Actor Daniel Stern may have played a clumsy and dimwitted burglar in the 1990 comedy Home Alone, but it turns out that in real life he’s a pretty smart guy. Recently, he revealed to fans that he skillfully negotiated a special clause in his contract that led to him earning millions in royalties. It’s a well-known fact that the first film became an international phenomenon soon after its release. Thirsting for a sequel, 20th Century Studios approached Stern to reprise his role in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. While initially excited about the opportunity, Stern soon discovered that his co-stars were all set to make considerably more than him. Believing he deserved a better deal, Stern fired his agent and took matters into his own hands. He knew they couldn’t make the film without him, but he also didn’t want to be too greedy. That’s when he decided to ask for an increase in his salary to $1.5 million. In light of the fact that Joe Pesci was set to make $3 million on the film, and Macaulay Culkin was offered $5 million plus 5% of the film’s gross earnings, an increase to $1.5 million didn’t seem unreasonable. The increase, however, wasn’t all Stern asked for — he also pushed for a clause in his contract that would give him 2% of the movie’s gross profits. After much back-and-forth, the studio finally agreed to a 1% royalty clause in addition to the increase in salary. In the end, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York earned around $360 million, which means Stern earned a cool $3.5 million over the years. Stern now lives on a farm and works as a sculptor, specializing in bronze statues for gardens that sell for around $35,000 each. The film’s royalties have allowed him to do pretty much what he wants in life without financial pressures. Every Christmas season, Stern can hear the royalties dropping into his bank account.
