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National Lampoon's Christmas Vacationbrought the "hap-hap-happiest Christmas" crashing into our lives like a giant tree through a window, and we still can't get enough of theclassic holiday filmdecades later.
Arriving in theaters on Dec. 1, 1989, the over-the-top comedy follows patriarch Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) as he attempts to enjoy the perfect Christmas with his family, but his dream quickly falls apart as his relatives and in-laws arrive. There's nothing quite like an evergreen that won't fit in the house, a boss who reneges on the holiday bonus and a blindingly bright light display to scream, "Happy holidays!" Or, more aptly, "Something had to break!"
Christmas Vacation— the third in theVacationfranchise after 1983'sNational Lampoon's Vacationand 1985'sEuropean Vacation—was the directorial debut of Jeremiah S. Chechik, who told PEOPLE in 2023 that he aimed to make choices "that were somewhat timeless," noting, "I just wanted to make a great movie."
Chase also reflected on the film in November 2019, sharing that the love he gets from fans "makes me feel like Jimmy Stewart inIt's a Wonderful Life."
"I think the movie is terrific," hetold theLos Angeles Daily News. "... From the second you hear 'The little lights are not twinkling,' you know it's starting to go wrong, and the next thing you have is Cousin Eddie [Randy Quaid] and Clark going 'Eddie? Is that you?' And you just know all things are going to go awry."
Beyond Chase watching the film many times with fans, here's what the cast ofNational Lampoon's Christmas Vacationis up to now.
Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold
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Chase (born Cornelius Crane Chase) reprised his role as bumbling family patriarch Clark Griswold in fiveVacationfilms, including the later installmentsVegas Vacation(1997)and Vacation(2015).
"I loved all of the physical stuff in the movie," Chase, who still regularlyposts on Facebookabout the film, told theLos Angeles Daily News. "I loved the stuff on the roof, which was typical of Clark Griswold. I loved sliding down the roof and hanging on. It was all very funny."
Before theNational Lampoonfranchise, Chase was already a household name thanks toSaturday Night Liveand the filmsFoul Play(1978),Caddyshack(1980) andSpies Like Us(1985).In the years since, he's appeared in comedies such as 1995'sMan of the House(1995)and 2000'sSnow Day(2000).
No stranger to the small screen, Chase had guest spots on shows likeBrothers & Sisters,ChuckandHot in Cleveland. However, his five-season run onCommunityas Pierce Hawthorne has been his most prominent role on TV sinceSNL.
According toVariety, the actor was let go in 2012 after using a racial slur on set, resulting in his character being written off in an off-screen death. (Chase returned in a single-scene cameo as a hologram of Pierce on the season 5 premiere episode "Repilot.") While aCommunityspinoff movie is in development, Chase's former costarJoel McHalerevealed onKelly Ripa'sLet's Talk Off Camerapodcast in June 2023 that Chasewould not be a part of it.
In 2025, the comedian hit the road for a fall tour ofChristmas Vacationscreenings around the U.S. His documentary,I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not, will premiere on CNN on New Year's Day 2026.
Chase has been married three times. Heshares three daughters, Cydney, Caley and Emily, with his current wife,Jayni Chase, whom he's been married to since 1982. He also has a grown son, Bryan Perkins, from a previous marriage.
Beverly D'Angelo as Ellen Griswold
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Like Chase, D'Angelo also appeared in theVacationfilm series as long-suffering mom Ellen Griswold.
She told PEOPLE in 2022 that when she was first approached to play the part, shewanted to turn it down, as she had mostly done dramas up until that point and, at 30, she thought she was too young to play the mom of a teenager. However, her agent told her it was "very funny," and when she met Chase, she discovered they had "great chemistry."
What she really "never imagined" was the Griswolds becoming a part of many families' holiday traditions, telling PEOPLE in 2025, "I don't care what anybody says, nobody imagined that 40 years down the line or however long it's been, thatthe Griswolds would be part of our culture."
The Ohio native had quite the résumé before the movie's 1989 release, with roles inAnnie Hall(1977), Hair(1979) andCoal Miner's Daughter(1980).She's worked steadily ever since, earning credits in dramas like 1998'sAmerican History Xand the 2000 rom-comHigh Fidelitybefore joining the cast ofEntourageas agent Barbara "Babs" Miller in 2005.
D'Angelo continued on TV, appearing onShooter,InsatiableandLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit. She kept the Christmas streak going in the 2022adult holiday filmViolent Night.
Other big-screen additions includeThe Trainer(2024) andNo Address(2025), withDeadline reportingin 2025 that the actress is set to star in the upcoming filmGrace Period.Theoutlet also announcedher appearance inThe Heart Brake, which began filming in the summer of 2025.
