A Christmas Story Cast: Where Are They Now?

Peter Billingsley

By the time he made hearts melt at age 11 in A Christmas Story, Peter Billingsley had a fair amount of acting experience and even two Young Artist Award nominations, for his work in the 1981 comedy Paternity and for his co-hosting role on the NBC series Real People.

His starring role as Ralphie Parker scored him another Young Artist nomination, but that’s certainly not the highest award for which he’s been considered (he finally won a Young Artist Award with his fourth nomination, for his lead performance in 1985’s The Dirt Bike Kid). After the 1983 seasonal classic, Billingsley made several guest appearances on television shows like Who’s the Boss, The Wonder Years and Punky Brewster. He earned a Daytime Emmy nod for a single episode stint on the CBS Schoolbreak Special in 1995.

With a few other cameo exceptions (yep, that’s him in 2003’s Elf), Billingsley began focusing on behind-the-camera work in his adulthood, and he has “been mostly driven by making movies,” as he told PEOPLE in October 2022. In 2005 he earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for his production work on Dinner for Five starring his friend Vince Vaughn. The two recently collaborated to produce Christmas with the Campbells, which opens in theaters and on AMC+ this Dec. 2.

As for his return to Ralphie with A Christmas Story Christmas, Billingsley 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,” said Billingsley in his recent conversation with PEOPLE.

Melinda Dillon

Before she became the matriarch of the Parker family, Melinda Dillon was an established actress on Broadway and in Hollywood. She was nominated for two Academy Awards, for her performances in Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1977 and in 1981’s Absence of Malice. She was also up for a Golden Globe in 1976, for her role in the Woody Guthrie biopic Bound for Glory, and considered for a Tony Award with her Broadway debut in 1963’s original production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Dillon retired from acting in 2007 (Mrs. Parker will be played by Julie Hagerty in A Christmas Story‘s 2022 sequel), but not before taking on a few more major roles. After warning Ralphie Parker he’d “shoot his eye out” with his Red Ryder BB gun, the actress went on to costar with John Lithgow in Harry and the Hendersons and appeared in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia, which earned her and her castmates a Golden Globe nomination for outstanding performance.

Darren McGavin

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 passed away in 2006, was already a show biz veteran by 1983, when he brought The Old Man to life on screen. He performed in original Broadway productions like My Three Angels and Rainmaker and starred in mid-century feature films like Summertime with Katharine Hepburn.

McGavin could be seen…