Home Alone director Chris Columbus names actor who made him quit iconic comedy
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Chris Columbus has opened up about his decision to exit an iconic Christmas movie, revealing that he struggled to work with the lead actor. The 66-year-old has directed some of the most beloved films around, including the first two instalments of the Harry Potter franchise and Mrs Doubtfire.
![[Johnny Galecki, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis and Chevy Chase as the Griswold family in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. (Photo by Steve Schapiro/Corbis via Getty Images)]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_234346765-7e12.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=594)
Just days before he landed a job helming the first Home Alone movie, he was actually starting work on a very different festive classic with legendary producer John Hughes – until Chevy Chase got in the way. Unpacking his excellent back catalog in a new interview with Vanity Fair, the filmmaker explained that he had been tapped to direct National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – the third in the Vacation franchise.
![[SNL 40th Anniversary Celebration]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-463532152.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
In fact, he had begun shooting ‘second unit’ footage, before things took a complete turn during two meetings with the lead star, who played Clark Griswold. ‘Even given my situation at the time, where I desperately needed to make a film, I realized I couldn’t work with the guy,’ he recalled. ‘Tale as old as time! I was one of the many who couldn’t work with him.
‘My first meeting with him, I sat down with him. It was just the two of us. He had to know I was directing the movie. I talked about how I saw the movie, how I wanted to make the movie. He didn’t say anything. I went through about a half hour of talking. He didn’t say a word.
![[Editorial use only. No book cover usage. Mandatory Credit: Photo by 20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock (5884224z) Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci Home Alone - 1990 Director: Chris Columbus 20th Century Fox USA Scene Still Comedy Maman, j'ai rat? l'avion]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/SEI_137797343-6a97-e1730966898707.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
‘40 minutes into the meeting, he says, “Wait a second. You’re the director?” And I said, “Yeah…I’m directing the film.” And he said to me the most surreal, bizarre thing. I still haven’t been able to make any sense out of it. He said, “Oh, I thought you were a drummer.” I said, “Uhh, okay. Let’s start talking about the film again.” After about 30 seconds, he said, “I got to go.”’.
