Santa Claus is a traditional, secular figure of Christmas good cheer who is the best known (at least in modern times) mascot of Christmas, developed in the United States as an amalgam of the story of St. Nicholas and various other seasonal folk heroes, with many aspects provided by the classic poem A Visit From St. Nicholas. The Santa Claus myth is based largely on the Dutch holiday of "Sinterklaas" (a hastily pronounced "St. Nicholas", who comes down the chimney on the 5th/6th of December) and the imagery of the Saint in question carried over to his North Pole incarnation. (Note that in several countries in Europe, Sinterklaas and Santa Claus are considered two entirely different characters, each with their own elaborate holiday.)
Santa is traditionally depicted as a festively overweight old man with a beard, who wears a red suit with white trim and a matching cap, black boots and a black belt. He lives at the North Pole in a large workshop staffed by elves which produces toys year round, and every Christmas Eve he sets out in a flying sleigh pulled by eight reindeer and delivers toys and other gifts to the children of the world out of the improbably large sack he carries with him, entering their houses by the chimney, filling their stockings, partaking of whatever food and drink the family left out for him, then leaving how he came in.
As the most prominent figure associated with Christmas, Santa Claus appears in many Christmas specials and movies. His portrayal in them varies in many ways, as listed below.
Portrayals
The character known as Santa Claus has been portrayed in many films and television specials. Here is a partial list of the actors who have played him.
Live-Action
| Picture | Performer | Feature | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Edmund Gwenn | Miracle on 34th Street | 1947 | In his Oscar winning performance, Gwenn portrays Kris Kringle, the resident of a Long Island old age home who takes up a job at Macy's Department Store in New York City, and wins the heart of an office executive. |
|
Ed Wynn | Miracle on 34th Street | 1959 | The famous TV (and former vaudeville) comic played Kris Kringle in a live telecast on NBC. |
|
|
Sebastian Cabot | Miracle on 34th Street | 1974 | |
|
|
Sir Richard Attenborough | Miracle on 34th Street | 1994 | |
|
Jan Rubes | One Magic Christmas | 1985 | Santa and Gideon the Christmas Angel help Abbie Grainger's mother find the spirit of Christmas. |
|
Charles Durning | Elmo Saves Christmas | 1996 | When Elmo helps him get unstuck from the chimney on Christmas Eve, Santa grants three wishes to the 3½ year old, and sets him on a quest with Lightning the Reindeer. |
|
|
Charles Durning | Mrs. Santa Claus | 1996 | Durning played Santa Claus twice in the same year, as the co-star of Angela Lansbury's titular character in this made-for-TV movie musical. |
|
|
Charles Durning | Mr. Saint Nick | 2004 | Durning donned the red suit a third time, playing Kelsey Grammer's father in this made-for-cable film. |
|
Charles Edward Hall | Elmo's World: Happy Holidays! | 2002 | Elmo visits Santa at his home in the North Pole. Hall also portrays Santa in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring The Rockettes. |
| File:200px-Kevin-James.Santa.jpg | Kevin James | Elmo's Christmas Countdown | 2007 | |
|
Tim Allen | The Santa Clause | 1994 | Scott Calvin is a divorced father who is down on his luck, when he accidentally kills Santa Claus and inadvertently becomes the new Father Christmas. His role would be repeated in The Santa Clause 2: The Mrs. Clause and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause. |
|
James Belushi | Jingle All the Way | 1996 | Howard meets Santa Claus at the mall and he tells him that he wants his son Jamie to get a Turbo-Man doll. |
|
Art Carney | The Twilight Zone: Night of the Meek | 1960 | A rare videotaped telecast of CBS' sci-fi series created and written by Rod Serling saw Carney as a department store Santa. |
|
