Chase will headline the New Jersey event, marking his first appearance at the Christmas convention
The Griswolds reunite!
Chevy Chase will be joined by his National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation actors Beverly D’Angelo, Randy Quaid and Juliette Lewis at this year’s Christmas Festival, PEOPLE exclusively reveals.
The convention, which takes place December 8-10 in Edison, New Jersey, is best known for its panel of Christmas movie stars, which now includes Saturday night live alum, 79, plus D’Angelo, 42, Quaid, 72, and Lewis, 50. They will also mark Yellow vests star Lewis’ first convention ever.
The four starred in the 1989 holiday comedy classic Christmas vacation in which Chase plays patriarch Clark Griswold, who faces a series of unfortunate events as he tries to spend a traditional Christmas with his family that includes wife Ellen (D’Angelo), daughter Audrey (Lewis), son Rusty (Johnny Galecki) and extended family such as cousins Eddie (Quaid).
Directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik and written by John Hughes, the film also stars Diane Ladd, John Randolph and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
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Broadcast photo from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989). Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo reunite the Griswold family in Pittsburgh: ‘Together Again’
In June, PEOPLE exclusively revealed Chase’s headlining presence at the upcoming convention, which is a winter wonderland for Christmas fanatics — complete with a holiday market full of local artists and vendors, photo booths and other activities.
Last year’s event saw several Hallmark, Lifetime and GAF holiday stars, including Andrew Walker, Nikki DeLoach, Paul Campbell, Danica McKellar, Chad Michael Murray and Autumn Reeser. They joined the headliners and Mean girls starring Lacey Chabert and Jonathan Bennett.
Holiday movie favorite Tyler Hynes told PEOPLE in August 2022 at Christmas Con Pasadena that his dream Christmas movie star would be Chase.
“I mean, if we’re talking holiday stars, I’d only think of Chevy Chase from Lampoon movies. Christmas vacation is one of those iconic movies that I grew up watching,” said Hynes, 37, noting that it was named after Chase Caddyshack character. “Doing these movies now and having him in them would be a full-circle moment.”
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National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989).
Archive photos / Getty Images
See your favorite holiday TV movie stars at Christmas Con 2022
In December 2022, D’Angelo revealed in an interview with PEOPLE that she almost turned down the role of Ellen Griswold opposite Chase in the first Rest a film that premiered in 1983.
I was so sure I wasn’t the right person, she said then.
At that early stage of her career, D’Angelo did musicals and dramas including Hair and A miner’s daughter, which starred Patsy Cline. – I really didn’t know which direction I would be in – said the actress.
Moreover, she was about 30 years old and was supposed to play the mother of Anthony Michael Hall, who was a teenager. “I even pitched someone else to my agent, and he said, ‘No, no, no. Really, look at the script,'” D’Angelo continued.
And finally, “I’m so honored that the Griswolds are so embedded in our culture of what family is, because it’s a good family,” she added.
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Source: HIS Education