Remember Ruby Sue from 'Christmas Vacation'? Here's What She's Up to Now
It's no question that National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is one of the funniest Christmas movies of all time. We have the film's hilarious quotes and iconic characters to thank for that.
The third film in the National Lampoon's Vacation franchise saw Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo reprise their roles as Clark and Ellen—coming together once again for a more "subtle" holiday at home. And though their characters certainly helped shape the film's greatness, we can't forget about some of the younger characters like Ruby Sue, who had some of the funniest lines from the film.
Ruby Sue added just the right amount of sassy and sweet energy that the film needed. But it's actually Ellen Latzen, the former child actor who played Ruby Sue, who we should really be thanking for that.
More than 30 years have passed since National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation premiered in 1989, and by now you might be wondering: Where is Ellen Latzen now? We've got the scoop on her career and personal life—and some of the details might surprise you! Keep reading for everything you need to know about Ellen (aka Ruby Sue)!
What is Ellen Latzen up to now?
We all know Ellen from her role in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. But she actually got her start in Michael Douglas and Glenn Close's 1987 hit, Fatal Attraction. Though her role was minor, the credit in a big film is what allowed her to ease into childhood stardom. She would later go on to land roles in The Equalizer, Mr. North, and Boys Life 2.
But after she graduated from boarding school, Ellen decided to quit show business—with her last official acting role being in Boys Life 2, which premiered in 1997.
Ellen, who is now 42, explained the career move during an interview with HuffPost in 2015.
"It would've been a lot of effort to get back into it, and I wasn't really ready to do that," Ellen told HuffPost. "And even though I loved acting and was passionate about it, at that point, I really wanted to be another person, and I decided to walk away."
Since then, Ellen has worked in fields like advertising and hospitality, in addition to producing a podcast.
"I’m working on a podcast [WatchedPodcast] about the child acting industry," Ellen said in 2015. "Basically, I want to talk to child actors past and present and casting directors and friends and parents and child psychologists and anybody that has a perspective on this matter because I want to create a well-rounded viewpoint of the industry.
"I don’t think people really give a lot credence to kids and they don’t really understand what some of the struggles are that myself and my peers have gone through being a child actor, and it’s really heavy stuff," she added. "I want to be an advocate for child actors now."
Is Ellen Latzen married?
According to her Instagram account, Ellen married her her husband, Edward Campbell, in October 2022. A quick scroll through her photos shows that they've been dating for some time now and even have a few pups together!
You Might Also Like
