‘A Christmas Story’: What Ralphie Looks Like Today
When you think of holiday movies, there’s a good chance A Christmas Story comes to mind. The festive film has grown to be a fan favorite in the decades since its release, annually appearing in cable holiday lineups and attracting plenty of views.
It also introduced some of us to actors such as child star Peter Billingsley, who had only appeared in bit roles before the movie. He would go on to appear in several other projects from there. But if you haven’t seen him a while, here’s what Ralphie from A Christmas Story looks like now and what he’s been up to.
How Peter Billingsley got his start and how he booked ‘A Christmas Story’
Born on April 16, 1971, Billingsley started working on commercials at a young age with “no real aspirations” for fame, he once told ABC’s 20/20.
“I just thought it might be a fun thing to do to get a little something for the scrapbook so to speak,” he explained to the outlet (via Yahoo! News).
But the gigs continued to roll in. Billingsley was notably featured in a Life Savers candy ad in the late ’70s and reportedly went on to appear in dozens of other commercials.
Transitioning to movies, he got his first film role in 1978’s If Ever I See You Again, a movie that’s ironically about a worker in the ad industry (via IMDb). A few years later, he scored A Christmas Story after putting on an impressive performance during a screen test.
The movie released in November 1983, earning mild reviews and a mere $2 million at the box office at the time. But over the years, it grew to be a holiday classic.
Of the film, Billingsley once told Inside Edition, “For a long time I didn’t know what people saw in this movie, because you were so close to it but now you step back and get a little perspective, it’s like yeah this is a really, really good film.”
Peter Billingsley’s life after ‘A Christmas Story’ has been busy
After A Christmas Story, he continued to work, appearing in a string of projects over the years — from the ’80s TV series Highway to Heaven to the ’90s show Sherman Oaks.
But as time progressed, Billingsley started to less work on screen and more behind the scenes. Taking on the role of an executive producer, Billingsley has gained over 20 credits, including on popular productions such as Iron Man (2008) and F Is for Family (2015 to 2020).
He has also ventured into directing, notably on 2009’s Couples Retreat, which featured his good friend Vince Vaughn.
What Peter Billingsley looks like now
With his piercing blue and round face, it’s hard not to recognize Billingsley. Here’s a photo from 2018, where there are obvious resemblances of his younger self:
Interestingly, that photo was taken at A Christmas Story screening in California.
