Before he was the foul-mouthed, sharp-tongued Roman Roy on Succession, Kieran Culkin was just a kid in a tuxedo trying not to get lost in the shuffle of a massive cinematic wedding. Honestly, it’s a bit of a trip to go back and watch him now. You see this tiny, nine-year-old face and realize that the chaotic energy he brings to every role today was already there, just wrapped in a 1990s sweater vest.
In the 1991 classic Father of the Bride, Kieran Culkin played Matty Banks. He was the younger brother of Annie (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) and the son of the legendary Steve Martin and Diane Keaton. While his older brother Macaulay was becoming a global icon in Home Alone, Kieran was quietly carving out his own space in a movie that remains a staple of family comedy.
Most people remember the hot dog bun breakdown or Martin Short’s indecipherable accent as Franck. But if you look closely, the Matty Banks character is where Kieran really learned the ropes. It wasn't just a background role. He was a witness to the middle-class meltdown of George Banks.
The Matty Banks Era: More Than a Sidekick
Kieran Culkin’s performance as Matty Banks is often overshadowed by the bigger stars. That's understandable when you’re sharing a screen with Steve Martin. Yet, Matty provided a necessary grounding for the family. He was the kid who just wanted to play basketball in the driveway while his dad was losing his mind over the cost of flowers.
He didn't have many lines. That didn't matter.
His presence helped sell the "Banks family" dynamic. When you watch the scene where George is in jail after the supermarket incident, Matty’s presence at home with Nina (Diane Keaton) makes the stakes feel real. It wasn't just a wedding; it was a family upheaval.
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Kieran returned for the 1995 sequel, Father of the Bride Part II. By then, he was thirteen. The voice was starting to drop, and the "cute kid" phase was evolving into something more observant. He had to navigate a plot where both his sister and his mother were pregnant at the same time. Talk about a weird childhood.
Why the 2020 Reunion Changed Everything
For decades, that was it. Matty Banks was a memory from a VHS tape. Then, 2020 happened.
During the pandemic, the cast reunited for a special called Father of the Bride Part 3(ish). It was a Zoom-style short film to raise money for World Central Kitchen. This is where things got meta. The plot centered entirely around Matty Banks—now played by an adult Kieran Culkin—getting married.
- The Groom: Matty Banks (Kieran Culkin).
- The Bride: Rachel (played by Alexandra Shipp).
- The Father-in-Law: Robert De Niro (yes, actually).
- The Vibe: Emotional, nostalgic, and surprisingly modern.
Suddenly, the "little brother" was the lead. Seeing Kieran back in the Banks universe after years of him playing darker, more complex roles was a total whiplash in the best way. He still had that same smirk. He still had that specific way of looking at Steve Martin like he was both a hero and a total lunatic.
Kieran Culkin vs. Roman Roy: A Strange Parallel
It is almost impossible to watch Kieran Culkin in anything now without thinking of Succession. There is a hilarious irony in seeing him as the well-adjusted, sweet Matty Banks when we know he eventually becomes the man who sends those photos to his father on a corporate jet.
But there’s a thread of continuity. Culkin has always been the "younger brother." Whether it was being the real-life younger brother to Macaulay or the fictional younger brother to Kendall and Shiv, he knows that perspective. In Father of the Bride, he’s the observer. He’s the one watching the adults behave badly.
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He once mentioned in interviews that he barely remembers filming the first movie because he was so young. He was just a kid on a set with a basketball. That lack of pretension is probably why his performance holds up. He wasn't "acting" like a kid; he was just being one.
What You Probably Didn't Know
If you're a trivia nerd, there are some gold nuggets here.
Did you know that Father of the Bride was Kieran’s first speaking role in a movie where he wasn't just "the cousin"? In Home Alone, he played Fuller (the Pepsi-drinking bedwetter). While that was iconic, Matty Banks was his first time being part of a core family unit on screen.
Also, the chemistry between him and Steve Martin wasn't just for the cameras. Martin reportedly took a liking to the Culkin kids. You can see it in their timing. Even at nine, Kieran knew how to wait for the beat.
Where to Revisit Matty Banks Today
If you’re feeling nostalgic, you can find the movies fairly easily.
- Disney+: Both the 1991 original and the 1995 sequel are usually streaming here.
- Digital Rental: Amazon, Apple TV, and YouTube have them for a few bucks.
- YouTube: You can still find the 2020 Part 3(ish) special on the Netflix YouTube channel.
Watching these movies now is a lesson in career longevity. Most child stars from the early 90s vanished. Kieran Culkin didn't. He just waited for the world to catch up to his specific brand of weirdness.
Next Steps for Your Rewatch:
To get the full "Culkin Evolution" experience, watch Father of the Bride followed immediately by an episode of Succession. The contrast is jarring but brilliant. Pay attention to how he uses his eyes to react to the chaos around him—it's the exact same technique, thirty years apart.
Once you finish the 1991 film, check out the 2020 reunion. It’s only about 25 minutes long, but it provides the closure for Matty Banks that we didn't know we needed. It’s also probably the only time you’ll see Steve Martin and Robert De Niro sharing a "family" moment over a web camera.