Where Is Cousin Catherine Today? The National Lampoon's Vacation Star Is In Her 70s & Thriving
Miriam Flynn has had a prolific career as a comedic actor and a voice actor, but many fans remember her as Cousin Catherine in the "National Lampoon's Vacation" franchise. Not only has she maintained a steady career, popping up in episodes of "Shrinking" and the "9-1-1" television series, but she has also maintained a youthful appearance into her 70s. Many fans might know that her fellow "Vacation" star Beverly D'Angelo has aged like fine wine, but Flynn has not done too shabby of a job herself, all while amassing an impressive amount of acting roles. She appeared in the first "Vacation" movie in 1983, when she was in her early 30s, where she played the cousin of D'Angelo's Ellen Griswold.
In 1989, Flynn reprised the role in the beloved holiday romp "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." Over three decades later, Flynn reunited with co-stars D'Angelo and Chevy Chase in April 2022. Taking to Instagram, she uploaded a snap alongside the on-screen Griswolds. Chase was seated while D'Angelo held onto his shoulder and crouched close. Even if a fan had not seen any of Flynn's more recent work, they would be able to tell with one quick glance that she was the actor who played Cousin Catherine. She flashed a vibrant smile and wore a flattering white blouse, looking much younger than her age.
The following year, the "Vacation" family reunited once again. That time it was for Christmas Con in December 2023. Clearly, Flynn had maintained a solid relationship with Chase and D'Angelo, as she joined them at the event with her on-screen husband from the series, Randy Quaid. Chase even posted an Instagram video of the event that included footage of him planting several kisses on Flynn's youthful cheeks. Previously, Flynn had gushed over her "Vacation" co-stars.
Miriam Flynn bonded with her Christmas Vacation castmates
As evidenced by her reunions with her "National Lampoon's Vacation" co-stars decades later, Miriam Flynn has fond memories of her time working on those movies. Many fans specifically remember her playing the wife of Randy Quaid's Cousin Eddie in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," a movie that has endured as a holiday classic over the years. In December 2020, Rolling Stone spoke to cast members of the beloved comedy, who provided a slew of anecdotes from working on the 1989 film. Flynn enjoyed how much development was given to Cousin Catherine and her family for that installment. "I remember getting together to read the script. Randy [Quaid] and I, our characters almost had their own little world, so I knew it was going to be fun," she told the outlet. While she had a blast filming the movie, there was one visual gag where Flynn drew the line. "Once I remember the costume person said to me, 'Randy thinks it'd be funny to have his underwear show through his white pants. What if you did that too?'" Flynn recalled. "And I went, 'Um, no. That will be just Randy,'" she added.
Flynn not only created a bond with Quaid, her on-screen husband, but she also became close with Ellen Lantzen, who played her daughter, Ruby Sue. Lantzen spoke about working on "Christmas Vacation" in a Threads post in December 2025. "The kindest person on set had to be Miriam Flynn. She was like a surrogate mom to me, and is still just as wonderful," she wrote. Those kind words hinted that not only had Flynn aged wonderfully, but she was as sweet as ever to her on-screen family.