News about Melinda Dillon

Melinda Dillon, a Tony Award-winning actress best known for her role in Steven Spielberg's 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind, has died at the age of 83. In an obituary, the two-time Oscar nominee's family announced that she died on January 9, but no reason has been given at this time. The Magnolia actress, who was born in Arkansas, received a nod for Best Supporting Actress twice at the Academy Awards during her legendary career. Her acting appearances in film, television, and on Broadway date back more than four decades. In addition to a memorable role as Ralphie's high-strung mother, A Christmas Story, she famously won a Tony for her Broadway debut in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

What do these actors have in common? They all found fame in Christmas films before they hit adulthood, which has been immortalized on our screens. However, when the children actors hit the acting gold rush at an early age, their paths to follow wound up in different directions, with continued success for some and less positive results for others. So where are actors who played Sophie from The Holiday, Ralphie from A Christmas Story, Bernard the Elf from The Santa Clause, Eloise from Eloise at Christmastime and Kevin from Home Alone (left to right) now?