The Original 'A Christmas Story' Cast Looks So Different 37 Years Later

Good Housekeeping

Thu, December 1, 2016 at 9:25 PM UTC

The Original 'A Christmas Story' Cast Looks So Different 37 Years Later — Christmas officially begins with a 24-hour marathon of *A Christmas Story*. Originally released in 1983, the holiday comedy introduced the Parker family with Ralphie (**Peter Billingsley**) on a mission to get his hands on a Red Rider 200-shot Range Model air rifle. Today, more than 37 years later, fans still laughing along to Old Man Parker (**Darren McGavin**) swearing at the good-for-nothing furnace, and Mother Parker (**Melinda Dillon**) trying to get Randy (**Ian Petrella**) to eat his dinner. If you’ve ever wondered what the cast of *A Christmas Story* is up to now, you’ll want to check out our full rundown while you watch Ralphie jump through hoops to get his most desired Christmas gift.
Courtesy of MGM

Then: Peter Billingsley — Before he was the iconic be-speckled Ralphie Parker, **Peter Billingsley** starred in a handful of shows and TV movies, including *Paternity* which featured actor **Burt Reynolds**. When the native New Yorker began his career, at age 7, he appeared in a commercial for Hershey's Syrup as "Messy Marvin" — a young boy known for creating messes except when he wanted a glass of chocolate milk.
**RELATED:** See Peter Billingsley A.K.A. Ralphie From 'A Christmas Story' Now
MGM

Now: Peter Billingsley — Since *A Christmas Story*, Peter has continued to act and land roles in *The Dirt Bike Kid,* *The Wonder Years*, *Elf*, and *Spider-Man: Far from Home*, among others. In addition to starring in *The Break-Up*, *Iron Man*, and *Four Christmases*, he was also an executive producer. With this new set of skills, Peter revisited his childhood masterpiece as the executive producer of *A Christmas Story: The Musical*, which premiered on Broadway in 2012 and received three Tony nominations the following year.
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Then: Darren McGavin — Best known for his prolific TV career, **Darren McGavin** got his start on Broadway appearing in critically acclaimed productions, including *Death of a Salesman*, *The Rainmaker*, and *The King and I*. He then transitioned to title characters in hit series like *Mike Hammer*, *Kolchak: The Night Stalker*, and *Riverboat* before playing the role of Ralphie and Randy's grumpy, not-so-handy dad. The Old Man Parker, as he's affectionately known in the film, also really knew how to swear and directed most of his frustration towards that good-for-nothing furnace. Oh, and the dogs next door, of course.
MGM

Now: Darren McGavin — Darren went on to portray the opinionated patriarch in the CBS sitcom *Murphy Brown*, for which he received an Emmy Award nomination in 1990. Afterwards, the Washington native had supporting roles in the horror movie *Happy Hell Night* and comedy *Billy Madison*, opposite **Adam Sandler**. In 2006, Darren died at the age of 83 in Los Angeles.
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Then: Melinda Dillon — **Melinda Dillon**'s history with acting runs deep. Before playing beloved Mother Parker in *A Christmas Story*, she earned a Tony Award nomination for her 1963 Broadway debut in *Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?* She was then nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her role in the biographical film *Bound for Glory*. Over the next five years, she'd go on to be a two-time Oscars nominee for her performances in the sci-fi film *Close Encounters of the Third Kind* and the thriller *Absence of Malice*.
MGM

Now: Melinda Dillon — After being at the center of Ralphie's quest to get the Red Rider 200-shot Range Model air rifle for Christmas, Melinda (pictured on the right), scored notable roles in the comedy *Harry and the Hendersons*, **Barbra Streisand**'s romantic drama *The Prince of Tides*, and the psychological drama *Magnolia*, among others. She has also guest starred in TV shows like *The Twilight Zone*, *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit*, and *Heartland*.
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Then: Ian Petrella — **Ian Petrella** began his acting career at age 3, thanks to the encouragement of his aunt who worked at a talent agency. More than a decade later, the California native landed his iconic role as Ralphie's little brother, Randy. Before that, Ian had only appeared once in front the cameras as a guest on the crime drama TV show *CHiPs*.
MGM

Now: Ian Petrella — After the classic holiday film, at the age of 17, Ian became the youngest member to be accepted to the prestigious Groundling's Comedy Theater in Los Angeles, where he took comedy workshops. A jack-of-all-trades, Ian eventually decided to train and perform all over the world as a puppeteer. While doing this, he also discovered a passion for animation and cartooning. In 2013, Ian reunited with his fellow cast members for the 20th anniversary of *A Christmas Story*. This rekindled his love of acting and while he's appeared as new characters again, he's also co-founded a production company.
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Then: Scott Schwartz — Oh, Flick. **Scott Schwartz**'s character should have stuck up for himself instead of licking that frozen pole — but, after all, he was triple-dog-dared. Unlike many of his costars, Scott got his big break before *A Christmas Story*, when he starred alongside **Richard Pryor** and **Jackie Gleason** in *The Toy*. The New Jersey actor also filmed the comedy *Kidco* in 1982, but it wasn't released until two years later.
**RELATED:** Here's Where 'A Christmas Story' Was Filmed 37 Years Ago
MGM

