This is how Donald Trump bullied his way into appearing in 'Home Alone 2'

There is a wide variety of Christmas movies, but, without a doubt, ‘Home Alone’ and its sequel, both starring Macaulay Culkin, are two of the favorites at this time of year.

Culkin plays Kevin McCallister, who protects his home using creative traps to ward off two thieves after his family mistakenly leaves him at home when they go to Paris.

On the other hand, in the sequel, Kevin McCallister is once again away from his family, this time in New York, where he runs into the two thieves he thwarted previously, and who are once again planning a big Christmas heist.

Part of the film is set in the famous Plaza Hotel in New York City, where former President Donald Trump makes a cameo in one of the scenes. More than 30 years later, the director of the film, Chris Columbus, has revealed why the businessman appeared.

The reason Trump appeared in ‘Home Alone 2’

Like most places in New York City, you need to pay a fee to film. In an interview with Business Insider, Columbus revealed that they contacted the Plaza Hotel, which at the time was owned by Trump, to film in the lobby.

Trump said yes and the production paid a fee, however, he also put in an extra condition: “The only way you can use the Plaza is if I’m in the movie.”

“So we agreed to put him in the movie,” Columbus added but whether his scene would stay in the final version or end up on the cutting room floor was uncertain until the first screening in front of an audience. “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 director noted.

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Macaulay Culkin’s famous improvisation

Columbus also revealed that the iconic moment in which Macaulay Culkin puts cologne on his hands, applies it to his face and then screams, was improvised by the actor.

“If you put something on your face that burns, most people move their hands right away. So my direction to him was when you pat your face, move your hands and scream. And I think it was the first take, he kept his hands on his cheeks. We all started laughing hysterically,” he said.

“We did it a couple more times with his hands off his face, but my editor, Raja Gosnell, he cut that take into the first cut that I saw and it was in there forever,” Columbus shared. “It’s funny, the iconic moment from ‘Home Alone’ was an accident,” he added.