The life and times of Macauley Culkin have been stranger than the script of any movie ever written. From his child stardom in 'Home Alone' to his friendship with Michael Jackson, his arrests and legal troubles and his multiple 'retirements' from acting (and subsequent returns), he's seen his fair share of highs and lows. His desire to shake off his 'Home Alone' typecasting have seen him try a number of experimental roles. The part of Michael Alig in 2003's 'Party Monster' was one such experiment.
This was Culkin's first movie role in nine years, and his first as an adult. It didn't do well. The real-life Michael Alig was gay, but he was also a party-obsessed socialite who got deeply involved in drugs and ended up going to jail for murder, with no redemption angle or seemingly any likable traits. Because of that, a biography of him was never likely to appeal to audiences, and it didn't. It returned less than $1m of a $5m budget, and Culkin went back to the drawing board.
To insure one’s house, one’s car or to underwrite a life insurance policy, that is common practice. But who would pay an insurance premium for his/her thumb, legs or smile? Stars, of course.
At the top of the ranking are the legs of Mariah Carey, worth 810 million USD: The diva became, in 2006, the Gillette brand muse for the advertising campaign «Legs of a Goddess». She then took out an insurance policy with London Lloyds to protect her legs, a decision that is far from being insignificant. Among its customers, the London insurer then included several icons of music, such as Bob Dylan or Rod Stewart.
David Beckham’s body insured for 195 million USD: European champion with Manchester United in 1999, David Beckham was in 2006 the most renowned footballer of the planet. In relation to his sporting activities, he took out an insurance cover for his legs. The huge amount paid for his insurance would reportedly exceed the 103 million USD disbursed by Real Madrid for the cover of Christiano Ronaldo in 2009. The fashion model would later extend his insurance cover to his entire body.
15 million USD in insurance for Kim Kardashian’s curves: The curves of Kim Kardashian are her number one beauty asset. The reality TV star, who is crazy about plastic surgery, has underwritten an insurance policy worth 15 million USD to protect her famous butt.
The culinary critic Egon Ronay assured his taste buds: The famous Hungarian culinary critic has insured his taste buds since 1957, for the amount of 400 000 USD. An original insurance policy which allows him to cover his sense of taste without which he will no longer be able to practice his job.