‘A Christmas Story’ Bully Role Paved Zack Ward’s Career Playing the Villain – ‘I Have a Very Punchable Face’ [Exclusive]
The bully role of Scut Farkus in the beloved film A Christmas Story may have set in motion a lifetime of career typecasting for actor Zack Ward, something he has more than leaned into – face first.
A Christmas Story bully was Ward’s first film role in 1983 and he never stopped working. He went on to star in series like Z Nation, American Horror Story, All of Us, and many more. Ward’s wide range allowed him to explore drama but also comedy. He has also commanded the producer, writer, and director roles which includes his upcoming fantasy family film, Patsy Lee & The Keepers of the 5 Kingdoms.
But being the “bad guy” or the bully, which sprung from A Christmas Story is something that casting agents have loved about Ward throughout his career. He joked with Showbiz Cheat Sheet about why he can’t get away from these roles but said playing the bully or bad guy is a blast.
Zack Ward thinks he has the face of a bully
Ward deadpanned, “I think I have a very punchable face” when asked why filmmakers love him in bully roles. His character in A Christmas Story ends up getting punched in the face, which finally puts him in his place.
“I think it’s actually Scut Farkus’s fault,” he said. “Because being the iconic red-haired bully, everybody kind of identifies that as an archetype. And the reality is, I have very slanty eyes, and in my youth, I had very high cheekbones.”
“And so I looked like I was up to no good or like an evil elf,” he added. “Also playing bad guys is a lot of fun. So I think that’s why I got those roles all the time. But I really enjoyed them. So I was always grateful for the job.”
Zack wasn’t supposed to be the main bully in ‘A Christmas Story’
Ward wasn’t originally cast in the lead bully role in A Christmas Story. “When I got the job, I had auditioned with the Grover Dill dialog,” Ward recalled, who was 13 years old at the time. Grover Dill was the pipsqueak sidekick bully in the series.
“We went through wardrobe and got our wardrobe on for the first time. I met Yano Anaya, who plays Grover Dill for the first time, and then we were taken out to meet [director] Bob Clark. And I had never met him because I auditioned on tape.”
Ward recalled how the switch over to the lead role came down to height. “We meet [Clark] and they go, here’s your Grover Dill. Here’s your Scut Farkus,” Ward said. “And he sees that I’m like a foot taller than him and he says, ‘Cool, you get his lines, he gets yours.’ And then I became the lead bully.”
Bob Clark separated the bullies from the other kids on ‘A Christmas Story’ set
Clark also kept Ward and Anaya isolated from the rest of the A Christmas Story cast to create that “bullies versus everyone” environment on set.
“I had a great time,” he recalled. “Yano and I hung out all the time. Bob Clark wanted us to spend our time together, so we would create a bond and sort of stay away from the other kids so that they wouldn’t know us as well and be a little intimidated. And I think that worked out really well. I have a ton of memories from filming that movie and obviously not only because I did it, but because I’ve talked about it for the last 40 years.”
“The biggest takeaway is I have friends, the cast members are like brothers to me,” he shared. “We’ve known each other now for 40 years and there’s not a lot of people in your life you can say that about and you don’t want to kill.”
After decades of waiting, Scut, Ralphie, and others reunite for A Christmas Story Christmas, streaming on HBO Max beginning November 17.