D'Angelo eloped in the early 1980s with Italian duke Lorenzo Salviati, and theydivorced in the mid-1990sso she could dateAl Pacino. The Emmy-nominated star and Pacinowelcomed twins Anton and Oliviain 2001 beforesplitting in 2004.
Juliette Lewis as Audrey Griswold
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Following her stint onI Married Dorain 1987, Lewis joined theChristmas Vacationcast as the older Griswold sibling, Audrey. (The role was played by Dana Barron and Dana Hill in the first two films, respectively.)
She has stayed very busy in the years since, earningOscarandGolden Globenominations forCape Fear(1991) and Emmy nods for the HBO TV movieHysterical Blindness(2002) and the Hulu miniseriesWelcome to Chippendales(2022). The actress also starred inWhat's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993),Natural Born Killers (1994), From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)andOld School(2003).
Lewis even had a TV reunion in 2018 with formerVacationcostar Galecki onThe Conners, where she played his character David Healy's girlfriend, Blue. From 2021 to 2023, Lewis starred as Natalie on the Showtime thriller seriesYellowjackets.She starred oppositeAyo EdebiriandJohn Malkovichin the 2025psychological dramaOpus.
In addition to acting, she is a singer, gaining indie rock success with her band, Juliette Lewis and the Licks, before launching a solo career in 2009.
During the "Fabulous Ladies of the '90s" panel in September 2024 — moderated by PEOPLE's Dory Jackson at 90s Con in Florida — Lewis was asked about which role resonated with her the most.
The actress mentionedChristmas Vacation, telling Jackson, "I was very young, but I see all these people, these kids and families, andit's so touching because you can't predict that."
Lewis added, "Chevy Chase was very kind to me on that movie."
She has reunited with herChristmas Vacationcastmates over the years, sharing a photo of their meet-upon Instagramin November 2025 with the caption: "Merry Christmas 🎄from the Griswolds! Love my movie family 😌🙌."
Lewis was married to director and professional skateboarder Steve Berra from 1999 to 2003. She has beendating Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilksince 2016.
Johnny Galecki as Rusty Griswold
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A young Galecki played Clark and Ellen's son Rusty, marking his only appearance in theVacationfranchise.
"I was terrified, of course," he recalled of the audition process at theAcademy's 30th anniversary screeningin 2019, before adding that he "nailed it," and Chase told him he had the part on the spot.
Galecki continued, "I was intimidated by the entire environment. It was a really big deal to me for all the obvious reasons, but I'd really only done musical theater in Chicago."
Galecki went on to gain fame as a guest star onRoseanneandEntourage, and as a leading cast member ofThe Big Bang Theory.He briefly reprised his role as David Healy on a few episodes of theRoseannespinoffThe Conners.His work on the big screen includesHancock(2008),In Time(2011) andRings(2017).
From 2008 to 2009, Galeckidated his formerBig Bang TheorycostarKaley Cuoco, and the two have remained close friends after their amicable split. In 2018, he began a relationship withAlaina Meyer, with whom hewelcomed son Averyin 2019. However, in 2020, PEOPLEreported the two had broken up.
Galecki has sincewed Morgan Galecki and welcomed daughterOona Evelena, confirming both for the March 2024 cover ofArchitectural Digest, though he didn't confirm the dates of either. The Emmy-nominated actor also shared that he had relocated from L.A. — where he lived for 30 years — to Nashville in 2020.
Randy Quaid as Cousin Eddie Johnson
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As the off-kilter husband to Ellen's cousin Catherine (Flynn), Randy brought many of the laughs (and much of the mischief!) as Eddie.
"I know some people like Eddie, unfortunately, including some of my relatives down in Texas. Everybody must have an Eddie in their family somewhere. I worked in an ice cream store when I was in high school, and my boss was a lot like Eddie," Randy said in a 1989interview with UPI. "Now my relatives are wondering who I'm talking about."
Randy has been a working actor since the early 1970s, with roles inThe Last Detail(1973), for which he earned an Oscar nomination,Paper Moon(1973) andMidnight Express(1978). He also appeared on one season ofSNLand earned a Golden Globe Award and Emmy nomination for portrayingPresident Lyndon B. Johnsonin the 1987 TV movieLBJ: The Early Years.
AfterChristmas Vacation, he appeared inMajor League II(1994),Independence Day(1996)andBrokeback Mountain(2005). Randy portrayed Eddie again inVegas Vacationand earned an Emmy nod for the 2005 miniseriesElvis.
Though Randy seemingly left acting behind him, he reunited with Chase in 2024 for another Christmas movie,The Christmas Letter, telling PEOPLE he "found the role very funny."
"Chevy was doing it — so why not?" Randy added. "Chevy and I are best friends on- and off-screen — I just laugh looking at him."
