When you’re involved in those big-budget movies, there’s a lot of hype: ‘Oh this is gonna be a big hit!’ And ‘A Christmas Story’ wasn’t. It came and went and was a big disappointment at the box office. Peter Billingsley Read Quote
I’ve always been self-motivated, but I can’t take a ton of credit for any success I’ve had. Peter Billingsley Read Quote
You have to pace yourself. As a producer, you start with a concept and shepherd it through the script to the delivery of the film. It’s a very long journey for an hour and 40 minutes of movie. Peter Billingsley Read Quote
An actor can come in with a specific energy and get it on film over several days or weeks, but as the producer, I’m responsible for the overall trajectory of the project. Peter Billingsley Read Quote
When you’re a child actor and play the precocious kid, the temptation is to wear leather pants or a cutoff shirt to redefine yourself. But I never felt the need to randomly reshuffle the deck and say, ‘Don’t call me Peter. Call me Pete.’ I just figured you evolve naturally, and you’ll be recognized for what your successes are. Peter Billingsley Read Quote
When I first heard ‘A Christmas Story, the musical,’ I thought, Oh, that could be really good. It just felt like it fit. Some films lend themselves well to other formats, some don’t, but there are so many fantasy sequences in the film, and Ralphie’s such a dreamer as a character, I thought they could really lend themselves to being set pieces. Peter Billingsley Read Quote
I think you always win in storytelling when you let the best creative ideas guide you. Peter Billingsley Read Quote
I stopped acting a long time ago and my primary career has been producing-directing film. Peter Billingsley Read Quote
