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It’s the holiday season — which means Christmas movies are on everyone’s watch list.
From vintage classics like “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Miracle on 34th Street” to 1990s family favorites like "Home Alone" and 2000s hits like "Elf," these beloved films have become essential holiday viewing.
But it’s 2025 and those films are decades old — and so are the Christmas movie actors who star in them.
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So, you might be asking yourself, “Where are they now?”
From child stars who've stepped away from the spotlight to Christmas actors who've built impressive careers beyond the holidays, we're catching up with the faces that make these festive films so nostalgic.
And some of their transformations might surprise you, so hopefully this list doesn’t make you feel old.
Karolyn Grimes
Character: Zuzu Bailey
Movie: “It's a Wonderful Life” (1946)
Karolyn Grimes took a break from acting in the 1950s, but released “Zuzu Bailey's It's a Wonderful Life Cookbook” in 2000 and appeared in “Cassandra’s Castle” in 2016 and “Canaan Land” in 2020. She’s now 85 years old and still travels to speak at “It’s a Wonderful LIfe” screenings during the holiday season.
Eric Lloyd
Character: Charlie Calvin
Movie: “The Santa Clause” (1994)
Eric Lloyd reprised his role in “The Santa Clause 2” (2002) and “The Santa Clause 3” (2006) before appearing in one episode of “The Santa Clauses” (2022). He hasn’t acted since, but he plays in a band and studied film production at Chapman University before creating his own production company in 2014.
Liliana Mumy
Character: Lucy Miller
Movie: “The Santa Clause 2” (2002)
Lilian Mumy went on to appear in the first and second installments of “Cheaper By the Dozen” before embarking on a successful career as a voice actress — including the voice of Mertle Edmonds in the “Lilo & Stitch” franchise, Panini in Cartoon Network’s “Chowder” and Twinkle on “Higglytown Heroes.”
Macaulay Culkin
Character: Kevin McCallister
Movie: “Home Alone” (1990)
You won’t see Macaulay Culkin in any blockbuster movies today, but he did receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023 and spends most of his time enjoying life as a father to his two sons, who he shares with wife Brenda Song — London Tipton from “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.”
Kieran Culkin
Character: Fuller McCallister
Movie: “Home Alone” (1990)
It’s easy to forget that Macaulay Culkin’s brother, Kieran Culkin, appeared in the “Home Alone” franchise, but he did. And while his brother has shied away from the spotlight, Kieran has embraced it — winning his first Emmy for “Succession” in 2023 and his first Oscar for his performance in “A Real Pain” in 2025.
Taylor Momsen
Character: Cindy Lou Who
Movie: “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000)
Taylor Momsen traded her Who-ville braids for heavy eyeliner and a rock career. She starred as Jenny Humphrey in "Gossip Girl" from 2007 to 2012 before taking an indefinite hiatus from acting to focus on her band, The Pretty Reckless, which has released four albums and continues to tour internationally.
Mara Wilson
Character: Susan Walker
Movie: “Miracle on 34th Street” (1994)
Mara Wilson went on to star in "Mrs. Doubtfire" (1993) and "Matilda" (1996) before stepping away from acting in the early 2000s. She graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and published her memoir "Where Am I Now?" in 2016. She returned to acting in 2012, but predominantly works in web series.
Johnny Galecki
Character: Rusty Griswold
Movie: “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation” (1989)
Johnny Galecki went on to appear in “Roseanne” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer” before becoming a household name as Leonard Hofstadter on "The Big Bang Theory," which ran from 2007 to 2019. He also reprised his role as David Healy on "Roseanne" and its spinoff "The Conners."
Juliette Lewis
Character: Audrey Griswold
Movie: “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation” (1989)
Juliette Lewis built an impressive career after playing Audrey, earning an Oscar nomination for "Cape Fear" (1991) and starring in hits like "Natural Born Killers" (1994) and "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" (1993). More recently, she starred as Natalie "Nat" Scatorccio in the first two seasons of “Yellowjackets.”
Brett Kelly
Character: Thurman Merman
Movie: “Bad Santa” (2003)
Brett Kelly went on to appear in hits like “The Sandlot 2” (2005), “Like Mike 2: Streetball” (2006) and “Slap Shot 3” (2008) before reprising his role as Thurman in “Bad Santa 2” (2016). He has since settled as a recurring character in “Family Law” since 2021 and placed third in an episode of "Jeopardy!" in 2024.
