Peter Billingsley, a 54-year-old former child star, is a cousin by marriage to Barbara Billingsley, the television icon from Leave It To Beaver. Peter, best known for his role as Ralphie Parker in the 1983 classic film A Christmas Story, continues to act and produce films and television shows. Some of his feature films include Marvel superhero movies such as Iron Man and Spider-Man: Far From Home.
A Closer Look
Peter Billingsley was born in New York City on April 16, 1971, and began acting in television commercials at the age of two. In the 1980s, he portrayed Messy Marvin in a series of commercials for Hershey’s syrup.
Peter, an in-direct cousin of Leave It To Beaver icon Barbara Billingsley by marriage, has given more full-length performances as characters in films and television shows than his beloved portrayal of Ralphie Parker in A Christmas Story.
For example, he played Jack Simmons in The Dirt Bike Kid and Billy in Death Valley.
In addition to several other small and big-screen appearances, Billingsley has worked as a filmmaker and producer.
He received an Emmy Award nomination in 2001 for his work as co-executive producer on the show Dinner for Five.
Four years later, he helped produce the film Zathura. He was an executive producer on The Break-Up, in which he also starred alongside frequent collaborator Jon Favreau.
Billingsley produced the Iron Man film, which was directed by Favreau. Billingsley also starred in the film as William Ginter Riva, a scientist who he later reprised in Spider-Man: Far From Home.