See What Peter Billingsley and the Cast of 'A Christmas Story' Are Up to Now (2024)

Peter Billingsley as Ralphie Parker

By the time he made hearts melt at age 11 inA Christmas Story, Billingsley had a fair amount of acting experience, including in the 1981 comediesHonky Tonk FreewayandPaternity.

Following his star-turning role in the 1983 holiday classic, Billingsley led the cast of 1985'sThe Dirt Bike Kidand made several guest appearances on shows likeWho's the Boss?,The Wonder YearsandPunky Brewster. He earned a DaytimeEmmynod for a single episode stint on theCBS Schoolbreak Specialin 1995. With a few other cameo exceptions (yep, that's him in 2003'sElf), Billingsley began focusing on working behind the camera in his adulthood.

The former child actor told PEOPLE in October 2022 that he has "been mostly driven by making movies." In 2005, he earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for his production work onDinner for Five,starring his friendVince Vaughn. The two later collaborated to co-produce 2022'sChristmas with the Campbellsand the holiday movie podcastA Cinematic Christmas Journey, with Billingsley co-hosting alongside actor Steve Byrne.

As for him reprising Ralphie inA Christmas Story Christmas, Billingsley revealed he was excited to combine the filmmaking skills he's acquired over the years.

"It was a nice opportunity to channel my writing, producing and acting all back into one," Billingsley told PEOPLE.

Melinda Dillon as Mrs. Parker

Before starring as the matriarch of the Parker family, Melinda Dillon was an established actress onstage and on the big screen. She was nominated for twoAcademy Awardsfor her performances inSteven Spielberg'sClose Encounters of the Third Kind(1977) andAbsence of Malice(1981).

Dillon also received aGolden Globenod in 1976 for her role in the Woody Guthrie biopicBound for Gloryand earned aTony Awardnomination for her Broadway debut in the 1963 original production ofWho's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

After warning Ralphie that he'd "shoot his eye out" with his BB gun, Dillon went on to costar with John Lithgow inHarry and the Hendersons(1987). She also appeared inHow to Make an American Quilt(1995) andPaul Thomas Anderson'sMagnolia(1999), which earned her and her castmates a Golden Globe nomination for outstanding performance. Dillon retired from acting in 2007, and her role as Mrs. Parker was played by Julie Hagerty inA Christmas Story Christmas.

In January 2023, Dillondied at age 83. A month later, Billingsleyhonored her memoryon Instagram, writing, "I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to call her my on-screen mother. Rest in peace, Melinda."

Darren McGavin as Mr. Parker

Darren McGavin's portrayal of Ralphie's grouchy yet loving father, known simply as "The Old Man" in the film, has touched generations of fans. The actor, who died in 2006, was already a show biz veteran by 1983, when he brought the Old Man Parker to life on-screen. He performed in original Broadway productions likeMy Three AngelsandRainmakerand starred in mid-century feature films like 1955'sSummertimewithKatharine Hepburn.

McGavin could be seen on small screens throughout his career — beforeA Christmas Story, playing the lead in the 1972 TV filmThe Night Stalkerand on its ABC series spinoff. After taking on Mr. Parker, he continued portraying a parent in various shows and movies, such as 1995'sBilly Madison. McGavin playedAdam Sandler's dad inBilly Madisonin 1995, and he received a Primetime Emmy nomination in 1990 for his portrayal of the titular lead's father onMurphy Brown.

A Christmas Story Christmasbegins with the unexpected death of the Old Man, and according to McGavin's former on-screen son, the sequel "is, in many ways, a love letter to the Old Man character and to Darren himself."

Billingsley continued, "Darren was the best. He was such a gifted actor and a great person and such a mentor to me in the shooting of the first film, and was kind of like having [another] dad."

Jean Shepherd as Adult Ralphie

The voice presenting eachA Christmas Storyvignette is more than just a narrator — it's Jean Shepherd, a broadcast personality, humorist and the closest thing there is to a real-life Ralphie Parker. The hit holiday film is based on Shepherd's semi-autobiographical collection of short storiesIn God We Trust:All Others Pay Cash, published in 1966.

Known as the first "radio novelist" by some,according to The Paley Center for Media,Shepherd was well-established as a writer and on-air host before the movie adaptation of his festive flashbacks. However, he kept up his knack for comedy and storytelling until he died in 1999. Shepherd continued bringing to life the stories that inspiredA Christmas Storywith the 1994 film adaptationMy Summer Story.

