How Old Every Griswold Family Member Is In National Lampoons Christmas Vacation (& How Their Actors Compare)

Summary

• In National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, the characters’ ages range from around 6 to 82 years old. Here is a breakdown of the ages of the main characters and the actors who portrayed them during the filming of the movie:
• Ruby Sue Johnson (Ellen Hamilton Latzen) – Around 9 years old
• Rocky Johnson (Cody Burger) – Around 6 years old

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is a beloved holiday classic with a multi-generational cast of characters centered around the Griswold family, but how old was Chevy Chase in Vacation? Clark Griswold ( Chase) and his wife Ellen host Christmas at their home. However, no holiday would be complete without unexpected guests, a deranged squirrel, a burning Christmas tree, and a stampeding rottweiler. When Cousin Eddie appears on Clark’s doorstep, not only do the Griswolds have to find extra space for extended family, but they must figure out how to handle Eddie’s idea of the perfect gift – Clark’s boss.

The National Lampoon’s Vacation movies were based on a short story entitled “Vacation ’58” that was written by John Hughes, and in both National Lampoon’s Vacation and National Lampoon’s European Vacation, the Griswold shenanigans don’t include all the older members of the family. Due to the season’s penchant for bringing people together, it was a natural choice to include a few more unseen Griswolds, including Clark’s parents and in-laws. Many of the actors were the same age as the characters they played during filming, butsome were a lot younger than the characters they played.

Clark Griswold Is Around 42 Years Old In Christmas Vacation

Chevy Chase Was 46 When Filming Christmas Vacation

At the time National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation was in production, Chevy Chase was 46 years old. Clark Griswold, on the other hand, is supposed to be in his early 40s based on the era of the home movies that he watches upstairs in the attic and the ages of his children. Chase’s unbridled enthusiasm and ability to vacillate wildly between moods give the film an infectious energy that never gets old.

Chevy Chase starred in five
Vacation
movies over the years.

Chase was 40 when he started playing Clark Griswold in the original Vacation movie. At the time, his kids were played by actors who were 15 (Rusty) and 17 (Audrey). That lines up well with him being in his early to mid-20s when he had kids. However, at 46, based on his kids’ ages in this movie, there is now a 32-year age difference between Chase and Johnny Galecki, changing the dynamic somewhat. Interestingly, Chase is only 11 years younger than the actor who played his mother.

Ellen Griswold Is Around 40 In Christmas Vacation

Beverly D’Angelo Was 38 When Filming Christmas Vacation

Beverly D’Angelo was 38 when production started, making her eight years younger than Chevy Chase. Due to the clothing and hairstyles of the late ’80s, Ellen Griswold looks sophisticated and mature despite the age discrepancy with her costar. Ellen is supposed to be around the same age as her husband, Clark, meaning she would be around 40.

Beverly D’Angelo starred in five
Vacation
movies.

Since Beverly D’Angelo played Ellen in Vacation and European Vacation, the age difference between Clark and Ellen has never changed. D’Angelo is also almost 40 years younger than E.G. Marshall, who plays her father, Art Smith, in the movie, but that is not that different from their characters’ in-movie ages. She is, however, only 21 years younger than the actor who plays her mother, although Doris Roberts played much older than her real age.

Audrey Griswold Is Around 16 In Christmas Vacation

Juliette Lewis Was 16 When Filming Christmas Vacation

A teenager herself during production, Juliette Lewis was exactly the right age to portray Audrey Griswold, who was meant to be about 16. Exasperated at having very little agency in her family and being forced to share a bedroom with her younger brother Russ, Lewis adds a razor-sharp wit to the hysterics going on around her. Lewis replaced the actress who portrayed Audrey Griswold in the previous National Lampoon Vacation films.

Dana Baron, Dana Hill, Juliette Lewis, and Marisol Nichols played Audrey in the
Vacation
movies.

Dana Barron played Audrey in National Lampoon’s Vacation, which came out six years earlier. Barron was 17 when the movie was released, meaning she was older than the actress who replaced her in 1989. Dana Hill played Audrey in European Vacation in 1985; she was 21, although she still played a teenager. After Lewis, Marisol Nichols took over for Vegas Vacation. This movie was eight years later, but Nichols was 24 and still a teen in the movie’s world. Barron returned for Christmas Vacation 2 in 2003.

Russell Griswold Is 14 In Christmas Vacation

Johnny Galecki Was 14 When Filming Christmas Vacation

The Big Bang Theory’s Johnny Galecki was 14 when he filmed National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, which aligns with his character’s age. Like Juliette Lewis, he replaced the actor who played Russ in previous films in the franchise. Gallecki made an impish voice of reason and comedic straight man for Chase’s more hair-brained schemes. This was also early in his career, as Galecki had only been acting for two years when he appeared in the comedy movie.

Anthony Michael Hall, Jason Lively, Johnny Galecki, Ethan Embry, & Ed Helms play Rusty in the
Vacation
movies.