Art Carney | The Great Santa Claus Switch | 1970 | Carney portrays both Santa and his evil doppleganger, Cosmo Scam, who plots to take over Santa's workshop in this Jim Henson-created special edition of The Ed Sullivan Show. |
|
Art Carney | The Night They Saved Christmas | 1984 | Jackie Gleason's long-time second banana once again played jolly old St. Nicholas, this time saving his workshop from evil oil prospectors. |
|
Robert Miliam | Wee Sing The Best Christmas Ever! | 1990 | Poofer the Elf brings in Santa to the workshop. Santa helps Gusty to figure out the problem, so he brings Dermie to try on some brand-new glasses. On Christmas morning, he gives the Smith parents, Barbara and Larry a doll and a football. |
|
Don Mincey | We Wish You a Merry Christmas | 1992 | The Kidsongs Kids and Ms. Morganstern visit Santa and Mrs. Claus at the North Pole. |
|
Michael Bell | Christmas Who? | 2000 | A live-action Santa flies over Bikini Bottom after Squidward finds a note from him. |
|
Leslie Nielsen | Santa Who? | 2000 | |
|
Edward Asner | Elf | 2003 | |
|
|
William Hootkins | Like Father, Like Santa | 1998 | Is the father to a son (Harry Hamlin) who is a ruthless tycoon in the toy industry. |
|
John Goodman | The Year Without a Santa Claus (live action film) | 2006 | |
|
David Huddleston | Santa Claus: The Movie | 1985 | The story of Santa's origins are revealed from the days before he became a Christmas hero all over the world. |
|
Richard Mulligan | The Twilight Zone: Night of the Meek (1985 remake) |
1985 | Mulligan (left) takes over the role of a drunken department store Santa made famous by Art Carney in the remake. |
|
|
Paul Giamatti | Fred Claus | 2007 | Is the brother of the title character. |
|
|
John Call | Santa Claus Conquers the Martians | 1964 | Santa gets kidnapped by Martians who believe that their planet needs someone like him. In the end, Santa suggests that a martian named Dropo be the Mars equivalent of him. |
|
|
George Wendt | Santa Baby | 2006 | Santa falls ill and his daughter (Jenny McCarthy) has to fill in for him on Christmas Eve. |
|
|
Paul Sorvino | Santa Baby 2: Christmas Maybe | 2009 | The Oscar winning actor took over in the 2009 sequel. |
|
|
George Wendt | A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All! | 2008 | Wendt appeared as St. Nick in Steven Colbert's Christmas special. |
|
|
George Wendt | Santa Buddies: The Legend of Santa Paws | 2009 | Once again, the actor best known as Norm Petersen on Cheers put on the red suit and beard for this direct-to-video film. |
|
|
Douglas Seale | Ernest Saves Christmas | 1988 | |
|
Model | Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree | 1986 | Santa Claus (AKA Father Christmas) makes a cameo appearance as a guest dropped off by Harold the Helicopter. He is also mentioned by Thomas in "Thomas and Percy's Christmas Adventure". |
|
Henry Hammack | Waiting for Santa | 1990 | Barney reads "The Night Before Christmas" to Michael and Amy he has befriended, all while Santa himself is in the living room of the house doing his usual work. He falls asleep just as he comes to "With a little old driver, so lively and quick/I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick". Santa whispers the last quotation to the camera after that. |
|
Robyn Archer - Eating on the Plane | 1991 | Santa Claus, who is dressed up by one of the kids and on the plane, is working on the computer while making a cameo appearance. | |
|
Jonathan Mill | Wiggly, Wiggly Christmas | 1997 | Santa Claus is seen on "Wiggly, Wiggly Christmas", "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", "Go Santa Go", "Christmas Picnic", "Let's Clap Hands for Santa Claus" and "Jeff's Christmas Tune". His name is mentioned in "Here Comes Santa Claus". |
|
Cameron Lewis | The Wiggly Big Show | 1999 | Santa Claus returns to do "Wiggly Christmas Medley". |
|
|
W. Morgan Sheppard | Farewell Mr. Kringle | 2010 | Sheppard plays Kris Kringle in a live-action role. |
|
|
