D’Angelo recalled warning Chase that she was going to do it beforehand, but that it was still a risky move.

Beverly D’Angelo admits scandalous Christmas Vacation hand gesture with Chevy Chase was improvised: ‘You can’t do that’

D'Angelo recalled warning Chase that she was going to do it beforehand, but that it was still a risky move.

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December 25, 2025 1:13 p.m. ET

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Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo in 'Christmas Vacation'. Credit:

- Beverly D'Angelo discussed improvising a scandalous hand gesture in *Christmas Vacation*.

- "It was not in the script for me to guard the family jewels," the actress said in a new interview.

- The move was done when "we had one take left" during the shoot.

Beverly D'Angelo gave the *Christmas Vacation* production a scandalous, fully improvised gift that will go down in holiday movie history.

The 74-year-old actress and recurring *Vacation* franchise star recalled a particularly warm, cozy moment she mounted while making the 1989 holiday classic, in which she and Chevy Chase reprised their roles as Clark and Ellen Griswold as the family (also including Juliette Lewis and Johnny Galecki) welcomed their relatives to their Chicago home for a tumultuous Christmas celebration.

Along the way, the police pursue Clark's cousin, Eddie (Randy Quaid), to the family home after he kidnaps Clark's boss for skipping out on his employees' annual holiday bonus. Filming the police confrontation scene inside the house, D'Angelo remembered, is where she says she was inspired to cop a feel of her own.

Chevy Chase, Juliette Lewis, Beverly D'Angelo, Johnny Galecki in 'Christmas Vacation'.

"It was not in the script for me to guard the family jewels when the police came to stick us up," D'Angelo said in a new interview with Fox News, referencing the moment Ellen grabs ahold of her husband's crotch after officers raid the home. "I threw that in. That was definitely improvised. That was my little touch. All in one take."

D'Angelo said that there was only "one take left" on the day of filming, and that she told Chase, "I bet nobody catches this" in the moment.

"We did the shot, freeze, and I put my hand there. It was like, ‘Okay, that’s a wrap. Everybody go home.’ It was subtle. And it had to stay in the film because it was the only shot left! What are they going to do? They didn’t have a choice," D'Angelo told the outlet.

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She stressed that she made Chase aware that she was thinking about improvising the gesture, which wasn't in the screenplay. D'Angelo noted that Chase agreed to the move, but reportedly told her, "You can't do that" and became convinced that director Jeremiah S. Chechik wouldn't allow her to do it.

D'Angelo additionally told *Forbes* that she replied to Chase's doubt about the scene by saying, "I guarantee you no one's going to be looking at my hand. Everybody's going to be looking at your face and Randy's face and the expressions. I'm going to be way down below your waist. And the director's not even looking at me. He's just trying to get you guys good, get this take."

Beverly D'Angelo grabs Chevy Chase's crotch in 'Christmas Vacation'.

She continued, "And so we did it. That's a wrap for the day. And I had to stay in it because that was the only shot that they had. But here's what's funny. It's true, when you first look at it, you aren't looking at what I'm doing down there."

D'Angelo speculated that "now that people have really big screens," they're noticing the small hand gesture more than ever before.

"They can get that cinematic approach and see more details," she continued. "Because really, all I do in that movie is say, ‘Clark,’ and react to stuff. But you can see [the crotch grab] on a big screen."

Beveryl D'Angelo.

Momodu Mansaray/Getty

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Among the large ensemble cast also present in the key scene is the late Diane Ladd, who played Clark's mother, Nora, before she died on Nov. 3 at age 89.

*Christmas Vacation* has gone on to become a time-tested holiday staple, with annual repeat airings on television throughout the season, and streaming availability on HBO Max, Hulu, and Disney+.

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