Miriam Flynn as Cousin Catherine Johnson
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Flynn played Cousin Catherine several times throughout the franchise, beginning with 1983'sNational Lampoon's Vacation.
BeforeChristmas Vacation, she appeared in 1983'sMr. Momand 1988'sFor Keeps?, and she's since had guest spots on many TV shows, includingAlly McBeal,Malcolm in the MiddleandGrey's Anatomy.
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, her focus was voice acting. Flynn has dozens of voice credits, from big-screen favorites like the 1995 family dramedyBabeto animated series likeFamily Guy. In the 2010s, she returned to live-action cameos on various shows and in films, appearing on episodes ofShrinking, Call Me Kat,The Lincoln Lawyerand9-1-1in 2025.
Flynn met her husband, author and screenwriter Will Aldis (previously known as Will Porter), when both performed with the Second City in Chicago,per Ripon College. They shared two children, son Graham and daughter Flynn.According to a Facebook postby Second City, Aldis died in 2019.
Diane Ladd as Nora Griswold
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After leaving Hollywood for a time,Diane Laddfound out she had an audition to play Chase's mom, Nora Griswold.
"I said, 'I'm only about six years older than Chevy,' " Ladd recalled during the Academy's 30th anniversary screening and discussion in 2019.
She aged herself with clothes and makeup for the audition.
"I walked in, and Chevy was over there ... and I said, 'Sonny boy! That's my sonny boy!' ... And I got the job," the actress said.
Like most of the cast, Ladd was already a Hollywood icon when theVacationfilms premiered: She had earned both a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination for her performance in 1974'sAlice Doesn't Live Here Anymore(1974). In 1981, she won her first and only Golden Globe for best supporting actress for the spinoff sitcom,Alice.
She was later recognized by the Academy in the early '90s, receiving nominations in 1991 forWild at Heartand in 1992 forRambling Rose.Laddappeared on-screen with her real-life daughter, actressLaura Dern, in both films and on the HBO seriesEnlightened. Other prominent show appearances includedKingdom HospitalandChesapeake Shores,with her last acting credits in the 2022 filmsGigi & Nate andIsle of Hope.
Ladd was married to actorBruce Dernfrom 1960 to 1969, with whom she starred opposite inRambling RoseandDavid Lynch's 2006 experimental horror flick,Inland Empire. She and Bruce shared daughters Diane, whodied in a swimming pool accidentat 18 months, and Laura.
Her second husband was businessmanWilliam A. Shea Jr., to whom she was wed from 1969 to 1977. She married her third husband, former PepsiCo CEORobert Charles Hunter, in 1999, and they remained together until his death in July 2025.
Ladddied at 89ofacute chronic hypoxic respiratory failurein November 2025.
John Randolph as Clark Griswold Sr.
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John Randolph began acting in the late 1940s. He had countless TV appearances and films likeInherit the Wind(1965),Serpico(1973) andKing Kong(1976) under his belt before portraying Clark's dad.
AfterChristmas Vacation, Randolph was a recurring guest star onAnnie McGuireandGrandand appeared on episodes ofER,SeinfeldandTouched by an Angel. He followed up his role as Schuyler Fox in the 1998 rom-comYou've Got Mail, with final appearances on the big screen in 2000'sSunset Stripand 2003'sNumb.
Randolph had two children with his wife, actress Sarah Cunningham. He died in 2004 at the age of 88.
E.G. Marshall as Art Smith
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Born Everett Eugene Grunz in Minnesota, E.G. Marshall made his name on Broadway and on the big screen, notably as a juror in 1957's12 Angry Menand as the president in 1989'sSuperman II. He also starred in the 1960s CBS dramaThe Defenders.
InChristmas Vacation, Marshall portrayed Ellen's cantankerous father, Art Smith. Following the holiday classic, he took on supporting roles in films likeConsenting Adults(1992) andNixon(1995). His final film role came in 1997'sAbsolute Power. He also appeared on episodes ofChicago Hopeand several TV movies throughout the 1990s.
PerThe Independent, Marshall married twice. He shared two daughters, Jill and Degen, with Helen Wolf, with whom he was married from 1931 to 1953. He was married to his second wife, Judith Coy, from 1958 until his death in August 1998 at age 84; they had three children, sons Sam and Jud and daughter Sarah.
Doris Roberts as Frances Smith
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Doris Roberts, born Doris May Green in St. Louis, was already an Emmy winner when she was cast as Frances Smith, Ellen's mother and Art's wife.
