HBO recently released a sequel to ‘A Christmas Story,’ and Peter Billingsley — who plays Ralphie — will star in the film. But that reminds Glenn of a story he hasn’t told before: The time he met a now-grown ‘Ralphie’ in person. Glenn tells the story in this clip, explaining why it was one of his bigger ‘celebrity encounter regrets…
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
STU: There are good news. Good things on the horizon.
GLENN: Right.
STU: You know we are three days away from fundamentally getting a sequel to a Christmas Story. Isn't that cool? Ralphie, from back in the day, who has done a lot more since Ralphie. But he always gets called Ralphie anyway.
GLENN: He has now, that's one of my bigger regrets.
In --
STU: Really?
GLENN: In Celebrity Encounters.
STU: Really?
GLENN: Yeah. Well, remember in the days, when we were really, really, really busy.
STU: Yes. I do.
GLENN: Okay. Where I didn't really have time to even think, you know.
And people would make appointments for me and stuff, and then brief me on the way into the room.
Yeah. Yeah. And Peter Billingsley was -- was in my office, one day.
And -- and I said, who the hell is Peter Billingsley? And they said, Ralphie, from A Christmas Story. And I said, why is Ralphie from A Christmas Story in my office? And we're walking towards my office.
STU: Uh-huh.
GLENN: And they said, he's really fascinating. He really wants to meet you. Door open. I walk in. Hey, Peter!
Okay? I know nothing about his life.
STU: Or what you're doing in the meeting.
GLENN: Or what I'm even doing in the meeting. I'm just there by myself, with Peter Billingsley, and he looks like a grownup Ralphie, which he is.
STU: Which people used to say about you. People used to say, you look like a grownup Ralphie. I don't know if they still say that.
GLENN: No. They don't. No, they don't.
So Peter was there. And I said, hey, Peter. You know, feeling kind of bad for him.
STU: You're thinking, this guy worked as Ralphie. That was it, now he's I don't know. Flipping pancakes at the Waffle House.
STU: Sure.
GLENN: And I said, so what -- what -- what have you been doing lately?
(laughter)
And he just -- he said, well, we just finished Ironman. And I was like ah. I've got to reevaluate everything I've got to say to you.
STU: He was the executive producer of Ironman.
GLENN: Yeah. So now he has a new movie out. He has a new movie out.
STU: Yes, he does.
GLENN: And he's playing Ralphie.
STU: Yes. He's excited.
GLENN: I think that's awesome.
STU: I'm a person that absolutely loves that movie. And I know it's not necessarily universal. But it's a Christmas classic. Christmas story, which they've done a bunch of stuff on that. They have a Broadway show for a while.
GLENN: It was really good.
STU: Oh, you saw it?
GLENN: Oh, I saw it. I went with Peter.
STU: Of course you did. Of course you did, you jerk. I went to a Christmas story with Ralphie. Your life is too good. It's better than you deserve. That's what I will say.
GLENN: It really is. It really is.
STU: It really is.
But he -- they're actually doing a sequel to it with Ralphie grown up, hosting his own Christmas.
GLENN: It looks fantastic.
STU: It looks really cool.
GLENN: And I think it's the same mom.
STU: Yeah. I think you're right. And it's coming out, this week, on HBO Max I believe. I don't know if it's in theaters as well. Which, I don't know. I'm excited about it.
GLENN: I did not see Yellowstone last night, which is something that may have improved my mood a little bit.
STU: Really? I thought you loved Yellowstone.
GLENN: I do. I just didn't see it.
STU: So you were disappointed.
GLENN: Watch it tonight.
STU: Let me ask you, are you the type of person -- because I am this type of person, that if I'm watching a series and a big episode airs and I don't see it, I will literally not go anywhere near social media until I've seen it.
GLENN: Yes.
STU: Because you go on Twitter. People are like, hey. That was great.
Yellowstone, when the alien came down and killed Kevin Costner. You're like, holy crap. Really?
GLENN: Yeah. Good thing they saved it for the very end though.
STU: Like no.
And you can't even -- there's no way to filter it out. Like, I want a -- this is a website I've been dreaming up for a while. You tell me if this is a good idea. I want a spoiler-free zone. Right? Where I can go and read -- especially -- especially with these things -- these series, they had five years of episodes out, and you're just picking them up. Because I did that all the time. I really refuse to commit to a series at this point, unless there's five years of it.
GLENN: I'm kind of like that.
STU: Give me five -- show me you can stay on the air for five years. Then I'll start investing my time.
GLENN: There's nothing worse -- I skip everything that says, one season, 2016.
You're like, gone.
STU: I'm not going to give it a try. It might be great.
But I will be frustrated, because it will just stop.
