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Santa Claus

From Christmas Specials Wiki

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.

[edit] Live-Action

Picture Performer Feature Year Notes
Edmund Gwenn Miracle on 34th Street 1947 Kris Kringle, resident of a Long Island old age home, 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 special) 1959 The famous TV (and former vaudeville) comic played Kris Kringle in a live telecast on NBC,
Sebastian Cabot Miracle on 34th Street (Made-for-TV movie) 1974
Sir Richard Attenborough Miracle on 34th Street (1994) 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-start of Angela Lansbury's titular character in the 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 Christmas Eve on Sesame Street 2002 Elmo visits Santa at his home in the North Pole. Hall also portrays Santa in the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular starring The Rockettes.
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.
Art Carney The Twilight Zone: The 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 lookalike, Cosmo Scam, who plots to take over Santa's workshop in this Jim Henson-produced movie.
Art Carney The Night They Saved Christmas 1984 Once again, the long-time second banana of Jackie Gleason played Jolly Old St. Nicholas, this time saving his workshop from evil oil prospectors.
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.
Paul Giamatti Fred Claus 2007 Is brother of 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: Maybe Baby 2009 The Oscar winning actor took over in the 2009 sequel.
Douglas Seale Ernest Saves Christmas 1988

[edit] Animated

Picture Voice actor Feature Year Notes
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.
The Night Before Christmas 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.
Edward Ivory The Nightmare Before Christmas 1993 Santa is held captive by Oogie Boogie while Jack Skellington poses in his place.
Ricky Tomlinson Robbie the Reindeer 1999
Christmas Vacation 1989 A clumsy Santa is depicted during the film's opening title sequence.
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.
Ted Lewis Pokémon: "Holiday Hi-Jynx" 1998 (Japan);
1999 (USA)
In the Pokémon World, Santa works with Jynx as his elves and a team of Rapidash.
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.
Trey Parker South Park 1992
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.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie
Jonathan Winters Santa vs. the Snowman 1997
Mickey Rooney Santa Claus is Comin' to Town 1970 The same representation of Santa is seen in The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974) 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.
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.
Hal Smith The Town Santa Forgot 1993 To repay Jeremy Creek for his unexpected kindness, Santa makes him his assistant in his annual trek.
Earl Hammond The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus 1985 In the only Rankin/Bass special that did not feature a narrator celebrity, this is a more loosely based darker toned version of his story.
Christmas Comes to Pac-Land 1982
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show: "Koopa Klaus" 1989
Sonic Christmas Blast 1996 At the end of this special, Santa retires and gives his position to Sonic.
Earl Boen A Pinky and the Brain Christmas 1995
Earl Boen A Johnny Bravo Christmas 2001

Tom Arnold (Corporate Santa) and Kevin Michael Richardson (Magic Santa) The Fairly OddParents 2001 In "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 apparently forgotten in later episodes (including "Merry Wishmas").
Super Why!: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas 2008 Super Why and his friends learn what makes Santa give gifts to children on Christmas Eve.
Clancy Brown Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation 2009 Prior to this special, a completely different-looking Santa also makes a brief cameo in the episode "I, Brobot" (where he's instead Dan Povenmire) using the Chimneyvator with Perry the Platypus, and later ends up saving him while doing his "summer run".
Bonkers: "Miracle at the 34th Precinct" 1993
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.
William Shatner Gotta Catch 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.
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.

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