The season two premiere of Netflix's basketball dramedy Running Point became a romantic showcase for engaged couple Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song, who transformed the Hollywood event into their personal date night on Wednesday evening in Los Angeles.
Blue Carpet Romance
The twosome, parents to two young sons and engaged since 2022, appeared completely captivated by each other throughout the evening's festivities. Culkin, the 45-year-old Home Alone star, maintained a supportive hand on his sweetheart practically the entire night, while Song, 38, looked utterly besotted with her fiancé of four years.
At one particularly sweet moment, the couple zoomed in for an impromptu kiss as the crowd milled around them, seemingly in their own happy world despite the premiere's bustling atmosphere. They were joined on the distinctive blue carpet by Song's co-stars including Kate Hudson, Chet Hanks, Drew Tarver, Scott MacArthur, and series creator Mindy Kaling.
A Dream Project for Basketball Fanatic
For Song, who plays chief of staff and best friend Ali Lee to Hudson's character Isla Gordon in the series, Running Point represents what she calls her "dream project." The mom-of-two happens to be a genuine basketball fanatic, making the sports-themed show a perfect professional fit.
"When I heard Mindy Kaling was doing an untitled basketball project starring Kate Hudson, I was like, 'What do I need to do? Do I need to give blood to be a part of this show? This is my dream,'" Song revealed to People magazine.
Her basketball credentials run deep. Growing up watching Michael Jordan with her Chicago Bulls-fan father, Song became a hardcore Los Angeles Lakers fan when Kobe Bryant was drafted in 1996. "For those 20 years, I watched 82 games a year, I listened to it on the radio," she explained.
Basketball Obsession Through the Years
Song's passion for the sport was so intense during her Disney Channel days on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody that she had a monitor under the bleachers to watch games during filming. Her dressing room even featured a realistic cardboard cutout of the late Kobe Bryant.
"I have sneakers that were customized that say Ms. Brenda Bryant. That was my AIM screen name: Ms. Brenda Bryant," the actress shared, highlighting her long-standing dedication to basketball culture.
No Wedding Rush for Long-Term Couple
Despite being together for nine years and engaged for four, Culkin and Song appear in no particular hurry to set a wedding date. The couple, who share sons Dakota (5) and Carson (3), have considered eloping but decided against it for family reasons.
"We talked about eloping, but I was like, 'If we eloped, my mom would have a heart attack that she wasn't going to be there,'" Song told In Style last year. Culkin immediately chimed in, "I wouldn't even!" indicating his respect for his future mother-in-law's feelings.
The series itself follows Hudson's character as she becomes president of her family's Los Angeles basketball team when her brother (played by Justin Theroux) enters rehabilitation. Song's character serves as both professional support and personal confidante in the high-stakes sports world setting.
Throughout the premiere event, Culkin's unwavering support for his fiancée's career milestone was evident, with the couple frequently laughing and smiling together as they celebrated Song's involvement in what she considers her ideal professional project.
