Natalie Portman’s latest pregnancy photo drew congratulations from several Hollywood stars, but Macaulay Culkin needed only two words to attract attention.
The Home Alone actor responded “Gee whiz” after Portman shared a maternity portrait on Instagram on July 29.
The brief exchange connected two longtime friends who became famous as young performers during the 1990s.
Portman, 45, is expecting her third child and her first with French music producer Tanguy Destable, who performs under the name Tepr.
Culkin Kept His Reaction to Two Words
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Photographer Shelby Duncan captured the portrait. “Counting the days until we meet you,” Portman wrote alongside the image. Culkin, 45, responded in the comments with the old-fashioned exclamation “Gee whiz.”
He did not elaborate or explain whether he intended the phrase as a reference to Kevin McCallister, the character he played in the first two Home Alone movies. Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Garner and Julianne Moore were among the other celebrities who commented on Portman’s post.
The Photograph Was Not Portman’s Pregnancy Announcement
Portman had already confirmed the pregnancy in an April interview with Harper’s Bazaar. “Tanguy and I are very excited,” she said at the time. “I’m just very grateful. I know it’s such a privilege and a miracle.”
Portman said growing up as the child of a fertility doctor made her particularly aware of how difficult conceiving can be for many people. “I have so many people I love who’ve had such a hard time with it that I want to be respectful around that as well,” she said. “It’s such a beautiful, joyous thing, and it’s also not an easy thing.”
The actor shares son Aleph, 15, and daughter Amalia, 9, with her former husband, director and choreographer Benjamin Millepied. Their divorce was finalized in France in February 2024. Destable also has two sons from his previous relationship with French actor Louise Bourgoin.
Portman and Culkin Have Been Friends for More Than 30 Years
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Culkin became an international star through the 1990 comedy Home Alone, while Portman made her feature-film debut as Mathilda in 1994’s Léon: The Professional. Their friendship continued after their child-star years. Culkin attended Portman’s 2012 wedding to Millepied, and the two were photographed spending time together in Paris on March 6, 2026.
During that outing, the longtime friends walked through the city, stopped for lunch and were photographed laughing together. Both were in Paris during Fashion Week.
Culkin has said that stepping away from acting after 1994’s Richie Rich allowed him to spend time with people his own age after years of carrying major film productions largely by himself. He eventually returned to acting through selective roles in projects including Dollface, American Horror Story, The Righteous Gemstones and Running Point.
Portman Has Not Revealed Her Due Date
She told Harper’s Bazaar that she had more energy than expected and was staying active through swimming and Gyrotonic exercise while spending time with her children in Paris.
Portman also acknowledged that this could be her final pregnancy. “There is a gratitude that when you’re young, you don’t necessarily grasp,” she said. “And knowing it’s probably the last time, I cherish every moment.”