What The Cast Of A Christmas Story Looks Like Now
Can you believe A Christmas Story turns 40 years old this year? There's a reason why many TV channels play the 1983 film on a 24-hour loop every December. It effortlessly captures the excitement felt by children and families everywhere around the holiday season. And considering the success of the movie, we bet you're more than familiar with all of its cast by now. Here's what they've been up to since shooting the film all those years ago. It's safe to say they've been doing more than praying for a Red Ryder BB gun...
A holiday classic
A Christmas Story has more than earned its place as one of the most played movies around the holidays each year. Not only is it funny and full of nostalgia, but it accurately captures the excitement of Christmas for children everywhere. Nothing screams "Christmas" more than Ralphie's pink Easter suit or Flick's tongue getting stuck to a frozen flagpole. And, of course, Ralphie's father's "major award" (the leg lamp) glowing in the window is the ultimate Christmas decoration!
Where are they now?
While the film has become a global hit, many people don't know what happened to all the actors since it was released. That's why we've done the work for you and figured out exactly what they've been up to all these years. Some of the more familiar faces at the time — especially Melinda Dillon and Darren McGavin as Ralphie's parents — continued to have interesting careers, while the child actors went in vastly different directions.
Ian Petrella (Randy Parker)
As Ralphie's younger brother, Randy is easily one of the most memorable characters from this film. He practically became the poster boy for mothers everywhere who felt compelled to overdress their children for the winter. With his high-pitched whine and snorting laugh, it was hard not to love Randy, even when he was embodying the typical "annoying little brother" role.
From potatoes to puppets
Since the film, Ian Petrella moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where the interior and exterior scenes of the house were filmed. He did some more child acting after A Christmas Story, in TV shows like Who's The Boss? and Beverly Hills, 90210. He became a student of the comedy group the Groundlings and even studied puppeteering! He left acting behind in the 2000s. The home from A Christmas Story was later turned into a tourist attraction, and in 2011, Petrella acted as a guest tour guide.
