‘Tis The Season Of the Griswolds: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation—Where Are They Now?

Randy Quaid as Cousin Edward “Eddie” Johnson in 1989

Nothing sours Christmas goodwill faster than the sloppy houseguest from hell! Cousin Edward “Eddie” Johnson throws the Griswold family get-together into disarray after he crashes the festivities with his obnoxious family in tow. Not only does Eddie break everything in sight, he unleashes Clark’s fury when he unloads his RV’s septic tank into the sewer drain because “the sh**ter was full.” And it only goes from bad to worse when he decides to kidnap Clark’s boss for failing to pay a much-anticipated bonus.

Randy Quaid NOW

The Hollywood veteran has acted in scores of movies, including Not Another Teen Movie (2001) and Brokeback Mountain (2005). In the last few years he’s become better known for bizarre off-screen antics that would make Cousin Eddie blush with embarrassment. Quaid and his wife Evi are currently refugees in Canada after years of legal problems ranging from burglary and fraud charges to numerous missed court appearances. The odd couple refuses to return to the U.S. because they claim a sinister group called the “Hollywood Star Whackers” would kill them. That and the fact that they would be arrested on outstanding warrants means they won’t be rushing back anytime soon.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

Beverly D’Angelo as Ellen Griswold in 1989

In this holiday installment of the Griswold family movies, Ellen returns as the levelheaded voice of reason. As always, she’s less than impressed with her husband’s efforts to create the perfect family memory. "Clark! Slow down! I don't want to spend the holidays dead!" she complains after they hop in the car to look for the perfect Christmas tree. Later she sums up the whole experience as best she can: “I don't know what to say, except, it's Christmas and we're all in misery.”

Tommaso Boddi/AdMedia/ImageCollect

Beverly D’Angelo NOW

Beverly D’Angelo’s Hollywood career has run the gamut in the years since her Christmas adventure with Chevy Chase. Amongst her many roles, she played the ill-fated Kitty Menendez in the made-for-television film Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills (1994) and Doris Vinyard in American History X (1998). Proving she can’t be typecast, D’Angelo shone as Barbara “Babs” Miller, Ari Gold’s casting agent mentor on Entourage (2005-2011). The actress’ love life has been just as varied. For a time she was married to Lorenzo Salviati, an Italian duke, and her seven-year relationship with Al Pacino produced twins Olivia and Anton in 2001. The couple split two years later.

Juliette Lewis as (one of many over the years) Audrey in 1989

Audrey is still as snarky as ever, and she really lets loose when faced with the idea of spending her holiday trapped at home with so-called loved ones. “Would it be indecent to ask the grandparents to stay at a hotel?” she asks. The answer is yes, so she’s forced to share a bed with her brother Rusty. When Audrey’s not busy blocking out thoughts of what he does when she’s not lying next to him, she’s frozen from the waist down on a chilly expedition to get the family Christmas tree. No worries! “It’s all part of the experience!” shouts her dad about her frost-induced blindness.

Juliette Lewis NOW

Juliette Lewis was relatively unknown when she played Audrey in 1989—but her fortunes quickly improved. That year, Lewis began a four-year relationship with heartthrob Brad Pitt after the two met while working on a TV movie together. “Dating Brad Pitt isn’t the most interesting thing that ever happened to me,” insists Lewis, who would later be married for two years to skateboarder Steve Berra. Perhaps she’s prouder of her Oscar nomination for her role as Danielle Bowden in the thriller Cape Fear (1991) or critically acclaimed parts in hits like What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) and Natural Born Killers (1994). After quitting acting for six years to perform with her punk-rock band Juliette and the Licks, she’s now back on the small screen as Tammy in the TV show The Firm.

Ellen Hamilton Latzen as Ruby Sue in 1989

Cousin Eddie’s misfit daughter Ruby Sue Johnson has lost faith in Old Saint Nick. "Sometimes I think all that Santa crap's just bull,” she complains. “If he was so real, how come we didn't get squat last year? We didn't do nothing wrong, and we still got the shaft." Little does Ruby Sue know, Uncle Clark is on a mission to give her a Christmas she’ll never forget.

Ellen Hamilton Latzen NOW

Before Ellen Hamilton Latzen played the wild-haired Ruby Sue, she was best known as the little girl whose bunny got boiled in Fatal Attraction (1987). But with two big box office hits under her belt, she decided to retire from acting at the tender age of 15 to pursue her education in Vermont. These days Latzen, an account executive, is happily married and proud to call herself a has-been.

Nicolette Scorsese as Mary (lingerie salesgirl) in 1989

No relation to the director Martin Scorsese, the model-turned-actress played Clark Griswold’s fantasy girl, after she helps him with some holiday shopping (for Ellen?). The sexy salesgirl is so helpful, she even demonstrates to him how the lingerie he is browsing shows “no lines.” “See, Russ, no lines…." "Er.."

