15, 2025 7:02 PM ET

Chris Columbus is considered one of the nicest guys in Hollywood. There's a reason why he was picked to direct the first two "Harry Potter" movies so that a chill dude would be working with these young, inexperienced actors. When Columbus told John Hughes he couldn't go through with directing "Christmas Vacation" because of how awful dealing with Chevy Chase was, the writer/director not only accepted it, but offered Columbus the chance to direct "Home Alone." That movie went on to become the biggest movie of 1990.

Columbus' efforts were/are huge to Millennials. He wrote "Gremlins" and "The Goonies." He directed "Adventures in Babysitting" and "Mrs. Doubtfire." Also, the first two "Home Alone" movies.

The logic behind "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" is a bit sweaty. The McCallisters lost track of the same kid again? And then Kevin runs into Harry and Marv again? Of course, kids at the time didn't care, and the movie was a hit. There's only one real issue that a lot of people have with the movie. Donald Trump has a cameo as himself, and that's enough to bum many out. That includes Columbus himself.

Previously, Columbus has said that Trump strong-armed his way into it after the production broached wanting to use the Plaza hotel for the movie. Now, he's feeling even more negative about the whole thing. Columbus called Trump's cameo a "curse" and added, "It’s become an albatross for me. I just wish it was gone."

Columbus also morbidly joked that he can't cut it because if he did he'd be sent out of the country. "I’ll have to go back to Italy or something," he quipped.

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It must be frustrating for Columbus for one of his movies to have become defined by one brief cameo from a guy he clearly disliked even back then. There was certainly no way for him to envision this future at the time, either. That being said, all jokes and quips aside, movies should be left untouched. Even if given the chance, Columbus shouldn't cut the Trump cameo. It wouldn't bump as much as, say, Disney putting fake hair over Daryl Hannah's ass in "Splash," but it would feel a little silly.

Maybe, instead, we can focus on other things about Columbus' career and remove this albatross from his neck. Like, for example, the fact his movie "The Thursday Murder Club" is expected to hit Netflix this year. Or even the fact "The Goonies" is totally overrated. Probably still a more-pleasant topic of conversation for Columbus.

(h/t Variety)

Chris Morgan

Chris Morgan is a Detroit-based culture writer who has somehow managed to justify getting his BA in Film Studies. He has written about sports and entertainment across various internet platforms for years and is also the author of three books about '90s television.

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