GOSSIP & RUMORS: What happened to these holiday movie child stars

‘Tis the season for a trip down memory lane.

With Christmas swiftly approaching, it’s time to bust out your favorite holiday classics. From “Miracle on 34th Street” to “A Christmas Story,” these films are so beloved that families cozy up by the fire to watch year after year. 

But where are the young stars in these movies now? Do you ever wonder where the mischievous son in “Home Alone” went? Or what happened to little Cindy Lou Who from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas?”

While some became household names, others retired from acting altogether. 

Keep scrolling to find out what happened to these holiday movie child stars…

Mara Wilson from ‘Miracle on 34th Street‘

At 7 years old, Mara Wilson played the wise-beyond-her-years Susan Walker when she charmed audiences in the 1994 remake of “Miracle on 34th Street.” Wilson, 37, didn’t stop there, as she went on to star in the 1996 comedy “Matilda” and “A Simple Wish” in 1997. 

However, the actress later left Hollywood and earned a degree from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Wilson’s memoir, “Where Am I Now? True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame,” was released in 2016, and a year later, the “Mrs. Doubtfire” alum wrote a powerful essay for Elle Magazine about the sexualization of young Hollywood girls.

In February 2021, Wilson penned an op-ed for the New York Times about her experience in the spotlight and how she is now carving out her own path.

“The Narrative isn’t a story someone else is writing anymore. I can write it myself,” said Wilson.

Macaulay Culkin from ‘Home Alone’

The beloved holiday classic starred Macaulay Culkin as 8-year-old Kevin McCallister, whose family mistakenly leaves for the airport without him. When the young boy awakes to an empty house, he assumes his wish to have no family has come true. 

After a nearly decade-long hiatus from acting, Culkin returned to the big screen, starring in the 2003 comedy “Party Monster” and the 2004 indie film “Saved!”

“I don’t just turn my back [on the spotlight]; I actively don’t want it,” Culkin told the Guardian of fame in 2016.

However, after “Home Alone” and “Home Alone 2,” the now 44-year-old did reprise his famous role during Christmas 2018 for a Google holiday ad.

These days, Culkin has continued to act in various projects, including “American Horror Story,” “The Righteous Gemstones” and “Entergalactic.”

Along with getting back to his craft, Culkin started dating actress Brenda Song in 2017 before welcoming son Dakota in 2021. The pair got engaged a year later and quietly welcomed a second child in December 2022.

Peter Billingsley from ‘A Christmas Story’

Peter Billingsley captured America’s heart as BB-gun owner Ralphie at only 12 years old. The film was such a hit it is now played on TV for 24 hours straight every Christmas. Although Billingsley, 53, has stuck with acting over the years, he’s been more active behind the camera.

The former child star earned credits as an executive producer for “Iron Man,” “F Is for Family” and “The Break-Up.” Billingsley also made his directorial debut with the film “Couples Retreat.”

And in true holiday fashion, Billingsley also served as a producer on the Broadway musical adaptation of “A Christmas Story.“

However, Billingsley did return to the big screen with 2019’s “Spiderman: No Way Home” and reprised his role as Ralphie in the 2022 HBO Max sequel, “A Christmas Story Christmas.”

Taylor Momsen from ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas‘

In 2000, Taylor Momsen shared the real meaning of Christmas for all to see as little Cindy Lou Who. Only seven years later, the star landed the role of Jenny Humphrey on the hit CW show “Gossip Girl.”

Momsen, 31, became the lead singer of a rock band, the Pretty Reckless, in 2009, which she continues to focus on today.

“It’s less frustrating if someone recognizes me for it; it’s more frustrating that I still get asked about it,” she told People in 2016 about being asked to talk about the “Gossip Girl” years. “It feels like someone asking you about junior high. It literally was my junior high, so that’s what it feels like to me. It’s such a past life that it’s a strange question to continue to get asked.”

Thomas Brodie-Sangster from ‘Love Actually’

The baby-faced star Thomas Brodie-Sangster has stayed in the spotlight since starring in the 2003 rom-com.

Brodie-Sangster, 34, appeared in “Nowhere Boy,” “Nanny McPhee” and “The Maze Runner” franchise, just to name a few.

The actor has appeared in episodes of “Game of Thrones” and landed a small part in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” back in 2015.

In 2017, Brodie-Sangster reprised the character of Sam in “Love Actually” for the charity mini-sequel “Red Nose Day Actually.”

In 2020, the star hit the small screen on Netflix’s miniseries the “Queen’s Gambit” and again for FX’s “Pistol” in 2022.

Johnny Galecki from ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation‘

Having Chevy Chase involved always makes for a hilarious time, and when Johnny Galecki joined the “Vacation” series as his son Rusty Griswold in 1989, his career on-screen only went up from there.

He became a permanent cast member on “Roseanne” in 1992 before returning in 2017 as David Healy on the short-lived ABC revival.

But a year later, Galecki, 49, joined the “Roseanne” spin-off, “The Conners,” in 2018 as a recurring character.

In 2019, the actor wrapped his role as Leonard Hofstadter in “The Big Bang Theory,” and his acting ventures have now come full circle.

Galecki is producing a “Christmas Vacation” spin-off series titled “The Griswolds” for HBO Max.

A release date has yet to be set.

Eric Lloyd from ‘The Santa Clause’

Eric Lloyd starred alongside Tim Allen in the beloved trilogy series “The Santa Clause.”

After Charlie’s (Lloyd) parents divorce, his dad (Allen) becomes the real St. Nick, which sets off a series of Christmas-inspired events.

Llyod, 38, continued to act in between the first movie, which aired in 1994 and the second film, “The Santa Clause 2,” which aired in 2000. He then enrolled at Chapman University to study film production.

These days, Lloyd runs a production studio, occasionally acts and is in a band.

“It’s funny that people still recognize me,” he shared in a 2014 Reddit AMA. “I don’t think I look the same. But people will come from across the room and say ‘OH MY GOD, CHARLIE!’”

The actor appeared with his on-screen Santa family once again for the Disney+ series “The Santa Clauses,” which premiered on Nov. 16, 2022.

Karolyn Grimes from ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’

Karolyn Grimes was 6 years old when she stole America’s heart as Zuzu Bailey in 1946’s “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

After working into the early 1950s, Grimes, 84, stepped away from acting. But the Christmas classic has been a huge part of her life in the years since.

The star, 84, travels to speak at film screenings during the holiday season, and in 2000, she published “Zuzu Bailey’s It’s a Wonderful Life Cookbook.”

Grimes returned to television in 2020 as a talk-show guest in “Canaan Land.“