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Kieran Culkin says the death of his sister is ‘the worst thing that’s ever happened’

Dakota died after being hit by a car in 2008

Ellie Harrison
Thursday 07 October 2021 09:21 BST
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Kieran Culkin
Kieran Culkin (Rob Latour/Shutterstock)

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Kieran Culkin, the Succession star and younger brother of Home Alone actor Macaulay Culkin, has reflected on the death of their sister.

Culkin said his family will never get over the loss of Dakota, who died aged 29 in 2008 after being hit by a car in southern California.

“That’s the worst thing that’s ever happened, and there’s no sugar-coating that one,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.

“Each one of us handled it very differently. I think everyone was just torn up inside.

“What has it been, 13 years now? Holy s***. That’s crazy. Jesus f***ing Christ. I accepted at the time that this is going to be forever, and it’s never going to be fine. It’s always going to be devastating.”

He added: “I still weep about it out of nowhere. Something funny she did will pop in the head and make me laugh, and then I’m weeping. Sometimes it’s knowing that she’s not going to meet my kids and they don’t get to have her, and it’s hard to describe what she was like.”

Culkin, 39, is reprising the role of Roman Roy in the HBO smash Succession, which is returning for a third season later this month.

He said one particular moment in the season premiere featuring a row between Roman and his sister Shiv – played by Sarah Snook – reminded him of Dakota.

Sibling rivals: Roman (Kieran Culkin), Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Connor (Alan Ruck) and Shiv (Sarah Snook) in ‘Succession’
Sibling rivals: Roman (Kieran Culkin), Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Connor (Alan Ruck) and Shiv (Sarah Snook) in ‘Succession’ (HBO)

Snook’s character pulls a funny face during the fight, a trick that Culkin said Dakota, who was also known as Cody, used to do.

He said: “That’s just Cody’s move. You could never get one up on her because, even if she was wrong – ‘Dur-dur-dur-dur-durrr!’ – then she wins the argument. Cody is pretty Roman-y. It’s as if Roman were portrayed by Darlene from Roseanne. Darlene Connor as Roman Roy.”

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In April, Macaulay Culkin and his partner Brenda Song welcomed their first child, a baby boy, who they named Dakota in a tribute to his sister.

Succession season three will premiere in the UK on Sky Atlantic and Now on 18 October.

Additional reporting by Press Association

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