The Cast & Crew Of Christmas Vacation Where Are They Now

The Cast & Crew Of Christmas Vacation: Where Are They Now?

Christmas Vacation instantly became a Christmas classic when it debuted 32 years ago. Lots can change in 30 years, including lives and careers.

You Are Reading :[thien_display_title]

A new holiday tradition was born on the night of December 1, 1989. It was then that National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation saw its national debut, and suddenly millions of families around the country had a new holiday favorite. Endlessly quotable and filled with memorable moments, not a single Christmas goes by in which this John Hughes’ comedy isn’t front and center.

But 32 years is a long time. Careers change, people retire, and tragically, some people pass away. But the people involved with Christmas Vacation may forever be proud of their work – no matter where their careers and lives have ended up.

Chevy Chase

Clark Griswold may forever be Chevy Chase’s most acclaimed and popular movie role. Some of Clark Griswold’s best quotes in Christmas Vacation have become annual Christmas favorites, destined to be endlessly repeated by movie lovers and those facing their own personal brand of Christmas Hell.

In 2014, Chase wrapped up a recurring role on Community, in which he played resident grouch (and racist) Pierce Hawthorne for 83 episodes. In 2020, he appeared in the Australian comedy film, The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee.

Beverly D’Angelo

The straight man (or woman, in this case) to Clark’s wacky shenanigans is Ellen Griswold. Played by Beverly D’Angelo, Ellen patiently sits back and lovingly supports her husband as he slowly loses his mind throughout the holidays.

Between 2018 and 2019, D’Angelo appeared in five episodes of the Netflix teen comedy, Insatiable, playing Stella Rose Buckley. She also recently played a former National Security Advisor named Patricia Gregson on the USA Network thriller Shooter, appearing in six episodes.

Juliette Lewis

Juliette Lewis appeared in some of Christmas Vacation’s funniest scenes as Audrey Griswold. She is both bitter and loving, a perfect encapsulation of teenagers at Christmas (or any time, really). Lewis went on to enjoy a very successful career in film and television – not to mention music.

In 2017, she released her first EP, titled Future Deep. She recently starred in the 2019 horror film Ma and is currently appearing in the Showtime drama, Yellowjackets, which follows the survivors of a tragic plane crash in the Canadian wilderness.

Johnny Galecki

It’s amazing to think how successful the two Griswold children became. Just like his fictional sister, Johnny Galecki has found incredible success in his post-Christmas Vacation career. When the movie was released in December of 1989, Galecki was just 14 years old.

He is now 46, and he recently finished a very famous (and profitable) stint as Leonard Hofstadter on The Big Bang Theory. At Bang’s height, Galecki was one of the highest-paid TV actors in the world, earning just under $1 million per episode.

Randy Quaid

Arguably the most memorable character from Christmas Vacation is Randy Quaid’s Eddie Johnson (or Cousin Eddie, as he’s popularly known). Eddie’s funniest quotes in Christmas Vacation help make the movie an endearing classic, as does his generally unwelcomed and intrusive presence.

Quaid turned 71 in October of 2021, and for the most part, he has retired from public life (his last project was 2018’s All You Can Eat). Quaid lives in Vermont with his wife Evi Motolanez, who he married the same year Christmas Vacation was released: 1989.

John Hughes

John Hughes was one of the biggest filmmaking names of the ’80s, and his movies were filled with memorable characters, enjoyable storylines, and even some iconic outfits. Hughes was heavily involved in the creation of Christmas Vacation, serving as both producer and sole writer.

Unfortunately, Hughes passed away back in 2009 at the age of 59. He was taking a walk in Manhattan when he suffered a fatal heart attack. He was rightfully buried in Chicago and rests in Lake Forest Cemetery.

Tom Jacobson

Tom Jacobson helped produce Christmas Vacation alongside John Hughes. Jacobson was quite a prominent producer throughout the 1980s and was a frequent collaborator of Hughes’, helping him to create the likes of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Uncle Buck.

However, his producing output considerably slowed after 1989, and he didn’t appear again until 1998’s Mighty Joe Young. In 2015, he served as an executive producer on the TNT supernatural drama Proof, which follows Cat Tyler as she tries to find evidence of an afterlife.

Jeremiah S. Chechik

In a rare turn of events, producer John Hughes decided to hire a director rather than taking the reigns himself. That director eventually became Jeremiah S. Chechik, a relatively young and inexperienced director from Montreal, Canada.

This was Chechik’s major directorial debut, as he had previously worked as a director of music videos (including Van Halen’s “When It’s Love”). Chechik is currently working as a television director, and he recently helmed episodes of Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders and Rogue.

Angelo Badalamenti

Turns out, the music of Christmas Vacation was done by a world-renowned composer of film and television. His name is Angelo Badalamenti, and he is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the World Soundtrack Awards.

Badalamenti is mostly known for his work with director David Lynch, and in 1990 (the year after Christmas Vacation) he won a Grammy for the Twin Peaks main theme. Badalamenti reunited with both Lynch and Twin Peaks in 2017, composing the music for Twin Peaks: The Return.

Gerald B. Greenberg

Editors don’t often get a ton of attention, and that’s a shame. Editor Gerald B. Greenberg undoubtedly helped Christmas Vacation become what it is thanks to some impeccable pacing and comedic timing. Greenberg was an Academy Award-winning editor, having won for 1971’s The French Connection.

He was also a frequent collaborator of director Brian De Palma, editing the likes of Scarface and The Untouchables. Tragically, Greenberg passed away in December of 2017 at the age of 81.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/cast-crew-national-lampoon-christmas-vacation-where-are-they-now/

• Taika Waititi Just Wanted Jeff Goldblum to Be Himself in Thor Ragnarok

• Steam Patches Unlimited Wallet Funds Exploit

• The Best True Crime Documentaries On Amazon Prime (According To IMDb)

• The Hunger Games 10 Most Selfless Things Katniss Ever Did

• The 5 Best (& The 5 Worst) Episodes Of Stranger Things (According To IMDb)

• The Mandalorian 10 Hidden Details About Season 1 Everyone Completely Missed

• Superman vs OnePunch Man Who Would Win