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

Nicolette Scorsese NOW

Before becoming Clark Griswold’s dream girl and sharing a fun and flirty shopping scene with Chevy Chase, Nicolette started out as a model and appeared in small roles on such 1980’s TV classics as Charles in Charge and The A-Team. She also once dated actor/model Antonio Sabato Jr. (the former Calvin Klein underwear model). There has not been much info on her or her acting career for over a decade; but her last role is listed the “Busty Barmaid” in an episode of NYPD Blue in 2000.

Johnny Galcki as Rusty “Russ” Griswold in 1989

What’s Clark Griswold without his less-than-willing sidekick and son, Rusty? “Oh, woo. Look at the time. I gotta get to bed,” stammers Russ when his dad wants help with lighting the house (and eventually the entire neighborhood). “I still gotta brush my teeth, feed the hog, still got some homework to do, still got those bills to pay, wash the car...”

Johnny Galcki NOW

Johnny Galecki was a comedic virgin when cast in Christmas Vacation. Luckily, he was a natural and he later scored a recurring six-year role on the sitcom Rosanne as Darlene’s boyfriend David Healy. After the show wrapped in 1997, he took mostly bit parts in various productions, including the films I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and Vanilla Sky (2001). Galecki’s career took another funny turn in 2007 when he won the part – as well as Golden Globe and Emmy nominations – as geeky four-eyed physicist Leonard Hofstadter in the CBS show The Big Bang Theory.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Margo Chester in 1989

Snooty Margo Chester has no problem letting her neighbors know how much she hates their Christmas spirit – with or without her husband’s support! “If you’re not man enough to put an end to this s**t, then I am!” she snipes to Todd Chester of the chaos raging next door. Bah humbug!

Julia Louis-Dreyfus NOW

Despite her role as a not-so-nice neighbor, Julia Louise-Dreyfus must have been a very good girl because in 1990 she began a lucrative eight-year stint as Elaine Benes on Seinfeld. Even her voice became famous as Gloria, Mr. Burns' love interest, on The Simpsons from 2001 through 2008. Today she’s busy starring on the HBO comedy Veep. The mother of two sons is just as successful in her personal life – she’s been married to television writer Brad Hall since 1987.

Nicholas Guest as Todd Chester (the yuppy neighbor) in 1989

Todd plays the ultimate obnoxious snobby yuppy neighbor who lives next door to the Griswolds. He and Clark trade barbs over the driveway over Clark’s holiday house-lighting spectacular, which is so bright, it eventually foils both Todd’s love life as well as the neighborhood power plant.

Nicholas Guets NOW

Though he still boasts the rugged good looks of a Hollywood actor, Guest is now mostly involved in voice work. He was credited as the voice of the character John Teller on fan favorite TV series Sons of Anarchy for three years from 2008 to 2011.

Doris Roberts as Ellen Griswold’s mother Francis in 1989

Talk about a cup of Christmas cheer! Ellen Griswold’s wasted mother Frances Smith knocks back the cocktails and gets merrier and merrier with each scene.

Doris Robert NOW

Roberts hit her stride and picked up four Emmy awards during the nine years she played Ray Romano’s mother on Everybody Loves Raymond. In the past few years the actress has kept busy with everything from roles on Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy to the movie Madea’s Witness Protection(2012).

Diane Ladd as Nora Griswold in 1989

Actress Diane Ladd played Nora Griswold, Clark’s mom, who gets caught up in her son's attempt to have the “perfect Christmas.”

Diane Ladd NOW

The classic Hollywood beauty has been acting steadily since the 1950’s and even appeared in the classic Roman Polanski film Chinatown. She also played the original “Flo” in the movie that inspired the TV comedy series “Alice.” In 2011, Ladd appeared alongside her real-life daughter Laura Dern in Enlightened for HBO.

Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold in 1989

Clark Griswold is determined to enjoy "the most fun-filled old-fashioned family Christmas ever," so the famously hapless father invites a bunch of dysfunctional relatives to the Chicago home he shares with his wife Ellen and their kids Rusty and Audrey. Too bad his well-intentioned holiday plans quickly spiral out of control as he trips, falls and bumbles his way through one iconic scene after the other. After all, no Griswold Christmas celebration would be complete without 25,000 lights encasing the house, an electrocuted cat in the yard, an exploding turkey on the table and a S.W.A.T. team ready to break down the front door!

Chevy Chase NOW

Chevy Chase reprised his role as Clark in the comedy Vegas Vacation (1997). Since then he’s continued acting with steady but lower profile work, like a two-episode guest-starring appearance on Brothers & Sisters in 2007 and sporadic appearances on the program that launched his career in 1975, Saturday Night Live. More recently, fans could catch Chase in his role as Pierce Hawthorne on the show Community. But perhaps his biggest achievement to date is his long-lasting relationship with Jayni Chase. The couple married in 1982, and they’ve raised three children together.