Peter Billingsley
Character: Ralphie Parker
Movie: “A Christmas Story” (1983)
Peter Billingsley transitioned from acting to producing, working on films like "The Break-Up" (2006), "Iron Man" (2008), "Four Christmases" (2008) and “Couples Retreat" (2009). He reprised his role as Ralphie in "A Christmas Story Christmas" (2022) and made a cameo appearance as one of Santa’s elves, in “Elf.”
Scott Schwartz
Character: Flick
Movie: “A Christmas Story” (1983)
Scott Schwartz continued acting through the 1980s and 1990s, appearing in films like "The Toy" (1982) and "Kidco" (1984), but eventually left Hollywood to pursue other ventures. He is now 57 years old and has become a prominent voice in the trading card industry, even writing an article for “Beckett” in 2009.
Ian Petrella
Character: Randy
Movie: “A Christmas Story” (1983)
Ian Petrella appeared in a few more projects after playing Ralphie's whiny little brother, including “Diff’rent Strokes” (1986) and “Beverly Hills, 90210” (1991).” He's now 49 years old and has stepped away from his acting career, but has since found a new passion in marionette puppetry and animation.
R.D. Robb
Character: Schwartz
Movie: “A Christmas Story” (1983)
R.D. Robb continued acting after "A Christmas Story," appearing in “The Brady Brunch Movie” and “ER” in 1995 and “Matilda” in 1996. He has since transitioned to production and even directed iconic actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire in a 2001 indie drama called “Don's Plum.”
Zack Ward
Character: Scut Farkus
Movie: “A Christmas Story” (1983)
Zack Ward has had a steady acting career, appearing in films like "Transformers" (2007) and "Postal" (2007), as well as TV shows like "CSI," "Bones," “Lost,” “Chicago Fire,” “The Mentalist,” “Hawaii Five-O” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” He also reprised his role in “A Christmas Story Christmas.”
Miffy Englefield
Character: Sophie
Movie: “The Holiday” (2006)
Miffy Englefield captured hearts as Cameron Diaz's adorable niece (and Jude Law’s daughter) Sophie, but she stepped away from acting not long after "The Holiday." She’s now 26 years old and a mom to 4-year-old daughter Frankie. While she doesn’t act, she does have a loyal following on TikTok.
Daniel Tay
Character: Michael Hobbs
Movie: “Elf” (2003)
Daniel Tay played Buddy the Elf's skeptical little brother, but he didn't pursue acting as a long-term career after his memorable role in the Christmas classic. He graduated from Yale University with a bachelor's degree in economics and is now pursuing a medical degree at Cornell University.
Thomas Brodie-Sangster
Character: Sam
Movie: “Love Actually” (2003)
Thomas Brodie-Sangster appeared as Jojen Reed in "Game of Thrones," Newt in the "Maze Runner" franchise, and Benny Watts in "The Queen's Gambit" (2020). He's now 35 years old and continues to act in major film and TV projects, but has also been married to Elon Musk’s ex-wife Talulah Riley since 2024.
Olivia Olson
Character: Joanna
Movie: “Love Actually” (2003)
Olivia Olson sang "All I Want for Christmas Is You" in that iconic airport scene. While she doesn’t act as much anymore, she’s best known for her voice roles — including Vanessa Doofenshmirtz in “Phineas and Ferb” and Marceline the Vampire Queen in “Adventure Time.” She’s also a talented writer.
Zach Galligan
Character: Billy Peltzer
Movie: “Gremlins” (1984)
Zach Galligan reprised his role in "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" (1990) and continued acting in various independent films and TV shows throughout the 1990s and 2000s. He's now 60 years old, while he doesn’t act much, he did appear in a 2021 Mountain Dew commercial alongside companion Gizmo.
Corey Feldman
Character: Pete Fountaine
Movie: “Gremlins” (1984)
Corey Feldman went on to appear in iconic films like "The Goonies" (1985), "Stand by Me" (1986) and "The Lost Boys" (1987). More recently, he appeared in “Celebrity Wife Swap” (2015), “Celebrity Marriage Boot Camp” (2020), “The Masked Singer” (2024), and “Dancing with the Stars” (2025).
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Looking back at where these Christmas movie stars are now, it's clear that holiday films launched some impressive careers — and some equally impressive life choices outside of Hollywood.
Some stayed in the spotlight, others stepped away entirely, but they all gave us performances that continue to make the holidays special year after year.
So the next time you're watching "Home Alone" or "Elf" or "A Christmas Story" for the hundredth time, you'll know exactly what happened to the faces that made those cozy movie nights possible.