The first Vacation movie had Anthony Michael Hall star as Rusty. Like Dana Barron and Juliette Lewis, he was also one year older when he played Rusty than Galecki, who took over the role six years later. Jason Lively replaced Hall in European Vacation, and he was 17 when he played the role. In Vegas Vacation, Ethan Embry played Rusty, and he was 19 at the time. Rusty is the new lead in 2015’s Vacation, with 41-year-old Ed Helms in the role.

Cousin Eddie Johnson Is Around 40 In Christmas Vacation

Randy Quaid Was 39 When Filming Christmas Vacation

Cousin Eddie is a few years younger than Clark Griswold, but he acts even less mature than his age, which is around 40. Randy Quaid was 39 when he played Cousin Eddie and completely stole the show. Though Cousin Eddie has been in four out of the seven films in the franchise, the surname of “Johnson” wasn’t included until the spin-off film devoted to the bawdy character entitled National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 2.

Cousin Eddie got a spinoff movie called
Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie’s Island Adventure.

Cousin Eddie was only a little younger than Clark in the movie, but Randy Quaid was actually seven years younger than Chevy Chase. However, this is hard to notice, as both men look around the same age. Since Clark is eternally optimistic about everything and Eddie is jaded and cynical, it makes sense that he might actually look older than Clark at times in the movie. Eddie was around back in the first movie and even had his own spinoff film.

Catherine Johnson Is 38 In Christmas Vacation

Miriam Flynn Was 38 When Filming Christmas Vacation

Ellen’s sister Catherine, Eddie’s wife, is supposed to be around 38, which is the same age that Miriam Flynn was when filming began. She and Eddie are involved in some of the more uproarious scenes in the film, with Flynn balancing out Quaid’s raucous energy. She appeared alongside her movie partner again in both Vegas Vacation and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 2.

Miriam Flynn initially appeared in the first
National Lampoon’s Vacation
movie.

The age works out well. While Chase and D’Angelo have an eight-year age difference between the actors, Flynn and Quaid are only one year apart in age. There was also a notable age range based on their kids’ ages, as it shows both were in their late 20s to early 30s when they started raising their family. Having them younger than Clark and Ellen also worked well since they were much more immature than the Griswolds, and it explains their escapades, even in the later movies in the franchise.

Ruby Sue Johnson Is Around 9 In Christmas Vacation

Emily Hamilton Latzen Was 9 When Filming Christmas Vacation

Ruby Sue Johnson is Cousin Eddie’s daughter. She is depicted as being around nine years old, which is the same age that Ellen Hamilton Latzen was when the film started production. Even though she’s older than Rocky, she’s young enough to still believe in Santa Claus and brings some nice childlike moments to the family holiday. Latzen’s innocence and sweetness perfectly underscore her use of profanity in the film, leading to some of its most hilarious exchanges with Clark.

Latzen never appeared in another movie after Christmas Vacation. Juliette Brewer replaced Latzen in Vegas Vacation. She was only 11 when shooting the film, which was also her career’s last movie role. Ruby was not in Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie’s Island Adventure, even though the movie featured her on-screen dad. Instead, both Ruby and her younger brother Rocky were left out and replaced by a new character named Third Johnson (Jake Thomas), a new child.

Rocky Johnson Is Around 6 In Christmas Vacation

Cody Burger Was 6 When Filming Christmas Vacation

Cody Burger made his big screen debut with National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and was just six years old during filming. Rocky has zero lines of spoken dialogue, but his gaping, vacant expression provides plenty of laughs. Burger was six years old when he made the movie, and his character was also around the same exact age. Burger made another few films in the ’90s, but none were as big as this holiday favorite before retiring from acting.

In 1992, he appeared in Mel Gibson’s Forever Young but had no character name (Boy at Picnic). He went on to appear in Pet Shop as Nicky, Home Improvement for one episode, and then he finished his career in Heavyweights as Cody Farley. Because Vegas Vacation took place in Las Vegas, the child character wasn’t around for that movie, although his pre-teen sister Ruby was cast (with a different actor who was two years older). He also wasn’t in the Cousin Eddie spinoff.

Clark Wilhelm Griswold Is Around 75 In Christmas Vacation

John Randolph Was 74 When Filming Christmas Vacation

Clark Wilhelm Griswold, also known as Clark Griswold Sr., is around 75 in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, which is about the same age John Randolph was when he filmed it. With a career stretching back to the ’60s, John Randolph was known for gritty movies like Serpico and comedic television series like Roseanne. He brings a ton of experience to the role and was perfect playing off his “son,” portrayed by Chevy Chase in the movie.

Randolph’s performance makes it clear where Clark’s tireless optimism comes from, not to mention his commitment to giving his family the perfect Christmas experience. This was the only Vacation movie he appeared in, but his appearance was important to make this more of a family holiday movie, making it unique from the “vacation” style movies of the previous two in the franchise. Randolph sadly passed away in 2004 at 88.

