"A Christmas Story" Actor Zack Ward Reveals His Royalty Income From The Classic Movie

Every December, like clockwork, a specific set of movies and TV shows are replayed over and over. And over and over. And over and over.

One of those movies is, of course, the 1983 holiday staple, "A Christmas Story."

Since 1997, Turner Broadcasting has turned the film into a cultural marathon, airing it for 24 consecutive hours on TNT and TBS. You might assume that such a massive, "incessant" loop of airtime would result hefty windfall of royalties every year for the cast. Unfortunately, that's not the case, as was confirmed a few years ago by Zack Ward, the actor who played Scut Farkus in the film. 

A few years back, Page Six caught up with Zack and finally blew the lid on the question that basically everyone asks at some point after meeting him. Here's his response:

"You're going to be so disappointed. It's basically about $1,800 every two years… and it comes in Canadian money because we shot in Canada."

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Life as a Professional Bully

It has been over four decades since the movie first hit theaters, yet Ward remains one of the most recognizable faces of the season. Far from being annoyed by the "bully" label, he genuinely embraces the unique way fans interact with him on the street. He often jokes that people approach him just to tell him how happy it made them to see him get his "ass kicked by Ralphie."

Ward believes that fans aren't actually reacting to him as a person, but rather connecting to their own childhood memories. Most people grew up with a bully of their own, and seeing Scut Farkus finally get his comeuppance provides a sense of catharsis that stays with viewers for a lifetime. Because of that shared emotional history, the fans usually greet him with a great deal of love and kindness.

From the Playground to the Boardroom

Zack Ward's career didn't end at the elementary school fence. He has remained a prolific figure in the industry, even reprising his iconic role in the 2022 sequel, A Christmas Story Christmas, which caught up with the characters as adults. Beyond acting and directing, Ward has also ventured into the world of finance and technology. He has been heavily involved with All Sports Market and the Global Sports Financial Exchange, Inc., working to develop a platform that allows fans to buy and trade shares of sports teams similar to a traditional stock exchange.

Where Are They Now? The Cast of "A Christmas Story"

While Scut Farkus is busy managing his Canadian royalty checks, the rest of the Parker family and their friends have had quite the journey since the 1983 classic. Most of the original "kids" from the movie reunited in 2022 for the sequel, "A Christmas Story Christmas," but their paths in the decades between were surprisingly varied.

Peter Billingsley (Ralphie Parker)

The boy who wanted a Red Ryder BB gun grew up to be one of the most powerful behind-the-scenes figures in Hollywood. Peter Billingsley transitioned from acting to producing and directing, becoming a close collaborator with Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn. He served as an executive producer on the first "Iron Man" and directed the comedy "Couples Retreat." Most recently, he has been touring the country with "An Evening with Peter Billingsley," where he shares behind-the-scenes stories with fans during live screenings of the film.

Ian Petrella (Randy Parker)

The actor behind Ralphie's "little piggy" brother took a bit of a departure from Hollywood. After a string of TV roles as a kid, Ian Petrella studied marionette puppetry in the Czech Republic and later moved to Cleveland, Ohio. Today, he works primarily in animation and puppetry, though he remains active in the "A Christmas Story" fan community and reprised his role as an adult Randy in the 2022 sequel.

Scott Schwartz (Flick)

Scott Schwartz, whose tongue will forever be stuck to a frozen flagpole in cinematic history, had a colorful post-child-star career. In the 1990s, he famously worked in the adult film industry before retiring from that world in 1999. Since then, he has focused on the celebrity memorabilia business, helping create lines of celebrity-based trading cards. He also returned to the screen to play Flick once more in the recent sequel.

Yano Anaya (Grover Dill)

The "toady" to Zack Ward's Scut Farkus eventually left Tinseltown for a completely different kind of training. Anaya moved to Atlanta, where he became a successful personal trainer and served as the Director of the Personal Training Program at the Atlanta School of Massage. Like his "bully" counterpart, he is often a guest at fan conventions, greeting people with far more kindness than Grover Dill ever showed.

In Memoriam

Sadly, the original "parents" of the film have since passed away. Darren McGavin (The Old Man) died in 2006 at the age of 83. Before the film, he was already a TV legend for his lead role as the intrepid reporter Carl Kolchak in "Kolchak: The Night Stalker." After the film, he remained busy with roles in "The Natural," "Billy Madison," and an Emmy-nominated turn as the titular character's father in the sitcom "Murphy Brown."

Melinda Dillon (Mrs. Parker), who retired from acting in 2007 and passed away in early 2023, was a two-time Academy Award nominee. She received critical acclaim for her roles in Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "Absence of Malice." Fans also fondly remember her from "Harry and the Hendersons," "Slap Shot," and her role as Rose Gator in the 1999 drama "Magnolia."

Tedde Moore, who played the teacher Miss Shields, remains a proud part of the film's legacy and is the only cast member to appear in both the original and the 1994 sequel "My Summer Story." She also famously played Mrs. Claus in "Mistletoe Over Manhattan" and provided voice work for the series "Rolie Polie Olie." Interestingly, her son is the world-renowned music producer Noah "40" Shebib, famous for his work with Drake.

Noah "40" Shebib is the primary producer and technical architect behind Drake's global success, serving as his longtime engineer and the co-founder of the "OVO Sound" label. He is credited with inventing the signature "Toronto Sound," a moody and atmospheric production style characterized by minimalist, "underwater" synths that allow Drake's vocals to take center stage. Beyond crafting the music, Shebib has executive produced and mixed nearly every major project in Drake's discography, from the breakout "So Far Gone" to chart-topping albums like "Take Care" and "Views." His hands-on approach and creative partnership have made him the most influential figure in shaping Drake's artistic identity over the last two decades.