![]() ![]() Now: McGavin continued to act in movies and TV until his death in 2006 at the age of 83. ![]() Then: Until ‘A Christmas Story,’ McGavin had been known primarily for his TV acting he played the title roles on ‘Mike Hammer’ and ‘Kolchak: The Night Stalker,’ as well as a series regular on the western ‘Riverboat.’ McGavin stole scenes as the sailor-mouthed Parker pop, who was as delusional about his handiness with home appliances as he was about his own swearing, and in the end, he “heroically” buys the boy that air rifle. In 2009, he even directed his pals in the comedy ‘Couples Retreat.’ In 2010 he returned to his ‘A Christmas Story’ roots as executive director of ‘A Christmas Story The Musical.’ĭarren McGavin (Mr. After striking up a friendship with Vince Vaughn in the 1990 made-for-TV movie ‘CBS Schoolbreak Special: The Fourth Man’and subsequently friending Jon Favreau, Billingsley has gone on to produce several projects with them (‘Dinner for Five,’ ‘Iron Man,’ ‘Four Christmases’). Now: Billingsley has acted regularly his entire life, but much of his work recently has been on the other side of the camera. The image of him, with glasses and a smile on his face, getting pushed down a long slide by the boot of a stern department store Santa Claus is indelible. As the dumb-lucked Ralphie Parker, Billingsley delieverd one of the most famous child actor performances in film history. Then: Before fist-fighting bullies on his quest for a BB gun as Ralphie Parker, Billingsley was a child actor in well over 100 TV commercials - including him portraying Messy Marvin for Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup. Yano Anaya (Grover Dill), Dwayne McClean (Black Bart), Scott Schwartz (Flick), Patty Lafontaine (Elf), Drew Hocevar (Elf) and Jim Moralevitz (Freight Man). He also still finds his way to guest spots on shows like Lost, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and American Horror Story.A Christmas Story cast reunion around the leg lamp at A Christmas Story Convention.įrom left to right Ian Petrella (Randy), Zack Ward (Scut Farkus), Tedde Moore (Miss Shields), ![]() He’s now found a nice, tidy home in Uwe Boll and Asylum productions, playing the lead in Boll’s outrageously outre video game adaptation Postal, appearing in a Sharknado movie, and paying a recurring role on Z Nation. His career got a second start in adulthood as a regular on Christopher Titus’ sitcom, Titus, and in film roles in Resident Evil: Apocalypse and Transformers. In teenhood, Ward maintained a steady string of prominent TV roles in shows like NYPD Blue and JAG, but his biggest roles at that age likely include Moody Spurgeon in a particularly popular Anne of Green Gables adaptation in the ‘80s. Some of Billingsley’s success must have rubbed off on Ward, however, who arguably has the largest acting career of the kids on this list. Ralphie going HAM on Scut is one of A Christmas Story’s most beautifully cathartic moments, the viewers getting vicarious justice for everyone who ever bullied them through Ralphie’s full going-postal onslaught. Scut Farkus was the bane of Ralphie’s existence, a merciless ginger bully who delighted in cackling at his prey from under his coonskin cap and behind his braces (and his yellow eyes!). (Allegedly, the film is available via producer Dale Wheatley if you go to Free Don’s Plum and email him to get a private copy.) Most infamously, though, he directed a pre-famous Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire in the ensemble indie Don’s Plum, a film that legally cannot be shown in the US or Canada thanks to a 1999 lawsuit both stars filed against him. Robb, who played Schwartz, has maintained a pretty modest presence in Hollywood since then, with guest spots on ER and Touched by an Angel, and a supporting role in Matilda. (We all caught up?) Like Flick, his most prominent moment comes in the flagpole-licking scene, but he also gets some off-screen misery courtesy of his own mother after Ralphie claims he learned the f-word from him to his mother. Last Seen: A small guest role on an episode of ABC’s The Goldbergs.Īnd now, we confusingly move on to the character of Schwartz, who was the deliverer of the triple dog dare to Scott Schwartz’s Flick. ![]()
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