BeyondA Christmas Story's impact, Shepherd left a broad legacy in the comedy world:Jerry Seinfeldhas shared how the late author impacted his own humor, and even paid tribute to him in 2005through his third child's name.

Ian Petrella as Randy Parker

The actor behind Ralphie's little brother, Ian Petrella, was only 8 years old when he played little Randy Parker. AfterA Christmas Story, Petrella appeared onDiff'rent Strokes,Who's the Boss?andBeverly Hills, 90210.

He broke away from acting during the aughts and found a new calling while traveling around Europe. He stayed in the Czech Republic to study the art of marionette puppetry. When he returned to the States, he dove back into show business and started creating animated shorts before signing on for the holiday favorite's HBO sequel,A Christmas Story Christmas.

Zack Ward as Scut Farkus

A ChristmasStory's memorable bully, Scut Farkus, was played by Zack Ward, who can be seen on many hit shows, includingNCIS,LostandAmerican Horror StoryandZ Nation, and in several major films likeAlmost Famous(2000) andTransformers(2007). He also starred as Dave Scouvel — the titular character's half-brother — onTitus.

In 2018, Ward gave PEOPLE the inside scoop on how he wound up int he role of Scut Farkus back in 1983, which he reprised for the 2022 sequel. After several auditions, Ward originally got the role of the antagonizer's sidekick, Grover Dill, played byYano Anaya.

"I only had like two lines, and I showed up on set right beside Yano Anaya and met [director] Bob Clark for the first time," Ward told PEOPLE in 2019, the year ofA Christmas Story's 35th anniversary. "He saw that I was a foot taller than Yano and said, 'You get his lines, he gets yours.' So Scut Farkus became the bully, and I became the beloved jackass of Christmas."

Scott Schwartz as Flick

Scott Schwartz was just a year out of his first big comedy role in 1982'sThe Toy, starringRichard Pryorand Jackie Gleason, before he became Flick, one of Ralphie's best — and most daring — friends inA Christmas Story.Just two years after Schwartz memorably froze his tongue to a pole in the name of film magic, he went on to costar withLiza Minnelli,Corey Haimand Jeffrey DeMunn in the 1985 made-for-TV filmA Time to Live.

By the end of the '80s, Schwartz and his father started a memorabilia store aptly called Sports and Movies Stuff. The former child star has kept up his sports collection business. He's written for sports publications and even started his own line of celebrity trading cards. However, Schwartz didn't step away from acting completely and took the opportunity to reprise Flick inA Christmas Story Christmas, as well as appear in indie films likeNormal Terror(2021) andThe Friendly(2023).

R.D. Robb as Schwartz

R.D. Robb was new to show business in 1983, when he played Schwartz, a friend ofA Christmas Story's kid protagonist. In the '90s, Robb nabbed a few minor TV and movie parts – he played Roy inMatilda(1996) and appeared onER's second season for a single-episode stint.

Eventually, Robb ventured behind the camera, and in 1995, he even directedLeonardo DiCaprioandTobey Maguirein a 2001 indie drama calledDon's Plum(which the two starsprevented from being shownin the United States or Canada).

Robb's most recent acting gig before reviving Schwartz for the holiday sequel was a three-episode run onThe Goldbergs.

Yano Anaya as Grover Dill

Just afterA Christmas Story, Anaya was featured in Van Halen's "Hot For Teacher" music video as a young Michael Anthony Jr. He appeared in a couple of films in the late '80s before becoming a fitness and body transformation expert. Along with his return to acting forA Christmas Story Christmasin 2022, the man behind bully Grover Dill expressed interest in buying the iconic house from the film. However, the ownerhad a public dispute with the actorand later sold it to another buyer.

Tedde Moore as Miss Shields

Tedde Moore — who played Ralphie Parker's teacher, Miss Shields — was the onlyA Christmas Storycast member to reprise her role for the follow-up filmA Summer Story.

Before she retired from acting in 2017, Moore appeared in movies and on TV shows as an actress and voiceover artist. Moore let her Christmas spirit shine once again, playing Mrs. Claus in 2011'sMistletoe Over ManhattanandDaisy in 2017'sMagical Christmas Ornaments.