One of outgoing President Donald Trump’s most famous movie cameos was made on his own terms.
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During an interview with Insider, director Chris Columbus opened up about how POTUS made his way on-screen in the Christmas classic Home Alone 2. He revealed that in order to use The Plaza Hotel, then owned by Trump, the MAGA leader had to be a part of the film. The franchise approaches its 30-year-anniversary this month.
“Like most locations in New York City, you just pay a fee and you are allowed to shoot in that location. We approached The Plaza Hotel, which Trump owned at the time because we wanted to shoot in the lobby,” he said. “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.”
Although it was completely unplanned, Columbus remembered a blissful response to the cameo.
“When we screened it for the first time the oddest thing happened: 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.”
The scene featured Trump walking through the hotel lobby, when lead actor Macaulay Culkin‘s character, Kevin McCallister, stops him to ask for directions.
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In December 2019, the Canadian broadcaster CBC garnered attention when viewers noticed the Trump cameo was cut. CBC claimed the cut had no political motive, explaining it had been edited in 2014 for timing reasons, and before he entered the political arena and became president.
“CBC’s airing of Home Alone 2 was edited for time,” Chuck Thompson, CBC Head of Public Affairs tweeted. “This happens regularly with films adapted for television. The scene with Donald Trump was one of several that were cut from the movie as none of them were integral to the plot.”
Still, Donald Trump Jr. took to Instagram to unload a lengthy caption, calling the omission “absolutely pathetic.”
“The liberal media like @cbc is where Trump Derangement Syndrome manifests itself fully. Imagine being so pathetic in your quest to attain some BS level of wokeness that you need to cut out a scene that is probably one of the the most famous cameos of the era? Imagine being so “triggered” that you can’t even leave a Christmas movie alone without editing,” Trump Jr. wrote.
Home Alone is set to get the reboot treatment soon. Variety reported last year that Archie Yates, Ellie Kemper, and Rob Delaney will star in a new Disney Plus exclusive version of Home Alone. Columbus informed Insider, however, that he was not contacted on the matter.
“No, nobody got in touch with me about it, and it’s a waste of time as far as I’m concerned. What’s the point? I’m a firm believer that you don’t remake films that have had the longevity of Home Alone. You’re not going to create lightning in a bottle again. It’s just not going to happen,” he said.
“What’s the point? It’s been done. Do your own thing. Even if you fail miserably, at least you have come up with something original.”
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