The Night Before the Night Before Christmas | 2010 | St. Nick is in a jam at a house on December 23rd. | |
|
|
James Cosmo | The Santa Incident | 2010 | An inept US Homeland Security agent holds Santa for invaidng US airspace. |
Animated
| Picture | Voice Actor | Feature | Year | Notes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Santa-rudolf.jpg | Stan Francis | Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer | 1964 | A skinny (and rather cranky) Santa fattens himself up before asking Rudolph to guide his sleigh through the stormy weather on Christmas Eve. | |||||
|
Paul Frees | Frosty the Snowman | 1969 | Hocus Pocus flags down Santa as the only magical being who can bring Frosty back to life after he's melted in a greenhouse. | |||||
|
Mickey Rooney | Santa Claus is Comin' to Town | 1970 | This same representation of Santa is seen in The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974), Rudolph's Shiny New Year (1976), and Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (1979). A slightly different characterization of Rooney's Santa Claus is seen in A Miser Brothers Christmas (2008), for which Rooney reprised the role. | |||||
 
|
J.D. Roth Earl Hammond |
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus | 1985 | Santa, known at the this time as just Claus, grew up in the Forest of Burzee and was raised by the immortal Necile. | |||||
|
Allan Watson | Santa's Workshop | 1932 | Santa reads letters from children as he prepares for his big night. The same Santa was seen the following year in The Night Before Christmas as he embarks upon a home filled with children. | |||||
|
Hal Smith | Bonkers: "Miracle at the 34th Precinct" | 1993 | ||||||
|
Edward Ivory | The Nightmare Before Christmas | 1993 | Santa is held captive by Oogie Boogie while Jack Skellington poses in his place. | |||||
|
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: "Holiday Time" | 2000 | |||||||
|
House of Mouse: "Clarabelle's Christmas List" | 2002 | This Santa appears to be the same one featured in the Silly Symphonies shorts. | ||||||
|
|
Jeffrey Tambor | My Friends Tigger & Pooh: Super Sleuth Christmas Movie | 2007 | ||||||
|
The Replacements: "Dick Daring's All-Star Holiday Stunt Spectacular V" | 2008 | |||||||
|
Clancy Brown | Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation! | 2009 | Arranges for Dr. Doofenshmirtz to build the Naughtyinator with which to ruin Christmas, and a CD of him singing (under the alias Sal Tuscany) for Perry to use to foil the doctor's plan. He later uses the sauna in the rest stop that Phineas and Ferb built for him atop their house. He also reads Phineas' letter, saying all Phineas wished for was to be like him. A different-looking Santa (voiced by Dan Povenmire) also makes brief cameos in the episodes "I, Brobot", "Wizard of Odd", and Rollercoaster: The Musical". | |||||
|
W. Morgan Sheppard | Prep & Landing | 2009 | Codenamed "The Big Guy". His face is never fully shown in the special, though it can be seen from a distance in a few shots in Operation: Secret Santa. | |||||
|
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation | 1989 | A clumsy Santa is depicted during the film's opening title sequence. | ||||||
|
Earl Boen | A Pinky and the Brain Christmas | 1995 | ||||||
|
Tom Hanks | The Polar Express | 2004 | Hanks' role in this CGI movie was one of many in this 2004 version Chris Van Allburgh's story. | |||||
|
Hal Smith | The Flintstones: "Christmas Flintstone" | 1965 | When he's sick with a flu, Santa has Fred Flintstone substitute for him. | |||||
|
Hal Smith | Casper's First Christmas | 1979 | All that Casper wants for Christmas is for his friend Hairy Scary's house to not be torn down. Although Hairy doesn't believe in Christmas, Santa Claus nevertheless delivers him a deed to the condemned house. | |||||
| File:Pacman and santa.jpg | Christmas Comes to Pac-Land | 1982 | |||||||
|
