Kieran Culkin has admitted that he once swapped Mark Ruffalo‘s prop joint for real weed during a stage production in 2000.
“I was 17 and stupid,” Culkin said in a new interview with The Guardian. “I’m like, ‘I thought this was a good prank. I’m stupid. Oh my God, I’m so sorry.’ But actually, they loved it.
“Mark says, ‘I haven’t smoked pot in 10 years. The second half’s going to be so much fun.’ There was this other actor who had never smoked pot in her life. She goes, ‘Is this what being high is? This is lovely.’ And then Phyllis Newman comes in and goes, ‘I haven’t smoked pot since the 1960s. Thank you, darling.’”
At the time of the prank, Culkin, Ruffalo and their co-stars were performing in Playwright Horizons’ production of James Lapine’s play The Moment When.
The Succession star continued: “The stage manager comes stomping in and goes, ‘I don’t care whose it is, or what happened, but Kieran, give me the joint.’ I sheepishly handed her the roach and she said, ‘Ruin your life on your own time’. I know, I know. But I was young. I’m 42 now. I know better. I’m not going to try to get anyone high on stage.”
Ruffalo previously alluded to the incident in an appearance on The Graham Norton Show. Although the actor kept Culkin’s identity a secret.
“There was a play that I did where I smoked a joint in the first scene. Of course, there was a very naughty young actor I was in the play with. On the opening night with all the critics, we slipped a real joint onto the prop table,” Ruffalo said at the time. “Between the two of us, we smoked a giant blunt onstage. … But at the end of the play, I got the best reviews of my entire career. But I’d never do that again.”
Culkin is currently promoting his new road comedy A Real Pain, in which he co-stars with director Jesse Eisenberg. Culkin is nominated for a Golden Globe in the supporting actor category for his performance in the film.
Elsewhere, the actor previously recalled a director calling him “dummy, idiot, stupid” to get him into character during his first acting job when he was just six years old.