The Fascinating Career of Peter Billingsley: From Ralphie to Ming Ming

The Legacy of A Christmas Story

Peter Billingsley's most iconic role is Ralphie from A Christmas Story, but it still comes as a shock to many that he also made a cameo in Elf. The late Bob Clark had one of the wildest directing careers of all time, having helmed classics in very different genres. He directed 1974's Black Christmas, a slasher tale that's seen as a precursor to films like Halloween, and the original rowdy teen comedy Porky's. His most beloved work remains 1983's A Christmas Story, where Peter Billingsley's Ralphie has various misadventures leading up to Christmas Day.

Peter Billingsley as Ralphie in A Christmas Story

The film was a success upon release, but it was thanks to repeat viewings on TV, VHS and DVD that it became a true classic. The film also received several sequels, including Clark's My Summer Story (AKA It Runs In The Family), the awful direct-to-DVD entry A Christmas Story 2 and finally 2022's A Christmas Story Christmas, which features Billingsley returning as Ralphie. Many movies are considered mandatory viewing during the festive season, including A Christmas Story, Die Hard and 2003's easy-to-watch Elf.

christmas story 2 ralphie parker

A Christmas Story's Ralphie Actor Has A Small Role In Elf

Peter Billingsley plays Santa's head elf Ming Ming. This Jon Favreau-directed comedy cast Will Ferrell in the titular role, and is another example of a movie being a hit upon release before becoming a must-watch Christmas classic. It was during one of those many rewatches that the internet collectively realized A Christmas Story's Peter Billingsley cameoed in Elf, playing Ming Ming, the head elf in Santa's workshop who grows frustrated with Buddy's (Ferrell) slow work.

Ming Ming standing behind Buddy in Elf

Billingsley is all but unrecognizable as Ralphie in Elf, and while his character is sympathetic to Buddy, it's clear Ming Ming and the other elves have grown wary of him. Ming Ming the elf comforts Buddy when the latter admits he's behind on his workload, but Buddy later overhears the head elf complaining about how Buddy is putting them behind schedule. This is also where Buddy realizes he's actually human, which sets off his journey in the movie.

Peter Billingsley as Ming Ming looking serious in Elf

The Multifaceted Career of Peter Billingsley

Billingsley's Elf cameo went unnoticed for years and the fact he's uncredited as Ming Ming is partly why. It should be noted that he remained active as a performer following A Christmas Story, but largely in smaller roles. Thanks to the internet - and the belated A Christmas Story Christmas - viewers are now more familiar with what the older Billingsley looks like.

With both A Christmas Story and Elf, Billingsley boasts two festive movie favorites to his name. His appearance in the latter is obviously no mistake either, with Elf paying subtle homage to the 1983 classic. He may not be playing Ralphie in Elf - which would be really difficult to explain - but the subtext element of having the star of one beloved Christmas movie appearing in another just adds to the good vibes Favreau's film puts out.