Petrella appeared in episodes of the TV series Diff’rent Strokes, Who’s the Boss?, Mr. President, Once a Hero, Highway to Heaven, My Sister Sam, Beverly Hills, 90210, and Crafty. He appeared in, produced, and was a cameraman for the 2008 video documentary The Untold Christmas Story. He is also scheduled to appear in the upcoming 2015 film Quarter Bin. He was nominated for a Young Artist Award in 1983 for Best Young Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Musical, Comedy, Adventure or Drama for A Christmas Story. In 2010 he served as a tour guide at the A Christmas Story House in Cleveland, Ohio.