Peter Billingsley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peter Billingsley
Billingsley at the 2014 ATX TV Festival for Sullivan and Son
Born	Peter Michaelsen (1971-04-16) April 16, 1971 (age 54) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, filmmaker
Years active	1973–present
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth Bains (m. 2015)
Children	2

Peter Billingsley, born on April 16, 1971, is an American actor and filmmaker. He is famous for playing Ralphie Parker in the classic movie A Christmas Story and its sequel A Christmas Story Christmas. He also starred as Jack Simmons in The Dirt Bike Kid and Billy in Death Valley. Many people also remember him as Messy Marvin from a series of commercials for Hershey's Syrup in the 1980s. Peter started acting in TV commercials when he was just a baby.

Early Life and Family

Peter Billingsley was born in New York City. His father, Alwin Michaelsen, worked as a financial consultant. His mother, Gail, was related to Sherman Billingsley, who owned the famous Stork Club.

All five children in Peter's family were actors when they were young. His older siblings, Dina and Win, mostly appeared in commercials and had small roles on TV shows. Peter's older sister, Melissa, is known for her role as Maxx Davis on Me and Maxx. His older brother, Neil, played Danny Walton on the soap opera Search for Tomorrow starting in 1975. Neil also appeared in many commercials and TV shows.

Peter received his early education from tutors, public schools, and private schools. He passed his high school equivalency exam when he was 14. In 1986, Peter was a spokesperson for a young astronaut program. He was present at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida during the sad Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.

Acting Career Highlights

Peter Billingsley's first acting job was in a 1973 Geritol commercial when he was only two years old. He went on to star in about 120 television commercials during the 1970s and early 1980s. When he was 12, he said he had done so many commercials that he "lost count." He became well-known for playing Messy Marvin in commercials for Hershey's chocolate syrup.

Early Film and TV Roles

One of Peter's first movie roles was in 1978's If Ever I See You Again. In 1981, he appeared in Paternity with Burt Reynolds. This role earned him a nomination for "Best Young Comedian" at the Young Artist Awards. He also appeared in Honky Tonk Freeway that year.

In 1982, Peter starred in several movies, including Death Valley and Massarati and the Brain. He also appeared in the TV movie Memories Never Die with Lindsay Wagner and his sister, Melissa. He had a special guest role on Little House on the Prairie. Peter also co-hosted NBC's popular show Real People for three years. He even hosted a spin-off show called Real Kids.

Starring in A Christmas Story

In 1983, Peter Billingsley starred in A Christmas Story. This movie is based on Jean Shepherd's book In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash. The film slowly gained popularity over the years. Now, it is shown for 24 hours straight from Christmas Eve until Christmas Day on TBS and TNT.

This movie earned Peter another Young Artist Award nomination. It is probably the role he is most famous for. He has said that people still come up to him and say, "you'll shoot your eye out, kid!" In 2022, about 40 years later, he played Ralphie Parker again in the sequel movie A Christmas Story Christmas.

Later Acting and Directing Work

As the 1980s continued, Peter made guest appearances on shows like Who's the Boss?, Punky Brewster, The Wonder Years, and Highway to Heaven. He also appeared in movies such as The Dirt Bike Kid (for which he won a Young Artist Award), Russkies, and Beverly Hills Brats.

In the early 1990s, Peter took on more mature roles. He played a young athlete who got hooked on steroids in the CBS Schoolbreak Special called The Fourth Man. On this project, he became good friends with actor Vince Vaughn. He was also nominated for an Emmy Award for his role in another Schoolbreak Special called The Writing on the Wall (1994).

Peter also started working behind the scenes in movies and TV. He was the post-production supervisor for the film Arcade (1993), where he also starred. He was an assistant editor for Knights. In 1994, he starred in, wrote, and directed the short film The Sacred Fire. This film won an award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films.

His work behind the scenes continued with projects like The Discovery Channel's A.R.K.: The New Adventures of Animal Rescue Kids, The X Show, Made, and Elf. He even had a small cameo role in Elf.

In 2001, Peter was nominated for an Emmy Award as a co-executive producer for the show Dinner for Five. He also helped produce the movie Zathura in 2005. He was an executive producer for The Break-Up (2006), where he also had a small acting role.

Peter was an executive producer for director Jon Favreau's Iron Man movie. He also acted in the film, playing William Ginter Riva, a scientist. He played this character again in the 2019 movie Spider-Man: Far From Home. Peter, Favreau, and Vaughn also appeared together in Four Christmases (2008).

Couples Retreat (2009), starring Favreau and Vaughn, was Peter's first major movie as a director. He later directed Term Life, which also starred Vaughn. Peter's acting career is still active, with roles in movies like Family Reunion: A Relative Nightmare, Elf, and No Deposit, No Return.

In 1999, Peter released a CD called Christmas Stories...Christmas Songs with his friend Brian Evans. He also became an executive producer for a musical version of A Christmas Story, which opened in Seattle in 2010.

Personal Life

Peter Billingsley married Elizabeth "Buffy" Bains in 2015. They have two children together.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Appearances

Awards and Nominations