BOISE, Idaho — Idaho has always attracted Hollywood stars from Bruce Willis to Clint Eastwood. And perhaps none is more beloved than Peter Billingsley, who played Ralphie in 'A Christmas Story.' Idaho News 6's Roland Beres sat down with Billingsly to talk about the past and future of cinema in Idaho.
It may be hard to forget a young Peter Billingsley in a pink bunny suit, but the man he’s become is a Hollywood player who sees great things for Idaho.
“I think one of the great competitive advantages of Idaho is a lot of states in the union have been kind of filmed out. They’ve been filmed so much and there’s such breathtaking beauty to this state, and it really hasn’t been photographed and shared with the world,” said Billingsley.
Billingsley moved to Eagle a few years ago, in part, because major changes in his industry made it possible.
“Yeah, it’s a huge part of it. We were looking for a change. We have two kids now and I wanted to raise them in a different environment and I realized I had prepped and shot the last three movies remotely and out of state,” he said.
Billingsley is a triple threat who acts, produces, and directs.
'A Christmas Story' made him a household name, so we had to talk a little trivia. For instance, how good was he with the BB gun?
"I was pretty handy with it and absolutely between takes I was shooting it and, you know, being safe not to hit anyone on the crew but in that backyard, I was blasting it out there for sure,” said Billingsley.
And did you know Jack Nicholson was interested in playing Ralphie’s dad?
“Hundred percent true, and can’t envision anyone else but Darren. But in thinking about it, it’s a little bit strange to think about it because that was just after 'The Shining' so you think of a very different old man, you know, daddy is going to kill Ralphie,” laughs Billingsley.
Turns out 'A Christmas Story' was panned initially, and Billingsley says he’s lucky it was.
“I think part of the reason I still have a good relationship with the movie is because that growth into fame from it was slow. I didn’t go to bed on Friday and wake up and see the box office return and have people tell me your life has just changed,” he said.
Looking to the future, Billingsley says he’s encouraged by efforts by the Idaho Film Society to bring more filmmaking to the state.
“I think as you build the infrastructure, you build the love of film, you find people that are working on things in town, you start to support that. It gets easier and easier,” said Billinglsey.
And he says the appetite for a communal experience will keep movie fans coming to theaters even as streaming services seem to dominate the industry.
