Ruby Sue From Christmas Vacation Is All Grown Up And Making A Comeback

1989's "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" ranks high among the Christmas movies that you won't want to skip this year, and there's a reason why. Actor Ellen Latzen — who played Ruby Sue in the iconic holiday film — is now staging a comeback.

After spending decades away from the entertainment industry, Latzen realized that her true passion has remained in acting. And, she's ready to jump right back in. The little girl who once appeared in front of the cameras to exclaim "Santy Claus! Uncle Clark ... are you Santy Claus?" is now all grown up and excited to show the world her talent.

To learn more about what she's up to now, we reached out to Ellen Latzen. Writing exclusively to The List, Latzen opened up about her return to acting, current projects, and future goals. As bright a star as ever, Latzen certainly isn't one of the Christmas movie child stars you won't recognize today. The actor maintains her passion for the craft and excitement about showbiz, and we cannot wait to see her career take off.

After playing Ruby Sue in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," Ellen Latzen continued to work in showbiz. In 1995, she appeared in the short film, "Alkali, Iowa," which would later get a theatrical release with the 1997 "Boys Life 2" short film collection — but soon realized that she needed to take a step back from fame.

At the time that "Boys Life 2" was released, Latzen was 17 years old and had never really experienced the world outside of Hollywood. She itched for a bit of normalcy and began to consider alternate routes for her future. "I'd never really known what it was like to live a 'normal' life," Latzen tells The List. "I wanted to experience life out of the limelight, to go to college, work a normal job, and just be."

After considering her options, Latzen decided to start enjoying a more low-key life. "When I graduated from high school and found it would be a lot of effort to re-enter the industry, I decided that was a good moment for me to step away completely," she explains. The actor tried to join the ranks of child stars who ditched Hollywood for surprisingly normal jobs. And, although this decision ultimately gave Latzen a new perspective on life, it also meant that she would have to live without a creative outlet that had enchanted her since childhood.

Acting was an integral part of Ellen Latzen's life for years. So, when she took a step back from Hollywood in search of normalcy, she noticed that there was something missing. "I went in search of meaning, to fill the void that my acting career had left," Latzen tells us. "And while I gained a ton of amazing experience, nothing I did sparked the same passion inside me that acting had."

That's not to say that Latzen didn't explore alternative outlets. In 2015, the actor told the Huffington Post that she was brainstorming a podcast about the lives of former child actors. Later, she did some amazing work as a voiceover artist.

But, as interesting as these projects were, Latzen couldn't help but miss the big screen. "Despite my efforts, nothing I tried fit the bill," Latzen admits. Acting was always her calling — it just took her time to accept that. "I still felt like I had something to prove to myself about being successful outside of Hollywood," she explains.

After grappling with these feelings, Latzen decided that she had no choice but to pursue her passion. "Finally, last summer, I came to terms with where I was in life, that acting was the only thing that ever truly fulfilled me, and I decided to give it another go," she reveals. Rather than just casually auditioning for parts and seeing where things go, Latzen worked tirelessly. "I've spent the past 10 months laying the groundwork for getting my career back on track. I networked, I auditioned, and I found a talent manager," she shares. And, that was just the beginning.

The actor also prepared herself mentally for the challenge of taking back her career. "Most importantly, I worked on myself," Latzen explains. "I knew that in order to really take this on, I needed to renovate myself from the inside out." What does that entail? "I started reading voraciously, getting into better shape, making prudent decisions for my health and wellness; I nurtured my whole being," she relays.

This work can certainly be challenging at times, but, for Latzen, it's been "extremely gratifying." The best part is that all the actor's hard work has taken her exactly where she wanted to go. "Those efforts have paid off," she says. "I now have three credits under my belt this year, with more on the horizon." Far from being an '80s child star that is now unrecognizable, Latzen has grown into an adult actor with the same determination and focus that made her great to begin with.

Ellen Latzen may be known for her iconic role as Ruby Sue in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," but that doesn't mean that she isn't interested in leaping into a totally different genre. When she was cast in the 2023 horror movie, "The Forest Hills," Latzen couldn't help but loved every minute of the experience. "Horror is a new genre for me, and I was excited about the opportunity to branch out. Plus, [producer Scott Goldberg is] a great guy and a hungry filmmaker, so it seemed like a natural fit," Latzen recalls.

Although the jump from holiday to horror may surprise some of Latzen's fans, the actor said that her role in "The Forest Hills" just felt right. "All the projects I've worked on this year have happened organically," Latzen notes. "Scott Goldberg reached out to me last December about a role in another film of his, which was subsequently put on the shelf. But when this part came up in 'The Forest Hills,' I gladly accepted."

The role marked Latzen's first foray into acting in decades, but everything about the experience was natural. "So how does it feel to be back in front of the camera again? It's beyond gratifying. It feels like home. I'm finally back where I'm meant to be," the actor reflects. The final product is guaranteed to be the perfect Halloween season movie, so don't hesitate to check it out.

Ellen Latzen's return to the film industry did not stop there. She took on a role in "Carbondalien — Fire in the Pond" from Cannon Fire Productions and also played a part in a short film titled "IT'S ABOUT TIME" from In the Wee hours.

The experience of returning to the industry was fascinating for Latzen, who was excited to see how filming technology has changed in recent years. "Back when I was acting in the '80s and '90s, everything was shot on film, and equipment was probably much larger and antiquated," she explains. "It's a whole new ballgame these days. It's like I'd been under a rock for 30 years and am now resurfacing to find all these advancements that are foreign to me."

But at the end of the day, the most important thing for the actor was being able to rediscover her passion. Plus, getting back into filming has helped Latzen regain her comfort with the cameras. "Participating in these films has allowed me to find my footing and help pave the way for more roles in the future," she says.

The future is bright for Ellen Latzen, who has a number of exciting projects to look forward to. Next year, she will be shooting "The Retailer" — a film written and directed by Jared Haas that dives into the therapy sessions of an everyday man. Securing this new role was just as organic as everything else in this second iteration of Latzen's acting career. "My friend Beth Clausnitzer, a producer and casting director in my area, saw that Jared was casting for a role in the movie that fit my wheelhouse, and she suggested I audition," the actor tells us. "So I submitted, and was delighted when Jared called to offer me the job."

For Latzen, part of the appeal of filming "The Retailer" is that it's being shot in the Lehigh Valley — an area that she's proud to call home. "Many great things are happening in this area, and I really want to help bring these stories to life while supporting our local arts scene," she reveals.

In a previous interview with local news outlet 69News, Latzen opened up about her love of this region around the Pennsylvania and New Jersey border. "The people are really lovely, and Lehigh Valley is amazing. I love living here," she shared.

As Ellen Latzen has explored this new phase of her career, she has not shied away from the exciting world of independent filmmaking. Her recent experiences on indie film sets have differed quite a bit from her time shooting big studio movies like "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" and "Fatal Attraction."

Noting that these projects pose a "major departure from what I was used to back in my child acting days," Latzen has proved herself to be up for the challenge of trying something new. The biggest differences between starring in major Hollywood productions and independent films? According to Latzen, the amount of equipment. "I was used to filming on a sound stage with elaborate sets, lights, cables everywhere. But these recent projects were totally different. Cameras were much smaller and portable, the crew had fewer people," she explains.

Interestingly, Latzen observed that less equipment on-set can create a more peaceful atmosphere for actors to do their work. "The sets were intimate and quiet," Latzen shares. But, for her, the setting hasn't mattered as much as the art of acting itself. "What's really important is being able to do my craft, to exercise those muscles again, to feel like I'm back doing what I love most: acting. And I'm ready to take it all on again," she gushes.