The festive period is officially upon us. It’s a time for making memories with family, eating, drinking, and being merry. It’s also a time for busting out those classic Christmas movies, which, of course, include 1990’s comedy classic “Home Alone.” However, on the 35th anniversary of everybody’s holiday favorite, one of its stars won’t be celebrating the movie — and with good reason.
The star in question is Daniel Stern. Stern, 68, famously played Marv Murchins in the film. Along with Joe Pesci’s Harry Lyme, Marv was one of the legendary flick’s two notorious but hilariously dimwitted burglars. Together, Harry and Marv were known as the “Wet Bandits” for their tendency to flood the homes of the people they’d just robbed.
Marv was side-splittingly funny, and his bungling failed attempts to outwit Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin McCallister — often resulting in excruciating pain for him — are nothing short of legendary. But Stern isn’t about that acting life any more. Therefore, he won’t be attending any events commemorating “Home Alone,” as he explained to People in a recent interview.
Daniel Stern is More of a ‘Homebody’ These Days
Although Daniel Stern does still appear on television in Apple TV’s sci-fi drama “For All Mankind,” he left Hollywood behind a few years ago (his last movie appearance was in 2019’s sci-fi comedy “James vs. His Future Self,” in which he played the eponymous character).
These days, he likes to spend time at home. When asked about the possibility of being involved with “Home Alone’s” 35th anniversary festivities (which other stars, including Macaulay Culkin, have attended recently), Stern told People, “I don’t leave my farm. It’s no offense to the movie. I’m just… a phone call, Zoom call, I’m in. but… I’m a bit of a homebody.”
Stern’s farm is in Ventura County, California. There, he and his wife, Laure Mattos, spend their time tending to cattle and growing and nurturing citrus trees. Also, Stern spends some time working as a sculptor.
He Still Appreciates ‘Home Alone’ Fans
The actor appreciates the love “Home Alone” gets, but admits it sometimes gets a bit much when people repeatedly tell him so. He said, “I love knowing that everybody loves it but, like, actual people come at me and say, ‘We love it.’ It’s a little overwhelming sometimes.”
Stern added that he knew “Home Alone” was a great movie and had the potential to be successful, but he could never have imagine the scale of its success. He said, “I did know that it was a gem of a movie. John Hughes wrote the funniest script I’ve ever read. I mean, I was rolling on the floor, laughing reading it. It was so funny, but it was also full of heart and you know — the kid and the neighbor saves him and he and the mother reunite… I mean it was so emotional. It was so funny, it was so true and so I did know that. I was hopeful that we were making a great movie. I had no idea obviously — no one could — of the longevity of its life.”
“Home Alone” now stands with the likes of 1946’s fantasy drama “It’s a Wonderful Life,” 1989’s slapstick comedy “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” and 2003’s comedy “Elf” as a Christmas staple that pretty much everyone has to watch annually.
Who Is Stern’s Wife, Laure Mattos?
GettyDaniel Stern’s wife, Laure Mattos, is also an actress. Per IMDb, her most famous role came in the 1984 sci-fi horror movie “C.H.U.D.,” which starred her husband and another “Home Alone” actor in the form of the late John Heard.
Mattos has been married to Stern since 1980 and the couple have three children together — one of whom, Henry Stern, 43, is a politician and member of the California Senate from the 27th district.
Little else is known about Mattos, as she hasn’t featured prominently in any movies or television shows in recent years, and she and her husband keep their personal lives very private.
One thing’s for sure, though: She’s probably fed up of hearing about “Home Alone!”