Unless you get five seasons, then you'll go in. Let's say I'm on season two, episode three, and some amazing thing happens.
I can't -- I can't look at any content, about this show. Because they're going to give me what happened in season four, and season five and season three.
So I can't know any of it. I don't get the full experience of watching the show. A big part of that now, is you're following -- the people are speculating as to what happens next. People are trying to figure it out. What happens to this character is that you can't do that, in that community vibe.
So I want a site, that's like a spoiler-free zone. I'm on season two, episode three, and I can read all the articles from that time.
GLENN: Yeah. I like that. I like that.
STU: I like that. So someone do that. And cut me in on the profits, because I don't want to do that.
GLENN: That sounds like a binding contract.
STU: Anyone out there doing that, that's you.
GLENN: You are legally bound now to cut him in. Fifty percent.
STU: I think you'll back me up on this. Anything said on the radio is a binding contract. To anyone who has the same idea and might do it better.
GLENN: Right.
So I went to see George Clooney. Now, see if this --
STU: This is another Billingsley story. Where you're hanging out with George Clooney, and you didn't know who he is.
GLENN: No. I knew who he was. So I went to see George Clooney and Julia Roberts in the movie Ticket to Paradise.
STU: Did you watch it with George Clooney and Julia Roberts?
GLENN: No. I did not. No, no.
Here's the thing: That one was not a decision that I made, per se.
STU: Right.
GLENN: Right, yeah?
So I go, and I realize, before the movie starts, there's no one under 50 in that room.
Okay? There's nobody -- there's no youngings going to see that one, you know.
STU: And those are two big stars.
GLENN: Yeah. Now, it's been out for a while, you think.
However, I realized, I -- I just fell into the Driving Miss Daisy category. You know, nobody who was young, went to see that, or Steel Magnolias.
STU: Right. Yeah. There's a genre there.
GLENN: Oh, I remember when they were young and in their '40s, and they were making movies. They were so great. And then you're seeing all these people that you grew up with, and you're like, boy, they sure are aging well, aren't they?
You know and they have to stop shooting about 4:30 in the afternoon for these people. I realize, that's what this movie is. That's like, I remember -- yeah. Yeah.
STU: Really? They were the stars of my day.
GLENN: With they were so great, in Ocean's Eleven.
STU: Right.
GLENN: Back in the day, and they're still together.
STU: It's been a while, Glenn. Since Ocean's Eleven.
Don't tell me how long it's been.
STU: That movie came out the same year as the September 11th attacks came out. 2001. Ocean's Eleven. That's a 21 years old. When was the last time George Clooney was in a movie, you've seen?
Or made any -- of any note?
GLENN: So I saw on an airplane once. Something he was in, where I don't remember. He wasn't happy in his job. And I don't remember.
I can't tell you the last time I saw a George Clooney movie.
STU: Isn't that weird? Because I still think of him as one of the biggest stars out there. I would say, you have Ticket to Paradise.
GLENN: I just saw. It was actually good. It was actually really good.
Yeah. You know none of this funny business, goes on these days. Anyway.
STU: No. I don't remember the midnight sky. Do you remember the midnight sky? Okay. That was 2020.
Then there was nothing in 2019, other than TV stuff. Do you remember money monster from 2016?
GLENN: Do not remember money monster.
STU: I do not either.
GLENN: Doesn't sound good.
STU: Do you remember kale Caesar from 2016?
GLENN: Oh, ow. I saw that one because someone wrote it, or it had --
STU: It did --
GLENN: Yeah. I'm trying to remember, it was some reason, we went. And it wasn't for George Clooney, and it was bad.
STU: So I can see you remembering tomorrow land from 2015. Again, we're back in 2015 here. I still haven't gotten to one I'm sure you've seen. Or anyone in the audience.
GLENN: Tomorrowland. Wasn't Tomorrowland that awful, awful movie that I thought looked really cool? No, that was --
STU: That was another one. Yeah. That was long before that one.
GLENN: Yeah. No. Didn't see Tomorrowland.
STU: Then I'll get to one that I do know, that you would appreciate. Which is the Monument's Men.
That's 2014. That's really the last George Clooney movie I would say he was a star, and that wasn't a big hit. But it was critically acclaimed, and I liked it.
GLENN: He was looking a little like he was wearing a toupee.
I don't think he was. But he was looking a little like he was wearing a toupee.
STU: What does that mean? He wasn't wearing a toupee. But he looked like he was wearing a --
GLENN: Well, his hair was just not -- it made me feel better as a man, you know.
You can go to this George Clooney movie. It's not like every Tom Cruise movie, that just pisses you off. This one is like, okay. All right. He's looking pretty rough, and then you find out he's 70. And you're like, okay. I no longer feel good about myself.