“A Christmas Story's” Scott Schwartz Turned to Adult Films After Hollywood Career Fizzled, Cites John Wayne Bobbitt as Biggest Competition
“A Christmas Story's” Scott Schwartz Turned to Adult Films After Hollywood Career Fizzled, Cites John Wayne Bobbitt as Biggest Competition
Angela AndaloroTue, April 28, 2026 at 2:48 PM UTC
0
Scott Schwartz (left), John Wayne BobbittCredit: Bobby Bank/WireImage; Vinnie Zuffante/Getty -
Scott Schwartz struggled to translate his success as a child actor into success as an adult
While he was left out of roles by mainstream entertainment, Schwartz found a more accepting environment in the adult film industry
After taking on some non-sex roles in these films, Schwartz agreed to go all in on an adult film and shared his experience in ID's Hollywood Demons, "Child Stars Gone Wild"
Scott Schwartz found an accepting environment in the adult entertainment industry.
The actor, 57, opened up about moving from films like The Toy and A Christmas Story to a career in adult entertainment, only to return to mainstream acting. He detailed his experience as part of ID's Hollywood Demons, "Child Stars Gone Wild."
Like many stars, Schwartz had a hard time finding work as he grew out of precocious roles.
“I'd done all the shows and the ABC after-school specials and all that stuff. And then I hit puberty and we've got a problem. My voice changes. I don't get any taller, 5'2" on a great day. Now I look 15 and I sound 27. What do you do?"
Schwartz pointed out that when it came to his shift to adult entertainment, "I did it for the paycheck. I was the second-highest-paid male performer ever. It was John Wayne Bobbitt was the first and I'm second. It was the one time. I'm good. That was the end of that.”
— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Scott SchwartzCredit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
“I wasn't getting enough work," he continued. "After high school, came out to LA, got a couple things here and there. I'm not exactly five eight, five nine, so there's only certain roles that people will put me in. I'm not making any money.”
Once living in Los Angeles, Schwartz's father opened a memorabilia store and he started working there, “living in s----y apartments, staying in a boarding house with nine other people.”
People often wondered how the actor didn't have more earnings from his career, noting he'd been in over 100 commercials in addition to his television and film work.
Schwartz broke it down, explaining, “The Toy, I was making $1275 a week. Then I get A Christmas Story and I was making $500 a week. I worked a whole six weeks. State tax, federal tax, then it's the agent."
"Now, the fact that I had a crooked financial advisor…in New Jersey, it cost $750 to incorporate. Well, he charged my dad $7500 to incorporate, and my father never questioned it because my father didn't know. I had a PR person for a while, which was a total waste of money. I dropped twenty grand for nothing. So most of it was gone.”
Advertisement
Richard Pryor and Scott Schwartz in "The Toy"Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
Schwartz went to college and continued working multiple jobs, including one at The Comedy Store. There, he met adult industry professionals, including Ron Jeremy, Christy Canyon and Ginger Lynn.
As he learned more about the adult industry, Schwartz opened himself up to non-sex roles in adult films, reasoning, "They're willing to pay $300 a day and I need rent money. Okay, fine. I'm not hurting anybody. I'm not going to jail."
He went on to share a scene with Jenna Jameson in one film, and other opportunities opened to Schwartz.
“Then I was working in the office of one of the companies and he needed a camera person. So the next thing you know, I became a camera person for one of the companies and shot damn near 200 scenes of adult film. I did that. Put food on the table, roof over my head.”
It was after some time doing this work that Schwartz was asked what circumstances it would take to film a sex scene.
“I was living in a s----y one-bedroom apartment with the alcoholic photographer next to me and the drug addict alcoholic truck driver next to him with the girlfriend that's a maniac. And I got a woman upstairs from me with 19 cats going wee-wee all over the floor and then, you know, whatever. I was there for two years when the company offered me a good enough deal and I said yes.”
Schwartz's film, Scotty's X-Rated Adventure, was loosely autobiographical. He explained, "I played myself in the movies and I'm a child star wanting to become an adult actor just to get more attention," he explains.
Scott SchwartzCredit: Mike Guastella/WireImage
Dr. Drew Pinsky looks at the film on a deeper level, noting, "It's all close to the truth. Scotty has talked about makeout sessions with extras while filming The Toy. There have been people he's dated who have been enamored by the fact that he was in movies."
"Of course, this is fiction, but it's cutting so close to Scott's actual life that when he starts talking about these things, you have to wonder, ‘Is this how he really felt about the misfortunes that came along with being a child actor?' It's very hard to tell.”
Schwartz was one of the rare figures who would go on to work in Hollywood again after adult entertainment. He has appeared in movies like Normal Terror (2021), Space Sharks (2024), The Friendly (2024), Scissors (2025) and Gemini (2025). He also reprised his role as Flick in 2022's A Christmas Story Christmas.
Child Stars Gone Wild premieres Monday, April 27, at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on ID. New episodes of Hollywood Demons premiere weekly and are available to stream on HBO Max.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
