Ralphie Actor Peter Billingsley Is All Grown Up In The New ‘a Christmas Story’ Sequel, Plus More Holiday Movie Kids Then And Now
From the little boy who played Kevin in “Home Alone” to the pint-sized actress who portrayed Cindy Lou Who in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” — starting with this cute kiddo… Peter Billingsley starred in 1983’s “A Christmas Story” as a boy named Ralphie who desperately wants a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas.
He returns to the role — albeit an adult version of the character — in HBO Max’s new sequel, “A Christmas Story Christmas,” which debuts on Nov. 17, 2022.
Keep reading to see him now — and then find out what more former child stars from holiday films are up to (and look like!) today…
These days, Peter Billingsley works primarily as a film and television producer. After “A Christmas Story,” he maintained a steady but low-key on-screen presence in Hollywood, appearing in smaller movies or doing guest spots on TV shows like “Punky Brewster” and “The Wonder Years” before shifting to behind-the-scenes work.
In 2005, he popped up in “Elf,” produced the fantasy children’s film “Zathura: A Space Adventure” and scored an Emmy nomination for outstanding nonfiction series for a show he produced called “Dinner for Five.”
Over the next few years, he both produced and appeared in movies including “The Break-Up,” “Iron Man” and “Four Christmases” and directed “Couples Retreat.” In 2019, Peter popped up in his “Iron Man” role (a Stark Industries scientist) in “Spider-Man: Far From Home.” In November 2022, he returns to the role of Ralphie in HBO Max’s “A Christmas Story” sequel, “A Christmas Story Christmas.”
Macaulay Culkin starred as Kevin — a young boy accidentally left behind by his family during the holidays — in the 1990 Christmas comedy “Home Alone” and its 1992 sequel, “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.”
Following his Golden Globe-nominated performance in “Home Alone,” Macaulay Culkin became an overnight sensation, landing roles in films like “My Girl,” “Ri¢hie Ri¢h” and more all within four years of the film’s debut. He also struck up a long friendship with pop icon Michael Jackson after appearing in his “Black or White” music video and later became godfather to MJ’s daughter, Paris Jackson.
Behind the scenes, Macaulay was struggling with child stardom: He claimed he suffered “mental and physical abuse” at the hands of his father, Kit Culkin, whom he accused of pressuring him to work from a young age. Following his parents’ 1994 divorce, Macaulay took a break from Hollywood and in 1995 sued his parents for control of his more than $17 million fortune.
At 15, he became legally emancipated. Macaulay returned to the big screen in 2003 with “Party Animals” followed by 2004’s “Saved!” More recently, he’s appeared on TV shows like “Robot Chicken,” “The Jim Gaffigan Show” and “:DRYVRS.”
In 2019, Macaulay — who split from Mila Kunis in 2010 after about seven years of dating — teamed up with friends Seth Green and Breckin Meyer to film the comedy “Changeland” and appeared on the Hulu series “Dollface.”
In 2021, he appeared on the 10th season of “American Horror Story,” and in early 2022, he had a two-episode stint on “The Righteous Gemstones.” Since 2017, he’s been in a serious relationship with actress Brenda Song. They became first-time parents in 2021 with the birth of son Dakota, who’s named after Macaulay’s late sister. Mac and Brenda have since gotten engaged.
Taylor Momsen, who was just 7 at the time, starred as Cindy Lou Who — the adorable child from Whoville who manages to teach the Grinch a thing or two about holiday spirit — in the 2000 live-action adaptation of the Dr. Seuss holiday story “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
After starring as Cindy Lou Who in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” Taylor Momsen appeared in films like “Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams” and “We Were Soldiers” before landing her other most notable role: Jenny Humphrey on “Gossip Girl.” In 2009 — two years after she made her debut on the hit TV show — she formed the rock band The Pretty Reckless.
The following year, they released their debut studio album, which reached No. 10 on Billboard’s alternative chart, giving Taylor the courage to pursue music full-time. In 2011, she left “Gossip Girl” to work on her band’s second EP — though she did briefly return to the Upper East Side for the 2012 series finale.
The Pretty Reckless released their sophomore album, “Going to Hell,” in 2014. They’ve dropped two more albums since then: 2016’s “Who You Selling For” and 2021’s “Death by Rock and Roll.”
