Oscar winner Kieran Culkin learned spin tops from The Top Lady when he was a boy

[toplady]

DID YOU KNOW THAT 2025 OSCAR WINNER Kieran Culkin
LEARNED HOW TO SPIN PEG TOPS for a movie when he was about 10 years old, from The Top Lady, Judith D. Schulz!

Our SUPER Congratulations to Kieran Culkin on his Oscar win in 2025!!!

Judith worked with Kieran, first in San Franciso and then on the MGM movie set, daily in Cleveland in 1993. Kieran starred as “Ralphie Parker,” in the movie 'My Summer Story,' which is the sequel to the famous movie: 'A Christmas Story.'

Judith worked & rehearsed on the set 26 days, spinning tops with Kieran, as well as his siblings including Macauley and Christian and sister, and of course with many, many other “kid” stars and extras. All of the kids (both stars and extras), and a large number of the adults, too, were VERY interested in learning how to spin tops from The Top Lady of the Spinning Top & Yo-Yo Museum.

Sometimes adult crew members were reminded by the director to put the tops away, and get ready for the next scene, as spinning tops were quite a hit on the set with all ages!

When it was time to shoot a scene, the usual "Quiet on the Set!" was heard, but for this movie set an additional shout out of "HOLD THE TOPS!" was loud and clear. This meant to literally "hold" your top in your hand and stop throwing it onto the practice plywood sheets/boards; which was, of course, very noisy. (especially when more than 100 kids & adults had tops!)

Kieran and the other stars did spin tops for the scenes, and Judith would spin the tops for the difficult scenes and as the opposite top spinner in many scenes.

A few more stories are on the Top Museum website's Hollywood page: https://www.topmuseum.org/19.html

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.....When you watch the movie, please wait until the end of the credits, and when you read "Spinning Top Museum," please clap really LOUD! We will hear you in Burlington, Wisconsin!
Thank-you....
~Judith D. Schulz


PHOTOS
> Image of Kieren Culkin & Judith D. Schulz on set in Cleveland: Kieren is practicing balancing & lifting the spinning top in his hand up toward Judith's face. The top is an un-painted rehearsal top, somewhat smaller than the tops Judith used, so it would fit the boy's hand.

> Image of Kieran Culkin winning a 2025 Oscar for his role in the movie “A Real Pain”

> Image of the movie jacket cover: Kieran Culkin is the boy on the far right on the bike.

> Image from the movie jacket back: Kieran is in the middle, and the top was thrown onto the sidewalk by Judith, in front of the boys. This scene was the very first time MGM filmed a top throw by Judith.

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Back at the Spinning Top Museum, classes are offered on learning how to spin this type of top!
--for ages 7-107. A classic wood top is included in the class, to use & keep!
https://www.topmuseum.org/25.html
----At the class, we will even show you some of the tops (action props) from the movie!
Spinning Top & Yo-Yo Burlington Wisconsin.
Downtown Burlington Wisconsin
www.topmuseum.org

Please follow our Facebook Page: Spinning Top & Yo-Yo Museum

[the Earl of Whirl]

Yes, I have been watching the award season quite closely and was hoping Kieran would win. He has had quite a year thanks to a great start by a certain top spinning woman!!!

[ta0]

Wow! Thanks for sharing this, Judith!

That's going to be a great piece of top spinning trivia

[the Earl of Whirl]

Her stories are amazing. She told me she showed the Four Tops how to throw tops!!!

[the Earl of Whirl]

There was this other guy who stopped by the movie set. A guy by the name of Macaulay Culkin!!! She taught him how to throw tops, too. Today is his 45th birthday.