Hal Smith | The Town Santa Forgot | 1993 | To repay Jeremy Creek for his unexpected kindness, Santa makes him his assistant in his annual trek. This would notably be the last time Hal Smith would be the voice of a Santa; he died the following year. | |||||
| File:SantaHugToad.jpg | The Super Mario Bros. Super Show: "Koopa Klaus" | 1989 | |||||||
|
Frank Welker | Inspector Gadget Saves Christmas | 1992 | ||||||
|
Sonic Christmas Blast | 1996 | At the end of this special, Santa retires and gives his position to Sonic. | ||||||
|
Neil Ross | Rugrats: "The Santa Experience" | 1992 | ||||||
 
|
Tom Arnold (Corporate Santa) and Kevin Michael Richardson (Magic Santa) | The Fairly OddParents | 2001 | According to "Christmas Every Day!", Santa has the image and personality of a corporate CEO outside of Christmas. Every Christmas Eve, all the fairies transfer their magic to him, transforming into his more familiar jolly appearance. However, the corporate side of him is dropped in his other appearances (including "Merry Wishmas"). | |||||
|
Merry Nickmas: "Holiday Party" | 2002 | Based loosely off of the version from the Rankin/Bass Rudolph, he is referred to as St. Nick in direct reference to the channel's name and laughs to the tune of the Nickelodeon jingle. | ||||||
|
Howie Dorough | Dora the Explorer: A Present for Santa | 2002 | The Backstreet Boys member voiced Santa in the Christmas episode of the preschool Nickelodeon series. | |||||
|
Mel Brooks | Holly Jolly Jimmy | 2003 | Santa Claus, is the famous holiday figure, who is a genius, just like Jimmy. Because of Jimmy's machine, he was crippled. Santa also stated that Jimmy was on his "Naughty" list for some time. | |||||
| Kevin Michael Richardson | Back at the Barnyard: It's an Udderful Life | 2009 | Santa comes down with a case of ferret fever. | ||||||
|
Jim Cummings | Earthworm Jim: "For Whom the Jingle Bell Tolls" | 1996 | ||||||
|
Earl Boen | A Johnny Bravo Christmas | 2001 | ||||||
|
Codename: Kids Next Door: "Operation: N.A.U.G.H.T.Y." | 2005 | Doesn't actually go flying around the world; instead he uses a sleigh-shaped computer to beam presents and coal into the homes of good children and bad children, respectively. | ||||||
|
Tom Kane and Phil LaMarr | Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends: "A Lost Claus" | 2005 | Pictured here are a pair of a gaggle of Imaginary Santas who are created every Christmas by kids fighting with each other. (The real Santa is not shown onscreen, though.) | |||||
|
Ricky Tomlinson | Robbie the Reindeer | 1999 | ||||||
|
|
Kid vs. Kat vs. Christmas | 2009 | Santa is a pie maker who makes pies at Bootsville. Kat gets angry when he finds out he was not the real Santa. | ||||||
|
Carrol O'Connors | The Glo Friends Save Christmas | 1985 | ||||||
|
Up on the Housetop | 1992 | |||||||
|
|
Ed Asner | The Story of Santa Claus | 1996 | ||||||
|
Takko Ishimori (Japanese); Ted Lewis (English) |
Pokémon: "Holiday Hi-Jynx" | 1998 | In the Pokémon World, Santa works with Jynx as his elves and a team of Rapidash. | |||||
|
Trey Parker | South Park | 1992 | ||||||
|
|
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie | 1998 | |||||||
|
Jonathan Winters | Santa vs. the Snowman | 1997 | ||||||
|
Super Why!: "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" | 2008 | Super Why and his friends learn what makes Santa give gifts to children on Christmas Eve. | ||||||
|
|
William Shatner | Gotta Catch Santa Claus | 2008 |
-id="dorothythedinosaurmeetssantaclaus" |
|
Paul Simon | Dorothy the Dinosaur Meets Santa Claus | 2009 | |
|
Carl Reiner | Merry Madagascar | 2009 | Santa is mistaken for the Great Red Night Goblin that comes every "Julienary" throwing black rocks at the animal residents of the east African island. Alex the Lion accidentally crashed Santa in his sleigh with a case of amnesia that lasts until Mort, Marty and Gloria join Alex and the penguins to take his place. | |||||
|
Conan O'Brian | The Action Elves Save Christmas Eve | 2009 | Although never seen, Snappy the elf talks to Santa by cell phone. |
