Mandy Moore recently shared an amusing anecdote about her introduction to cocktails, courtesy of a fellow former child star. During an appearance on Evan Ross Katz’s podcast, “Shut Up Evan,” the 42-year-old actress unveiled how her “Saved” co-star, Macaulay Culkin, played a pivotal role in her first experience with underage drinking.
Back in 2004, while filming the teen comedy “Saved” in Vancouver, Canada, Moore was just 18 years old. The movie, directed by Brian Dannelly, explores the lives of teenagers at a Christian high school. In Canada, the legal drinking age is 19, making Moore’s experience technically underage.
“I do remember a little bit of underage drinking,” Moore confessed, reflecting on that time. “I was like, ‘Look, I didn’t go to high school.’ I was 18.” She explained the context as Culkin, now 45, was the eldest among the cast, which included Jena Malone, Patrick Fugit, and Eva Amurri.
Culkin introduced the young actors to White Russians, a cocktail that quickly won Moore over. She recalled her initial reaction, saying, “I was like, ‘Milk and alcohol? This was made for me. I love this! This is like ice cream, this is fantastic!'” The light-hearted revelation from Moore adds a charming layer to the behind-the-scenes stories of her early career.
Culkin, now 45, was the oldest in the cast that included Jena Malone, Patrick Fugit and Eva Amurri.
After he acquainted the group with White Russians, Moore said: ‘I was like, “Milk and alcohol? This was made for me. I love this! This is like ice cream, this is fantastic!”‘
Mandy Moore has name dropped the former child star who introduced her to her first cocktail; pictured May 18
While appearing on Evan Ross Katz’s podcast Shut Up Evan on Thursday, the 42-year-old actress – who has responded to Ashley Tisdale’s ‘toxic’ mom group essay – revealed her Saved co-star Macaulay Culkin got her into underage drinking
Daily Mail has reached out to reps for Moore and Culkin for comment.
Despite experimenting with alcohol while underage, the entertainer said the castmates were an ‘innocent’ bunch.
‘I distinctly remember the sweet, innocent – like, we would take giant marshmallows and throw them at people off the balcony,’ she shared. ‘We were kids! We weren’t really getting up to no good.’
Saved followed Moore’s previous movies, 2001’s Princess Diaries and 2002’s A Walk to Remember.
She compared making the films to a ‘summer camp’ experience.
‘The fact that I’d had so much fun doing both of those films, namely Princess Diaries, because it was with a lot of other young people – I was like, oh, this is like summer camp!’ she enthused.
The pop star-turned-actress detailed, ‘I felt like a cool kid. I was like, oh, I get to sit at the cool kids table with these young Hollywood kids that are making really cool choices, and they’re a part of really great films.’
And she called making Saved a ‘crazy, crazy life-changing experience.’
After Culkin acquainted the group with White Russians, Moore said: ‘I was like, “Milk and alcohol? This was made for me. I love this! This is like ice cream, this is fantastic”‘
L-R Elizabeth Thai, Heather Matarazzo and Moore
The Brian Dannelly-directed movie is about a group of teenagers at a Christian high school
Seen at the Saved premiere in Los Angeles at age 18 in 2004
Moore played the supporting role of Hilary Faye, the best friend of the film’s protagonist Mary (Malone).
Mary attempts to ‘save’ her boyfriend from being gay, but ends up getting pregnant.
Moore gushed, ‘I just loved the script and the character, and I thought it was really irreverent and funny, and also like, gonna move the needle.’
She said she hoped it would ‘open up a door to other projects,’ as audiences would get to see her ‘in a different light.’
Moore has gone on to have an illustrious acting career, starring in the successful NBC drama This Is Us from 2016 to 2022.
Her role as the maternal figure Rebecca Pearson earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 2017 and an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in 2019.
The cast took home a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2018 and 2019.
