Dana Barron reflects on 40 years of 'National Lampoon’s Vacation'

Forty years ago this summer, the world first met Clark and Ellen Griswold and their children Rusty and Audrey. 

And we haven’t stopped laughing since.

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the comedy classic "National Lampoon’s Vacation" with an all-new Ultra HD Blu-ray and Digital release this week — and we’re celebrating by catching up with Dana Barron, who played Audrey in the film.

"Three hundred children were tested, first in California, then they came to New York," remembers Barron of the casting process. "They met Anthony Michael Hall … and he auditioned, they brought me in … and so, we did this fighting scene and it was perfect. It was chemistry. And we’re still very close friends."  

Alongside Hall as Rusty, National Lampoon’s Vacation teamed up Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo as Clark and Ellen (the duo would go on to reprise the roles in several sequels), and also features Imogene Coca, Randy Quaid, John Candy, and Christie Brinkley.  The film was directed by Harold Ramis.

To hear more from Barron — including the story behind the re-casting of the children in each of the Vacation sequels — click the video player in this article.