‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ cast: Where are the Griswolds now?

Decades after the Griswolds celebrated Christmas in the 1989 holiday hit “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” audiences around the world can still enjoy (and relate to) the family's tortured enthusiasm for the holidays. The film has become an American holiday classic that’s watched over and over each year. While the memorable characters are forever frozen in time (along with daughter Audrey's eyeballs and lower limbs), Snakkle.com takes a look at what happened to the actors who played them all so well.

Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold
Clark Griswold is determined to enjoy "the most fun-filled, old-fashioned family Christmas ever," so the famously hapless father invites a bunch of dysfunctional relatives to the Chicago home he shares with his wife Ellen and their kids Rusty and Audrey. Too bad his well-intentioned holiday plans quickly spiral out of control as he trips, falls and bumbles his way through one iconic scene after the other. After all, no Griswold Christmas celebration would be complete without 25,000 lights encasing the house, an electrocuted cat in the yard, an exploding turkey on the table and a S.W.A.T. team ready to break down the front door.

PHOTOS: See all 25 pics in the “Where are they now ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ gallery

Chevy Chase NOW
Chevy Chase reprised his role as Clark in the comedy “Vegas Vacation” (1997). Since then he’s continued acting with steady but lower profile work, like a two-episode guest appearance on “Brothers & Sisters” in 2007 and sporadic appearances on the program that launched his career in 1975, “Saturday Night Live.” More recently, fans saw Chase in his role as Pierce Hawthorne on the show “Community.” But perhaps his biggest achievement to date is his long-lasting relationship with Jayni Chase. The couple married in 1982, and they’ve raised three children together.

Juliette Lewis as Audrey
Audrey is still as snarky as ever, and she really lets loose when faced with the idea of spending her holiday trapped at home with “loved ones.” “Would it be indecent to ask the grandparents to stay at a hotel?” she asks. The answer is yes, so she’s forced to share a bed with her brother Rusty. In the film, she’s frozen from the waist down on a chilly expedition to get the family Christmas tree. No worries! “It’s all part of the experience!” shouts her dad about her frost-induced blindness.

Juliette Lewis NOW
Juliette Lewis was relatively unknown when she played Audrey in 1989—but her fortunes quickly improved. That year, Lewis began a four-year relationship with heartthrob Brad Pitt after the two met while working on a TV movie. “Dating Brad Pitt isn’t the most interesting thing that ever happened to me,” insists Lewis, who would later be married for two years to skateboarder Steve Berra. Perhaps she’s prouder of her Oscar nomination for her role as Danielle Bowden in the thriller “Cape Fear” (1991) or critically acclaimed roles in hits like “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” (1993) and “Natural Born Killers” (1994). After quitting acting for six years to perform with her punk-rock band Juliette and the Licks, she’s now back on the small screen as Tammy in the TV show “The Firm.”

Beverly D’Angelo as Ellen Griswold
In this holiday installment of the Griswold family movies, Ellen returns as the levelheaded voice of reason. As always, she’s less than impressed with her husband’s efforts to create the perfect family memory. "Clark! Slow down! I don't want to spend the holidays dead!" she complains after they hop in the car to look for the perfect Christmas tree. Later she sums up the whole experience as best she can: “I don't know what to say, except, it's Christmas and we're all in misery.”

Beverly D’Angelo NOW
Beverly D’Angelo’s Hollywood career has run the gamut in the years since her Christmas adventure with Chevy Chase. She played the ill-fated Kitty Menendez in the made-for-television film “Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills” (1994) and Doris Vinyard in “American History X” (1998). Proving she can’t be typecast, D’Angelo shone as Barbara “Babs” Miller, Ari Gold’s mentor on “Entourage” (2005-2011). The actress’ love life has been just as varied. For a time she was married to Lorenzo Salviati, an Italian duke, and her seven-year relationship with Al Pacino produced twins Olivia and Anton in 2001. The couple split two years later.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Margo Chester
Snooty Margo Chester has no problem letting her neighbors know how much she hates their Christmas spirit – with or without her husband’s support! “If you’re not man enough to put an end to this s**t, then I am!” she snipes to Todd Chester of the chaos raging next door. Bah humbug!

Julia Louis-Dreyfus NOW
Despite her role as a not-so-nice neighbor, Julia Louise-Dreyfus must have been a very good girl because in 1990 she began a lucrative eight-year stint as Elaine Benes on “Seinfeld.” Even her voice became famous as she gave life to Gloria, Mr. Burn’s love interest, on “The Simpsons” from 2001 through 2008. Today she’s busy starring on the HBO comedy “Veep.” The mother of two sons is just as successful in her personal life – she’s been married to television writer Brad Hall since 1987.

PHOTOS: See all 25 pics in the “Where are they now ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ gallery