Now: Scott Schwartz — Since the late 1980s, Scott has managed a sports and movie memorabilia store, Sports and Movie Stuff, with his father in Simi Valley, California. In 2014 he became president of "A Minor Consideration," an organization that lobbies for the protection of children in the entertainment industry. During the coronavirus pandemic, Scott began appearing in the YouTube comedy series *The Quarantine Bunch*alongside other child stars.
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Then: R.D. Robb — **R.D. Robb** made his acting debut as Schwartz, one of Ralphie's friends, who famously dished out Flick's triple-dog-dare.
MGM

Now: R.D. Robb — R.D. continued to act after *A Christmas Story* and landed a role in *The Brady Bunch Movie* as Charlie Anderson. In 1995, he co-wrote and directed Don's Plum, an angst-ridden teen short film that starred **Leonardo DiCaprio** and **Tobey Maguire**. Shortly after, R.D. appeared on the medical drama show ER and the fantasy comedy movie *Matilda*. He's also produced a handful of projects, including the Freeform TV series *Siren*. Most recently, R.D. guest starred in ABC's comedy series *The Goldbergs* as a photographer.
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Then: Zack Ward — **Zack Ward** was inspired by his mother, actress **Pam Hyatt**, to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. Although she had initial reservations, Zack quickly proved himself. After auditioning alongside 300 other children actors, Zack landed the role of Ralphie's nemesis, "yellow-eyed" Scut Farkus. Interestingly enough, he was originally up for the part of Scut's sidekick, Grover.
MGM

Then: Yano Anaya — **Yano Anaya** made his acting debut at age 11, playing Scut's sidekick, Grover Dill.
**RELATED:** The 70+ Best Christmas Movies of All Time
MGM

Now: Yano Anaya — Yano continued acting for a handful of years after *A Christmas Story*. He had a minor role in the surrealist teen dark comedy film *Better Off Dead*. In 1988, he was featured alongside Dylan McDermott and Dean Stockwell in the indie flick *The Blue Iguana*. Most recently, in 2017, he was a part of the comedy drama *Sunday Mornings*. Yano turned his attention to health and fitness, becoming "a body transformation expert and exercise science educator." In 2009, he married **Selena Anduze**.
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Then: Tedde Moore — **Tedde Moore**'s acting career began more than two decades before she appeared as Miss Shields. Starting from 1961, she appeared in TV shows like *Encounter*, *Police Surgeon*, *Sidestreet*, and *For the Record*. Tedde was also featured in a mix of movie roles, including *Rip-Off*, *Second Wind*, *Murder by Decree*, and *The Amateur*. She won Best Supporting Actress at the Canadian Film Awards for her work in *Second Wind*.
MGM

Now: Tedde Moore — Throughout the years, Tedde has been spotted in shows, and TV movies. Her most notable work includes the TV series *Friday the 13th: The Series*, *RoboCop: Prime Directives*, and *The Kennedys*. She's also lent her voice for the children's animated shows *Rolie Polie Olie* and *Little Einsteins*. What's more, Tedde has made a name for herself in the Hallmark world, appearing in *Mistletoe Over Manhattan* and *Magical Christmas Ornaments*.
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The Original 'A Christmas Story' Cast Looks So Different 37 Years Later

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Christmas officially begins with a 24-hour marathon of A Christmas Story. Originally released in 1983, the holiday comedy introduced the Parker family with Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) on a mission to get his hands on a Red Rider 200-shot Range Model air rifle. Today, more than 37 years later, fans still laughing along to Old Man Parker (Darren McGavin) swearing at the good-for-nothing furnace, and Mother Parker (Melinda Dillon) trying to get Randy (Ian Petrella) to eat his dinner. If you’ve ever wondered what the cast of A Christmas Story is up to now, you’ll want to check out our full rundown while you watch Ralphie jump through hoops to get his most desired Christmas gift.

Courtesy of MGM

Here's where the hilarious characters ended up. ??

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The Original 'A Christmas Story' Cast Looks So Different 37 Years Later

The Original 'A Christmas Story' Cast Looks So Different 37 Years Later

The Original 'A Christmas Story' Cast Looks So Different 37 Years Later

Then: Peter Billingsley

Now: Peter Billingsley

Then: Darren McGavin

Now: Darren McGavin

Then: Melinda Dillon

Now: Melinda Dillon

Then: Ian Petrella

Now: Ian Petrella

Then: Scott Schwartz

Now: Scott Schwartz

Then: R.D. Robb

Now: R.D. Robb

Then: Zack Ward

Then: Zack Ward

Then: Yano Anaya

Now: Yano Anaya

Then: Tedde Moore

Now: Tedde Moore

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