Why ‘Home Alone’ star Daniel Stern left Hollywood to ‘raise cattle’ and ‘grow tangerines’

Though he stars in one of the most popular Christmas movies of all time, Daniel Stern — who is best known for playing one of the Wet Bandits, Marv, in the classic 1990 holiday film “Home Alone” — prefers a quiet life away from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood.

Earlier this week, Stern, who spends most of his time raising cattle and creating sculptures at his farm in Ventura, California, gave fans a sneak peek at what life has been like since stepping back from the entertainment industry.

“Hello, as you will come to discover, I live on a farm, and we grow tangerines here,” Stern said in a TikTok video that has since gained a lot of attention.

“I juice them up and then freeze them and give them away to my friends,” he continued before giving viewers a glimpse of his work station. 

Not only does Stern tend to his citrus and cattle, he is also a distinguished artist.

In another video, Stern showed off an impressive sculpture he has been working on that portrays a woman lying on a chair.

“Incredible work of art! Had no idea you were a sculptor,” one fan commented. 

“So Marv is now a sculptor and farmer. Living the dream,” another wrote. 

Earlier this year, Stern, who released a memoir titled “Home and Alone” in May, opened up about his successful work in the industry. 

“I almost blew it a couple times,” he told the Los Angeles Times of certain career moves.

In fact, Stern, who starred alongside Joe Pesci and Macaulay Culkin in “Home Alone” and “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” said he almost lost out on playing Marv as a result of “the stupidest decisions in my showbusiness life.”

Stern said he initially backed out of the deal due to disagreements in the contract. The role was recast, but after a couple of days of rehearsals, the producers urged him to come back. 

For that, he is eternally grateful. 

“How many people in the world are stopped by perfect strangers who tell them, ‘I love you. My family loves you. You bring us joy. You are a part of our family holiday tradition,’ and all of the other wonderful things people say to me all the time?” Stern told the Times.