Kieran Culkin showed off the sarcastic attitude that he and his Succession character have become known for at Saturday’s SAG Awards.
Red carpet interviewer Elaine Welteroth claimed Kieran told her to “save it” with the compliments until the cameras were rolling, although he disputed this.
“I said, ‘Shut up,’ actually, that’s what I said, not ‘save it,’” he quipped.
“I have to hold the microphone? I hate doing this. And then you’re gonna say nice things to me? I don’t know what to do. And there’s a screen with my face on it that I have to look at?”
Kieran previously admitted that some of the trappings of fame can make him uncomfortable.
He tried to deflect Welteroth’s attention by outing her for being barefoot during the interview. After saying one of her shoes was “killing” her, Welteroth tried to revert course by stating “this isn’t about me.” Kieran, however, felt otherwise.
“It’s kind of about you though, isn’t it?” he said. “I mean, it’s kind of your show and you’re only wearing one shoe on your show.”
Welteroth pivoted and professed her adoration of Kieran as an actor. When she suggested they take their banter-laden dynamic “on the road,” Kieran replied simply: “I’ll pass, I’m busy.”
The actor was nominated twice at the ceremony over the weekn, for Best Male Actor in a Drama Series and for Best Drama Series Ensemble bracket, for his role in Succession. Three of his co-stars — Brian Cox, Matthew Macfadyen and Sarah Snook — were also nominated as actors.
When asked who he thinks will win an award tonight, Kieran gave Welteroth nothing.
“I don’t know, me? I don’t know,” he told her. “Brian? Anyone. Anyone winning will be good. Someone’s gotta win, right?”
When Welteroth then asked about the rings on his fingers, Kieran joked they were just “crap” he bought with his daughter.
The father of two seemed to be on the verge of a real answer, only for Welteroth to joke she was finally seeing “the softer side of Kieran Culkin.” So Kieran returned to his regular programming.
“Oh shut up, what did I just say! Save it,” he said, before walking off. “Stupid microphone.”