By Wonderwall.com Editors
8:39am PST, Dec 4, 2023
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We're catching up with the former child stars who brought some of our favorite holiday movies to life — 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.
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…
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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, Peter returned to his roots as he reprised the role of Ralphie in HBO Max's "A Christmas Story" sequel, "A Christmas Story Christmas."
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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 2022, he had a two-episode stint on "The Righteous Gemstones."
Since 2017, he's been in a serious relationship with actress Brenda Song; their engagement was confirmed in 2022. They became first-time parents in 2021 with the birth of son Dakota, who's named after Macaulay's late sister, and added son Carson to the family in 2023. In 2023, Macaulay received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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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."
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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."
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Young Thomas Brodie-Sangster starred as Sam — a boy left in the care of his stepfather (Liam Neeson) following the death of his mother — in the 2003 romantic holiday dramedy "Love Actually." (The duo bond over Sam's major crush on one of his classmates.)
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Following his feature film debut in "Love Actually," Thomas Brodie-Sangster turned up in popular films like "Nanny McPhee," "Tristan + Isolde" and "The Last Legion." Then from 2007 to 2015, he voiced Ferb in the "Phineas and Ferb" franchise. He also starred in the "Maze Runner" trilogy, had a memorable stint as Jojen Reed on "Game of Thrones" and scored an Emmy nomination in 2021 for his work on "The Queen's Gambit." In 2022, he portrayed the Sex Pistols' famed manager and promoter, Malcolm McLaren, on the "Pistol" miniseries. In 2023, his Hulu series "The Artful Dodger" debuted — he stars as titular character Jack Dawkins.
After dating model, photographer and Instagram star Gzi Wisdom for years, Thomas coupled up with "Pistol" co-star Talulah Riley — who was previously married to Elon Musk (twice!) — in 2021. They announced their engagement in 2023.
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In 1994, a young Eric Lloyd starred as Charlie Calvin alongside Tim Allen as Scott Calvin in the Christmas comedy "The Santa Clause." He returned to the role in two sequels and is reportedly set to appear in the upcoming Disney+ miniseries "The Santa Clauses."
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After "The Santa Clause," Eric Lloyd headlined "Dunston Checks In," portrayed a young Bruce Wayne in "Batman & Robin" and starred on the short-lived sitcom "Jesse." He's only appeared on camera a handful of times since 2006's "The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause," though he's reportedly set to pop up in the upcoming Disney+ miniseries "The Santa Clauses." After he earned a degree in film production from Chapman University, Eric launched his own production company, Lloyd Production Studios. He now works primarily in post production — specifically as a sound designer and mixer — on various film, television and music projects. He also sings and plays guitar for the band Radiomason and has a long-term girlfriend.
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An adorable Mara Wilson starred as Santa-denier Susan Walker in the 1994 remake of the 1947 holiday classic "Miracle on 34th Street."
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After Mara Wilson starred in "Miracle on 34th Street," she took on the title role in "Matilda," headlined "A Simple Wish" — which debuted a year after her mother, Suzie Wilson, died of breast cancer — and appeared in 2000's "Thomas and the Magic Railroad."
She then put her acting career on hold for more than a decade. During her time away from the limelight, Mara dealt with anxiety and OCD — diagnoses she openly spoke about in 2018 — and studied writing at New York University. She returned to acting with a 2011 short film. She then popped up on an episode of "Broad City" and worked as a voice actress on "BoJack Horseman," "Big Hero 6: The Series" the "Welcome to Night Vale" podcast, and more recently, "Ollie & Scoops."
In 2016, Mara publicly came out as bisexual and published a memoir, "Where Am I Now? True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame." In 2021, she made headlines for defending and empathizing with Britney Spears in an op-ed for The New York Times: "The Lies Hollywood Tells About Little Girls." In 2023, Mara opened up to The Guardian about her time as a child star, revealing how the press attention affected her and how she was sexualized despite only appearing in children's movies.
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In the 1989 holiday comedy "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," Juliette Lewis and Johnny Galecki starred as Audrey and Rusty Griswold — two kids in the midst of adolescent angst during their drama-filled holiday break with their parents (Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo).
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Two years after Juliette Lewis starred in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," she appeared in Martin Scorsese's "Cape Fear" and earned her first Oscar nomination for her efforts. She went on to star in "Natural Born Killers," "The Basketball Diaries," "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," "From Dusk Till Dawn," "The Other Sister" and more hit '90s movies.
But her newfound fame came at a cost: She went to rehab after struggling with cocaine and prescription painkiller addiction. Juliette — who dated Brad Pitt for a few years and then sparked romance rumors with Leonardo DiCaprio in the early '90s — later appeared in "Enough," "Old School," "Starsky & Hutch," "Catch and Release," "Whip It," "August: Osage County" and more. She also made a major return to television, scoring a three-episode stint on "The Conners" and later starring on "Yellowjackets" and the "Queer as Folk" reboot. Next up, she'll appear in the film "The Thicket" opposite Peter Dinklage.
Additionally, Juliette dropped a handful of albums over the years as a solo artist and with Juliette and the Licks. She was married to Steve Berra from 1999 to 2003, briefly romanced Tom Sizemore and dated musicians Travie McCoy and Brad Wilk for a number of years.