Nora Griswold Is Around 70 In Christmas Vacation

Diane Ladd Was 57 When Filming Christmas Vacation

As it turns out, Diane Ladd was closer in age to the actor playing her son than to her husband. At 57,Ladd was 11 years older than Chevy Chaseand 17 years younger than John Randolph, her onscreen husband. Over the course of a career that includes 200 films, she’s been nominated for three Academy Awards for Wild at Heart, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, and Rambling Rose, and is the mother of actress Laura Dern with ex-husband Bruce Dern.

The entire age difference between Randolph and Ladd was not noticeable. This was thanks to Randolph looking younger than his 74 and Ladd’s ability to play a still-active older woman, 13 years advanced from her real-life age. As with Randolph, Ladd was not in another movie in the franchise other than this one, but she served an important role as one of the older generations of Griswolds in this family affair. Her most recent role came in 2022 with the movie Gigi & Nate.

Aunt Bethany Is Around 80 In Christmas Vacation

Mae Questel Was 81 When Filming Christmas Vacation

Aunt Bethany appears to be around 80 in the film, which is nearly the same age that Mae Questel was during production. Aunt Bethany’s cognitive issues lead to some truly hilarious moments, including serving her famous cat food key lime jello. Questel got her start in vaudeville and went on to become a prominent voice artist, lending her distinct talents to two famous characters – Olive Oyl from Popeye and the iconic Betty Boop.

This was another of the early generation of Griswolds, making this a Christmas to remember for Clark and his entire family. As with the other older characters in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Mae Questel never appeared in any other movie in the franchise. Sadly, this movie was also the final movie role in her life. Questel passed away only nine years later from complications related to Alzheimer’s disease.

Uncle Lewis Is Around 82 In Christmas Vacation

William Hickey Was 62 When Filming Christmas Vacation

It might surprise fans to learn that, despite the fact Uncle Lewis is around 82 in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, William Hickey was 20 years younger when he filmed it. Hair and makeup were used to make him age-appropriate next to Aunt Bethany. Just four years before appearing in the holiday film, he was nominated for an Academy Award for playing Don Corrado Prizzi in John Huston’s Prizzi’s Honor.

There was an 18-year age difference between Uncle Lewis and Aunt Bethany.

While Mae Questel was 81 when she played Aunt Bethany, Hickey was 62, which was only a little older than Diane Ladd, but both of these actors had to play a much older character, and both did it exceptionally well. Sadly, while Lane is still acting today, Hickey didn’t live much longer after appearing in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. He died one year before Questel at 69 from emphysema and bronchitis.

Francis Smith Is Around 70 In Christmas Vacation

Doris Roberts Was 59 When Filming Christmas Vacation

Despite the fact that Francis Smith is supposed to be around 70in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Doris Roberts was only 59 when she played the part. The Everybody Loves Raymond actress (Marie Barone) was 15 years younger than her onscreen husband Art. Roberts brings her usual plucky irreverence and superb comedic timing to the Griswold family arguments, which cause no end of embarrassment to her daughter, Ellen.

This was almost the exact situation that National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation did with Clark’s parents, as John Randolph was 74 and Diane Ladd was 57. The age difference here is only two years different than the other couple because Roberts was a little older than Ladd at the time. Roberts went on to continue acting, in movies and on TV, and her final roles came in 2016, the same year that she died at 90.

Art Smith Is Around 75 In Christmas Vacation

E.G. Marshall Was 74 When Filming Christmas Vacation

E.G. Marshall was 74 when he filmed National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, making his character, Art Smith, roughly around the same age. As Ellen’s cantankerous father, Art provides much of the cynical humor in the film along with Uncle Lewis. Having starred in numerous films over a career stretching back decades, he’s best known as the incredibly analytical Juror 4 in Sidney Lumet’s dramatic courtroom film 12 Angry Men.

However, he also had some other big roles, including playing the United States President in Superman II, and he kept acting even after National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, despite his advancing age. This includes movies like Consenting Adults, Absolute Power, and the biopic Nixon, as well as TV shows like The Tommyknockers and Chicago Hope. He died in 1998 at 84 after a battle with lung cancer.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

  Director:

  Jeremiah S. Chechik

  Release Date:

  1989-12-01

  Cast:

  Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Randy Quaid, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki, John Randolph, Diane Ladd, E.G. Marshall, Miriam Flynn

  Writers:

  John Hughes

  Rating:

  PG-13

  Runtime:

  97 minutes

  Genres:

  Comedy, Holiday

  Budget:

  $25 million

  Studio(s):

  Hughes Entertainment

  Distributor(s):

  Warner Bros. Pictures

  Creator :

  John Hughes

  Sequel(s):

  Vegas Vacation, Vacation

  prequel(s):

  National Lampoon’s European Vacation, National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)

  Franchise(s):

  National Lampoon’s Vacation