Roberts got her start on Broadway in the 1950s. She earned numerous on-screen credits throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, making her film debut in 1961'sSomething Wild.She starred alongside Elliott Gould inLittle Murders(1971) andBilly CrystalinRabbit Test(1978), among other big movie gigs. She took on her first major TV role in 1983, playing Mildred Krebs inRemington Steeleuntil 1987. Her performance onSt. Elsewhereearned her an Emmy for best supporting actress in 1983.
Post-National Lampoon, she took home four more Emmy wins for her role on the beloved CBS comedyEverybody Loves Raymond, playingRay Romano's on-screen mother Marie Barone from 1996 to 2005. She also guest-starred on other hit series, includingDesperate Housewives,The King of QueensandLaw & Order: SVU.
She had one son, Michael Cannata Jr., from her first marriage and was married to her second husband, writer William Goyen, from 1963 until his death in 1983.
Robertsdied at 90 of natural causesin April 2016.
Ellen Latzen as Ruby Johnson
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At just 8 years old, Ellen Latzen had already spent time on-screen before playing Catherine and Eddie's daughter, Ruby Sue. The former child star — who grew up in New York and went to boarding school in Vermont — was first cast in 1987'sFatal Attractionat age 6, followed by single-episode cameos onFamily TiesandThe Equalizer.
During a November 2025 appearance on theDear Santapodcast, Latzen shared it was "humbling" to be a part of what's become a "classic" holiday film.
"It really is amazing that this movie has touched literally millions of people and is something that is held so deeply in their hearts and their families and their traditions," she said. "It makes me feel so wonderful to be a part of that."
Latzen appeared on a 1990 episode of theABC Afterschool Specialsand in a 1995 short film before taking a 30-year hiatus from acting. She returned to the industry in 2025,per KP Talent Management, and will appear next inThe Retailer. She's also made appearances at fan conventions, including the New Jersey Horror Con and Film Festival in December 2025.
Latzen sharedon Instagramthat she and Edward Campbell tied the knot in October 2022. The couple also revealedon Instagramthat they welcomed their daughter, Charlotte, a few weeks early on April 30, 2023.
William Hickey as Lewis
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Before William Hickey's Uncle Lewis set the Griswold family's Christmas décor aflame, the actor had established himself as a distinguished performer, from his early years onstage to his Oscar-nominated role as Don Corrado Prizzi inJohn Huston's 1985 crime comedyPrizzi's Honor.
FollowingChristmas Vacation, Hickey picked up another holiday-themedvoice role as Dr. Finkelsteinin 1993'sThe Nightmare Before Christmas. He also appeared on the big screen inNora Ephron'sMy Blue Heaven(1990),Major Payne(1995) andTwisted(1996).
On TV, Hickey had guest roles on shows likeThe Adventures of Pete & Pete,WingsandThe Outer Limitsand earned an Emmy for his 1990 appearance on the HBO horror seriesTales from the Crypt.
Hickey died at 69 in June 1997 while filming the movieBetter Than Ever. He had still been teaching at HB Studio in New York City until shortly before his death;Steve McQueenandBarbra Streisandwere among his former students,perThe New York Times.
Mae Questel as Bethany
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Mae Questel is primarily remembered as the voice actress behind the animated characters Betty Boop and Olive Oyl.
She earned numerous Broadway credits, includingDr. Socialin 1948 andEnter Laughingin 1963. She only stepped in front of the camera a few times, with notable appearances in the film versions of 1962'sA Majority of Oneand 1968'sFunny Girl, as well as on the soap operaSomerset.
The New York native's final acting role was as Aunt Bethany inNational Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
According toThe New York Times, she died in January 1998 at age 89 and was survived by one son, Richard Balkin, and three granddaughters.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Margo Chester
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Shortly before hercareer-defining role as Elaine BenesonSeinfeld,Julia Louis-Dreyfusplayed the Griswolds' uptight neighbor Margo Chester.Christmas Vacationmarked one of Louis-Dreyfus' earliest film appearances, coming just a few years after shegot her start onSNLat 21.
Louis-Dreyfus later flourished on the small screen, racking up Emmys for her lead performances onThe New Adventures of Old ChristineandVeep. She also had recurring roles onArrested Development— starring herVeepcostarTony Hale—The SimpsonsandCurb Your Enthusiasm.
On the big screen, Louis-Dreyfus starred opposite the lateRobin WilliamsandBilly Crystalin 1997'sFather's Dayand alongsideJames Gandolfiniin one of the late actor's final films,Enough Said(2013). In 2023, she was featured in three movies:You Hurt My Feelings,You PeopleandTuesday. The decorated actress has alsoappeared as Valentina Allegra de Fontainein multiple Marvel projects since 2021, including 2025'sThunderbolts*.
Louis-Dreyfus has been married to husbandBrad Hallsince 1987. They share two sons, actorsHenry and Charlie.
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