Zachary Wolfe Galligan (born February 14, 1964) is an American actor. He is best known for starring as Billy Peltzer in the comedy-horror films Gremlins (1984) and Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990).

Early life and education

Galligan was born on February 14, 1964, in New York City, the son of Carol Jean (née Wolfe), a psychologist, and Arthur John Galligan, a lawyer who was a founding partner of the law firm of Dickstein Shapiro. He is mostly of Irish descent, although he also has some English and Jewish ancestry (from Austria) on his mother’s side. He graduated from Columbia University.

Career

Galligan's most prominent role was as Billy Peltzer in the 1984 film Gremlins. Prior to being cast in Gremlins, he filmed Nothing Lasts Forever, which had its theatrical release cancelled and went unreleased in any form for years. In 1988, he starred as Mark Loftmore in the horror comedy Waxwork. He reprised his role as Billy in the 1990 sequel Gremlins 2: The New Batch, and returned to the role of Mark for Waxwork II: Lost in Time in 1992.

In early 2021, Galligan appeared in a Mountain Dew commercial in which his Gremlins character, Billy, gives Gizmo a drink of his Mountain Dew. Galligan returned to the Gremlins franchise again in 2022, in the animated series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai.

Personal life

In 2025 Zach Galligan married Alison Marie Rieger in a private ceremony.

Filmography

Film

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|-

! Year

! Film

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

|-

| 1984

| Gremlins

| Billy Peltzer

|

|-

| 1984

| Nothing Lasts Forever

| Adam Beckett

|

|-

| 1988

| Waxwork

| Mark Loftmore

|

|-

| 1990

| Gremlins 2: The New Batch

| Billy Peltzer

|

|-

| 1990

| Mortal Passions

| Todd

|

|-

| 1991

| Zandalee

| Rog

|

|-

| 1991

| Psychic

| Patrick Costello

|

|-

| 1992

| Round Trip To Heaven

| Steve

|

|-

| 1992

| Waxwork II: Lost in Time

| Mark Loftmore

|

|-

| 1993

| Warlock: The Armageddon

| Douglas

|

|-

| 1993

| All Tied Up

| Brian Hartley

|

|-

| 1994

| Caroline at Midnight

| Jerry Hiatt

|

|-

| 1994

| Ice

| Rick Corbit

|

|-

| 1995

| Cyborg 3: The Recycler

| Evans

|

|-

| 1997

| Cupid

| Eric Rhodes

|

|-

| 1997

| Prince Valiant

| Sir Kay

|

|-

| 1997

| The First to Go

| Adam Curtis

|

|-

| 1998

| Storm Trooper

| Kreigal

|

|-

| 1999

| The Storytellers

| Greer Sandler

|

|-

| 2000

| Little Insects

| King Foptop

|

|-

| 2000

| Raw Nerve

| Ethan Lang

| released in Japan as Random Shots

|-

| 2000

| G-Men from Hell

| Dalton

|

|-

| 2001

| The Tomorrow Man

| Spence

|

|-

| 2001

| Gabriela

| Pat

|

|-

| 2001

| Point Doom

| Spider

|

|-

| 2001

| What They Wanted, What They Got

| Pete Drake

|

|-

| 2002

| Infested

| Warren

|

|-

| 2003

| Momentum

| Director Hammond

|

|-

| 2005

| Legion of the Dead

| Dr. Swatek

|

|-

| 2007

| Let Them Chirp Awhile

| Hart Carlton

|

|-

| 2008

| Jewslim

| Yoseph Caldwell

|

|-

| 2009

| The Pack

| Anson

|

|-

| 2009

| Nightbeasts

| Charles Thomas

|

|-

| 2010

| Cut

| Jack

|

|-

| 2010

| Jack Falls

| American Guy

|

|-

| 2013

| Hatchet III

| Sheriff Fowler

|

|-

|2016

|The Chair

|Riley

|

|-

|2017

|Kampout

|Detective Benson

|

|-

|2019

|Madness in the Method

|Director/Zach

|

|}

Television

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|-

! Year

! Film

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

|-

| 1983

| Jacobo Timerman: Prisoner Without a Name, Cell Without a Number

| Héctor Timerman

| Television movie (NBC)

|-

| 1985

| Surviving: A Family in Crisis

| Rick Brogan

| Television movie (ABC)

|-

| 1987–1989

| The Lawrenceville Stories

| William "Hickey" Hicks

| TV Mini-Series, All 3 Episodes

|-

| 1992

| Melrose Place

| Rick Danworth

| Episode: "For Love or Money"

|-

| 1992

| Tales from the Crypt

| David and Rick

| Episode: "Strung Along"

|-

| 1993

| For Love and Glory

| Thomas Doyle

| Unsold television pilot

|-

| 1995

| Extreme

| Dan

| Episode: Pilot

|-

| 1996

| Pacific Blue

| Ron Jeffries

| Episode: "Takedown"

|-

| 1997

| Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman

| Chester Barnes

| Episode: "Homecoming"

|-

| 1998

| Love Boat: The Next Wave

| Bill Chase

| Episode: "Reunion"

|-

| 1998

| Star Trek: Voyager

| Ensign David Gentry

| Episode: "In the Flesh"

|-

| 1998

| The Net

| Aaron Mitchelson

| Episode: "Diamonds Aren't Forever"

|-

| 1999

| Chicken Soup for the Soul

| Young Man

| Episode: "My Convertible"

|-

| 1999

| Arthur's Quest

| King Pendragon

| Television film

|-

| 2001

| 7th Heaven

| Dr. Kent

| Episode: "Worked"

|-

| 2003

| Law & Order: Criminal Intent

| Eddie Malloy

| Episode: "Happy Family"

|-

| 2018

| The Keith & Paddy Picture Show

| as himself

| Episode: "Gremlins"

|-

| 2023

| Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai

| Henchman #2

| Recurring cast

|}

Web

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

! Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable"| Notes

! class="unsortable"| Source

|-

| 2020 ||Chilling Tales for Dark Nights || Fitzroy / Narrator || Episode: "The End is Near"<br />Segment: "Mr. Promises" ||

|-

| 2021 || The Irate Gamer || Himself || Episode: "Gremlins" ||

|-

| 2022 || The Kill Count || Himself || Episode: "Gremlins 2 (1990) KILL COUNT" ||

|}

References

  • Zach Galligan's Blog