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The same year "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" debuted, Johnny Galecki had a small role in another Christmas movie: "Prancer." He then starred on "Roseanne" from 1992 to 1997. After the sitcom's original run came to an end, he scored small roles in movies like "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "Bounce" and "Vanilla Sky" before making his debut as Leonard Hofstadter on "The Big Bang Theory" in 2006. He secretly dated on-screen love Kaley Cuoco while they co-starred on the sitcom, for which he earned an Emmy nomination in 2011. (Over the years, he's also been linked to actresses Sara Gilbert, Kelli Garner, Ari Graynor and Laura Harris.) As "The Big Bang Theory" neared its conclusion in 2019, Johnny returned to his "Roseanne" role on the 2018 revival and its subsequent spinoff, "The Conners." He also appeared in 2019's "A Dog's Journey." That same year, he and then-girlfriend Alaina Meyer welcomed a son, Avery. But it wasn't meant to be: They called it quits in 2020.
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In the 1996 romantic holiday dramedy "The Preacher's Wife" — a remake of the 1947 film "The Bishop's Wife" — young Justin Pierre Edmund made his acting debut as Jeremiah Biggs, the son of a preacher (Courtney B. Vance) and his neglected wife (Whitney Houston) who are visited by an angel (Denzel Washington) leading up to Christmas.
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Justin Pierre Edmund appeared in four more movies and on a 2000 episode of "Law & Order" before retiring from acting just four years after he made his feature film debut in "The Preacher's Wife." In 2011, he graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a bachelor's degree in communication design. He then interned at Facebook before Pinterest hired him to become the social media platform's first designer. Justin now works at Slack. (He's pictured with a girlfriend — it's unclear if they're still an item.)
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Ethan Embry and Thora Birch starred as Ethan and Hallie O'Fallon — siblings who are determined to get their divorced parents back together with a little help from Santa Claus — in the 1991 holiday family comedy "All I Want for Christmas."
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Ethan Embry spent the rest of the '90s starring in "Vegas Vacation," "Empire Records," "Can't Hardly Wait," "That Thing You Do!" and more. He later popped up in "Sweet Home Alabama," "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle," "Vacancy," "Eagle Eye" and "First Man." He also had memorable stints on the short-lived 2003 "Dragnet" reboot and on "Once Upon a Time" in 2013. From 2015 to 2022, he starred as Coyote Bergstein, Frankie's adopted son, on "Grace and Frankie." In 2023, the actor appeared on the CW's "Gotham Knights."
Ethan, who struggled with addiction issues after shooting into the spotlight, married actress Amelinda Smith in 1998. They welcomed son Cogeian in 1999 but split in 2002. He married "Snakes on a Plane" actress Sunny Mabrey in 2005, but they divorced in 2012 only to reconcile in 2014 and remarry in 2015.
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Thora Birch went on to star in "Patriot Games" and "Clear and Present Danger," "Hocus Pocus," "Now and Then," "American Beauty" and "Ghost World," for which she scored a Golden Globe nomination in 2002. In 2019 and 2020, she had a memorable stint on the 10th season of "The Walking Dead" and in 2022, she made her feature-length directorial debut with the Lifetime made-for-TV movie "The Gabby Petito Story" — in which she also portrayed the titular victim's mother, Nichole Schmidt. (In 2003, she scored an Emmy nomination for her performance in the title role in a different Lifetime made-for-TV movie: "Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story.") Next up, she'll star in the drama "The Midway Point" opposite Julie Benz.
In 2018, Thora married talent manager Michael Benton Adler.
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Jacob Latimore starred as Langston — a teenager from Baltimore who travels to New York City to spend Christmas with relatives he hardly knows — in the 2013 holiday musical drama "Black Nativity."
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Jacob Latimore went on to star in "Ride Along," "The Maze Runner," "Detroit" and the 2022 "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" remake. Most recently, he appeared in the 2023 comedy "House Party."
He's also released three studio albums since 2016 and has starred on "The Chi" since 2018. He and "Empire" star Serayah dated from 2018 to 2023.
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In 2003, Sofia Vassilieva starred in "Eloise at Christmastime" as the titular 6-year-old girl who resides at the top of New York City's Plaza Hotel.
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Sofia Vassilieva starred on "Medium" from 2005 to 2011 and popped up in a handful of films including 2009's "My Sister's Keeper." In 2019, she starred on "Looking for Alaska" and has since appeared on "Black Lightning," "Chicago Fire" and "Blue Bloods."
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Natalie Wood starred as Susan Walker — the disbelieving young girl who discovers her Christmas faith after forming a friendship with a department store Santa — in the 1947 holiday movie "Miracle on 34th Street."
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After "Miracle on 34th Street," Natalie Wood appeared in dozens more films including "Rebel Without A Cause" — for which she earned the first of her three Oscar nominations — and the musicals "West Side Story" and "Gypsy." At the height of her popularity, Natalie married her Hollywood crush, actor Robert Wagner. They divorced in 1962 following just five years of marriage, and she went on to marry British filmmaker Richard Gregson, with whom she welcomed daughter Natasha Gregson Wagner. After they divorced, Natalie and Robert reconnected. They soon remarried and welcomed a daughter, Courtney Brooke Wagner. In 1981, Natalie drowned off the coast of California's Catalina Island, where she'd been vacationing with Robert and actor Christopher Walken aboard her then-husband's yacht. (Christopher co-starred with Natalie in her final film: "Brainstorm," which debuted in 1983.) The circumstances of her death remain murky, but Robert — who was branded a person of interest by investigators in 2018 — has long denied any wrongdoing.
