Macaulay Culkin seems tailor-made for a project like .
The actor has long been associated with bold, even irreverent narratives, particularly in television. While he’s never taken on a project quite as high-concept as Fallout, Prime Video’s adaptation of the [game series] has been on Culkin’s radar for a while. His wife, actress Brenda Song, recognized he was Fallout material even before Season 1 had wrapped up.
“About halfway through the season, she turned to me and said, ‘You should be on this show,’” Culkin tells Inverse. He agreed — and it wasn’t long before Fallout’s producers reached out to offer him a Season 2 role.
Fans caught on early (thanks to a trailer snippet hinting at it) that he’d join Caesar’s Legion, a rough-and-tumble militia that loosely models its society after Ancient Rome. Showrunner Geneva Robertson-Dworet gave him leeway to explore “a range of performances” that shaped the “spectrum” of his character, Lacerta Legate.
Culkin brings plenty of hilarious moments to Episode 3… but for those who challenge the Legion, it’s no joke — like Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell), who’s literally crucified for defying its outdated, misogynistic rules. Meanwhile, a civil war has divided the Legion, which the Ghoul (Walton Goggins) exploits to stoke more chaos and violence. Culkin is at the center of it all in Episode 3, but this is just the start for his character. The actor chats with Inverse about his passion for Fallout lore, the detailed behind-the-scenes world-building, and what Season 2 has in store for fans.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Were you a fan of the show or the games before landing this role?
I was a fan of the games. I was more familiar with the games than anything else, really. But I also became a big fan of the show. I don’t have much time to watch a lot of things. With two boys at home, my partner and I barely make it through a pilot. But we really loved the show. About halfway through the season, she turned to me and said, “You need to be on this show.” And I thought, “You know what? You’re absolutely right.” Then we went to sleep, and I forgot all about it. A couple months later, they called, which was thrilling because this is my style. That’s the thing: She knows me, so she knew this would be up my alley. It’s my tone. It’s the kind of work I enjoy. I truly feel it’s a great fit.
It’s a perfect fit — especially since, if I’m correct, you’ve never been in an apocalyptic project before.
I don’t think I’ve ever been in an apocalyptic story, no. Not that I can recall. This is my first post-apocalyptic role — or even a future-set project, for that matter.
What were you most eager to explore in that context?
Well, I knew I’d be part of the Legion. That was super exciting. With my knowledge of the lore, I knew exactly what they were referencing. When they sent me the script pages, it was all “Caesar, Caesar, Caesar…” and I thought, “You want me to say ‘kay-zer,’ right?” And they were like, “Oh, he gets it.”
I was excited for that, but the show is also incredibly detailed. Their attention to detail is really impressive. There are so many elements, especially in the scenes I shot at the Legion camp. Some of those prop corpses are very specific. Even the stuff that barely makes it on screen — someone put a lot of care into it.
I think that reflects the show’s overall approach — from background mannequins to shoes to hairstyling — it’s all very precise. On set, it can be a hassle sometimes, like “How many times do you need to adjust my hair?” You know? But it’s also “No, not a single hair out of place” — which shows the level of care they’re taking.
What was your preparation like? Did you do any combat training?
No, I’d just finished a tour. I was out of town, so I came in, did a fitting for my entire costume that day, and was on set the next. It was that quick. To be fair, they’d already done a 3D scan of me, so the costume fit perfectly — and they said, “Great, thank goodness, because we have no time to alter it anyway.” So it was a bit of a last-minute production: There wasn’t much prep. When I read for the role, I knew the character had range, so I offered several different takes. When I arrived, I thought, “So, which one do you want?” But I never got a specific answer. I wanted to narrow it down, but I think they trusted me to figure it out — to at least deliver something they could use.
I was just experimenting. You know? I’d try one approach, then another take would be different. Sometimes they’d give feedback… It was a bit of a free flow. It also depended on the other actor’s performance and how they reacted to me. There were moments like, “I got that reaction from you; now let’s try for something else.” It’s a different dynamic — a fluid back-and-forth.
We see a small part of your character in Episode 3, but I hear there’s more to come. What can you hint at about his storyline?
There’s a lot more of the Legion to come. Some key dynamics will play out. I can’t say too much, but rest assured, there’s more of this character in store. I can’t reveal if I survive or not — I’d have to “eliminate” you if I did… so that’s all I’ll say.