Unbeknownst to many fans of the Christmas classic Home Alone, there is a wild theory regarding an extra in one of the movie’s scenes. According to some believers, the King of Rock and Roll himself, Elvis Presley, can be seen in the background of Home Alone. However, Elvis died 13 years prior to the movie’s release.
Elvis died in 1977
The movie Home Alone was filmed and premiered in 1990. And Ginger Alden found Elvis Presley dead on his bathroom floor at Graceland on Aug. 16, 1977. He was 42 years old.
His cause of death has been disputed over the years, but, officially, Elvis died of cardiac arrhythmia. Many reports claim that he also had 14 drugs in his system at the time of his death. Whatever the case may be, Elvis’ death shocked the world. Fans from all over came to Graceland for his funeral.
Elvis’ body and his mother’s were reburied in Graceland’s Meditation Garden after someone attempted to steal his body from Forest Hill Cemetery shortly after his death.
Since 1977, many people have entertained the possibility that Elvis is not dead. They believe he faked his death and is somewhere out there, alive. And, as mentioned previously, they have even gone so far as to claim he makes a cameo in the holiday movie Home Alone.
Is Elvis Presley in the holiday movie, ‘Home Alone’?
According to PopCulture.com, some fans believe that Home Alone proves that the King of Rock and Roll is alive.
In an airport scene with Catherine O’Hara’s character, extras stand behind her, waiting in line. Many believe that the man who appears over O’Hara’s left shoulder bears a striking resemblance to Elvis. However, other than the fact that the singer died 13 years before the film’s release, there are many ways to disprove that Elvis makes a cameo in Home Alone.
Home Alone‘s director, Chris Columbus, commented on the theory. He said, “They are convinced, these people, that this is Elvis Presley. That he’s faked his death, and because he still loves show business, he’s an extra in Home Alone … Look at this guy, he’s not Elvis Presley!”
In 2018, Kenny Biddle of Skeptical Inquirer tracked down the real extra, Gary Grott, and contacted his family.
Grott’s son, Roman, said, “Since he is no longer with us and since you’ve somehow deduced that it was he who appeared in the scene, after consulting with my mom, I feel comfortable confirming your theory for you. My dad, Gary Richard Grott, was indeed the extra in the airport scene of Home Alone. He knew Chris Columbus personally. And Columbus used him in a number of his movies as an extra, most notably in Home Alone.”
So, although a group of people believes that Elvis is in Home Alone, in reality, it was Gary Grott.
How can fans watch the movie, ‘Home Alone’?
Home Alone, along with many other holiday movies, is currently available to stream on Disney+.
The other films in the franchise — Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Home Alone 3, Home Alone 4, Home Alone: The Holiday Heist, and Home Sweet Home Alone — are also on the streaming service.