How Old Was Russ in Christmas Vacation?

By Robert Palmer

If you’re a fan of the classic Christmas movie, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” you may have wondered how old Russ, one of the Griswold children, was during the filming of the movie.

First off, let’s establish who Russ is. Russ is the middle child of Clark and Ellen Griswold and has two siblings: Audrey and Rusty. In “Christmas Vacation,” he’s portrayed as a quirky, smart-mouthed teenager with an interest in chemistry.

So how old was Russ in “Christmas Vacation”? The movie was released in 1989, which means it was likely filmed in 1988 or earlier.

The actor who played Russ, Johnny Galecki, was born on April 30th, 1975. That would make him around 13 years old when filming began.

Galecki had already starred in several TV shows and movies by the time he landed his role as Russ. He got his start in acting at a young age and even appeared on “The Cosby Show” before landing his breakthrough role as David Healy on “Roseanne” in 1992.

Now that we’ve established how old Galecki was during filming let’s take a deeper dive into his character. Russ plays an important role in “Christmas Vacation” as he’s often seen trying to help his dad with various holiday mishaps while also providing comedic relief.

One memorable scene involves him watching a video of himself skiing down their stairs with Clark’s prized possession – a giant nutcracker statue – while wearing a makeshift hockey mask for protection.

Aside from being known for his role as Russ, Galecki has gone on to have a successful acting career. As previously mentioned, he starred on “Roseanne” before landing his most well-known role as Dr. Leonard Hofstadter on the hit sitcom “The Big Bang Theory.”

In conclusion, Johnny Galecki was around 13 years old when filming “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” making his character Russ a quirky, smart-mouthed teenager. While Galecki has gone on to have a successful career in acting, fans of the movie will always remember him as the lovable middle child of the Griswold family.