Celebrity Nooz: Peter Billingsley

Peter Billingsley (Actor) as Ralphie - A Christmas Story

Updated: 11/25/09

Name: Peter Billingsley

Born: April 16, 1971 in New York, New York

Claim To Fame: He is best known for his role as Ralphie in the 1983 movie A Christmas Story.

Family Life: Great-grandnephew of Stork Club impresario Sherman Billingsley (his maternal great-grandfather was Fred Billingsley who was Sherman's brother).

Brother of Melissa Michaelsen and Neil Billingsley (both actors).

Info: By the age of two, Billingsley was already appearing in TV commercials, and starred in a total of 120 television ads throughout the 1970s and early 80s.

His early films include 1978's If I Ever See You Again, 1981's Paternity opposite Burt Reynolds, and Death Valley, Massarati and the Brain, and the made-for-TV movie Memories Never Die all in 1982.

A three-year stint as a co-host on NBC's popular Real People made him popular with audiences all over America before he even won the role of Ralphie in 1983's hit film A Christmas Story.

He continued to act in projects throughout the '80s, appearing on TV shows like Who's the Boss? and in films like Russkies, as well as in a handful of after-school specials.

During the 90s, he ventured behind the scene, first working as an assistant editor on a film called Knights which starred Kris Kristofferson.

In 1994, he starred in, wrote, and directed the short film The Sacred Fire, which won an Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films' Golden Scroll Award. He also worked on The Discovery Channel's A.R.K., The Adventures of Animal Rescue Kids, Patriot Son, The X Show, Made, and Elf.

Trivia: Passed his California High School Proficiency Exam at the age of fourteen.

Became best friends with Vince Vaughn after they shared the screen in an After School Special.

Was number 63 on vh1's "100 Greatest Kid Stars" (2005).

Second most famous role as a child actor was that of Messy Marvin in the Hershey's Chocolate Syrup commercials.

In the 1980s, he was the national spokesman for President Ronald Reagan's Young Astronaut Council, which was an educational program aimed at kids.

Released a CD titled Christmas Stories...Christmas Songs on Run For Cover Records in 1999 with longtime friend Brian Evans.

In 2001, he was nominated for an Emmy Award as co-executive producer for the show Dinner for Five.

Where Are They Now: In 2006, he served as an executive producer for the Universal Pictures production The Break-Up starring Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn, in which he also plays the supporting character Andrew.

He served as executive producer on director Jon Favreau's feature film Iron Man, and acted in the film as a scientist working for Obadiah Stone. He appeared in the 2008 film Four Christmases, and directed this year's comedy Couples Retreat starring Favreau and Vaughn.

Write To Peter Billingsley:
Peter Billingsley
9028 Sunset Blvd. Ph #1
Los Angeles, CA 90069

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