The magic of Home Alone continues to live on, and with it, the amusing and surprising stories from behind the scenes. In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Daniel Stern—best known as Marv, the bumbling half of the Wet Bandits—revealed a little-known incident involving his co-star Joe Pesci and Macaulay Culkin during the filming of the 1990 Christmas classic.

Stern recalled that Pesci, playing the menacing Harry, accidentally bit Culkin’s finger a little harder than intended during a pivotal scene. "Joe is … he’s wonderful, I love him, he’s a dear friend, but he’s a scary dude, and he was carrying it all," Stern laughed. "We were trying in the first movie to actually be scary to start with, and then you realize we’re idiots. But there was a fear factor that set up the drama of the thing."

In the scene where Harry threatens to bite Kevin’s fingers off, Pesci committed fully—perhaps too much. "Yeah, I think he did bite it as he was biting his finger, and then he bit it—like, ‘Oh crap, I didn’t really mean to,’" Stern recalled. "Joe was like, ‘Ah, sorry I did that.’ But that’s the only time you might see Pesci break."

The story resurfaced after Culkin recently discussed the incident with The New York Times. "He was trying to scare me," Culkin said, noting Pesci’s commitment to his role. "He was like, ‘I want to be menacing to this kid.’" The Goodfellas star inadvertently went too far while rehearsing the scene. "I have a scar," Culkin admitted. "I saw his face—and I’ve never, ever seen Joe Pesci actually scared because he’s like, ‘I just bit a kid!’"

Pesci, who rarely comments on the film’s lore, declined to respond to the recent recollections.

Home Alone, written and produced by John Hughes, remains a holiday staple over three decades since its release. The film follows 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Culkin) as he defends his home from two burglars after his family accidentally leaves him behind during a Christmas trip to Paris. Earlier this year, the iconic Illinois home from the film sold for over $5 million after just a week on the market. Culkin joked he considered buying it "just for giggles."

Reflecting on the film’s enduring popularity, Stern believes the combination of heart and humor keeps audiences coming back. "There’s so much heart in it. It’s so funny. You know, I think we’re really funny … and it’s got a great holiday, Christmas-y feel to it," Stern said. "But I think the thing that really stands out is the kid getting us. Everybody wants that kid to win. It’s a kid-empowerment movie."