Zack Ward, who played Scut Farkus in the film three decades ago, has turned his fame for the iconic movie A Christmas Story into an online fundraising campaign for bully prevention and after-school programs in underserved schools and communities in the U.S. and Canada. In the video, Ward wonders how he could use his “Farkus powers” for good. Five months ago, Ward launched an app to “Farkify” yourself to raise money to stop bullying.
Now, in time for Christmas, Ward told CBC News that his character was a “brutal, nasty little boy” to the 1983 movie’s hero Ralphie, and that he’s continuing his campaign against bullying. “I don’t believe that children who are happy and content and feel loved and supported—those children don’t go out and bully anybody,” Ward told the channel.
The beloved film is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and Ward’s program launches just in time for it. The Los Angeles-based actor, who also had roles in Transformers and Almost Famous, has spoken to the media often about his own experiences being bullied (“I was a new kid at six schools and I had red hair”) and how the film made him both happy to get back at bullies by playing one and also confused him about how fans perceived him as the bad guy.
The app went online in October, and now Ward is riding the 30th anniversary press parade through the holidays to help fund his anti-bullying campaign. Good work, Scut Farkus. Don’t shoot anyone’s eye out.
H/T CBC | Photo by B. Baltimore Brown
