No, your TV didn’t cut out, our very own Academy Award winner Kieran Culkin started his 2025 Oscars acceptance speech off with a bleep. We all know that bleeps are to be expected with any and every profanity — in true award show fashion — but what did he actually say to earn such a long bleep?
Let’s run it back for a second: We know that prior to announcing Culkin’s win, presenter Robert Downey Jr. first took the time to highlight each individual nominee’s successes, ending in a heartfelt shoutout to nominee and longtime friend of his, Jeremy Strong. Following that heartwarming moment, I can only imagine that Culkin wanted to follow this up with his own recognition of his former co-star and onscreen brother once he took the stage.
Culkin was visibly shook and excited by his first Oscars win, but when he got up to the mic, he still made sure to give Strong his flowers, calling back to Downey’s praise. “He’s right by the way, Jeremy, you’re amazing in The Apprentice,” he said… And then came the bleeping, which was really just a long bout of silence while Culkin continued to talk. After a few moments, the audio returned, with Culkin saying, “I’m not supposed to single anyone out, that’s favoritism. Anyway, but you were great, and I’ve already lost whatever speech I prepared.”
So, it’s clear that Culkin was talking about (or more accurately, it seemed, directly to Strong) throughout the bleep, since when the audio came back, he was still on the topic of Strong. Very likely, it was simply an expletive-laden sentence or two about how talented of an actor Strong is. It’s pretty clear he said “f*ck” at the start of the bleep, but the rest may have to remain a bit of a mystery.
“Let’s get crackin’ on those kids” – Kieran Culkin accepts his #Oscar for his supporting role in #ARealPain pic.twitter.com/nGNWz3GNE4
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 3, 2025
That wasn’t the only OMG-worthy moment of Culkin’s speech, though. After his bleep, Culkin then shared a heartfelt and hilarious story about his wife. He shared that when he up for an Emmy in 2023, she promised him a third child if he won — and then he won. But then, they made a new bet. “After the show, we’re walking through a parking lot, she’s holding the Emmy, we’re trying to find a car,” he said in his speech. “And she goes, ‘Oh God, I did say that. I guess I owe you a third kid,’ and I turned to her and I said, ‘Really, I want four.’ And … she said, ‘I will give you four when you win an Oscar.’ I held my hand out, she shook it, and I have not brought it up once until just now.” So, it looks like the Culkin family might be expanding!
omg Kieran Culkin’s story in his Oscar speech LOL
he said his wife had no faith that he’d ever win an Emmy, so she jokingly promised him a 3rd kid if he won. and last year she said they’d have a 4th if he ever won an Oscar. well, he just won Best Supporting Actor pic.twitter.com/MmWFI8sNBe
— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) March 3, 2025
Jokes and swears aside, Culkin’s speech marked a historic moment for the actor. Though previously known best for his role as Roman Roy in Succession (in which he played opposite Strong), Culkin’s role as Benji Kaplan in A Real Pain has given him a new level of recognition and clout. His Academy Award marks only one of many of Culkin’s award show wins this year, including wins at the Golden Globes, the BAFTAs, and the SAG awards, to name a few. Culkin’s co-star, Jesse Eisenberg (who also wrote and directed the film), said of Culkin in an interview with NJ Advance Media, “When I first started watching him, I guess I was just immediately struck by this guy, this actor, who I had literally never spoken to about the role. We never talked about the character — and he started performing it, and I just remember thinking ‘He’s doing exactly what was in my mind for the last three years.’”
It’s shocking to remember that Culkin nearly dropped out of the film weeks prior to the start of shooting. It was actually his ex-girlfriend and producer on the film, Emma Stone, who talked him out of dropping out of the role. In an interview with Vogue, Culkin spoke about Stone’s essential role in him staying in the film, “She goes, ‘If you don’t do it, the entire movie falls apart.’”
Luckily, Culkin didn’t drop out, and now he has an Oscar — and an iconic Oscars acceptance speech — to show for it.