<Tr> <Th> Occupation </Th> <Td> Actor, producer, director </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Years active </Th> <Td> 1978--present </Td> </Tr> <P> Peter Billingsley (born April 16, 1971), also known as Peter Michaelsen and Peter Billingsley - Michaelsen, is an American actor, director, and producer, best known for his role as Ralphie in the 1983 movie A Christmas Story and as "Messy Marvin" in the Hershey's Chocolate Syrup commercials during the 1970s . He began his career as an infant in television commercials . </P> <P> Peter was born in New York City . His father, Alwin Michaelsen, is a financial consultant and his mother, Gail, was once Alwin's secretary . Gail is the niece of Stork Club owner Sherman Billingsley, and cousin of Glenn Billingsley who was married to actress Barbara Billingsley (1915--2010). Gail was the one who initially took the children around to auditions . She once took the children to Browns Mills, New Jersey for a commercial commemorating US troops . All five of the children in the family had acting careers when they were young . The oldest of Billingsley's siblings, Dina and Win, had the briefest acting careers working mostly in commercials with brief guest spots on television shows . Peter's elder sister, Melissa, may be best known for her role as Maxx Davis on Me and Maxx . Peter's older brother, Neil, began playing Danny Walton on the daytime soap opera Search for Tomorrow in 1975 and has had numerous roles in commercials and guest shots on TV series . Following his acting career, Neil works in finance in New York City . </P>

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