From Tim Allen to Billy Bob Thornton to Kurt Russell, a look at who has portrayed or voiced the iconic Saint Nick onscreen.
DIMENSION FILMS/PHOTOFEST
Richard Attenborough in ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ (1994)
PHOTO : PHOTOFEST
One of many remakes of the holiday classic (originally released in 1947), 1994’s Miracle on 34th Street centers on a man named Kris Kringle (Attenborough), whose insistence that he’s the real Santa Claus helps a young 6-year-old girl believe in the spirit of Christmas.
Tom Hanks in ‘The Polar Express’
2004
PHOTO : PHOTOFEST
Hanks voices Santa (and a multitude of other characters) in the animation about a skeptical young boy who embarks on a journey of self-discovery as he boards a magical train en route to the North Pole.
Mickey Rooney in ‘Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town’
1970
PHOTO : PHOTOFEST
In the stop-motion animated TV special, a mailman (voiced by Fred Astaire) answers children’s letters to Santa Claus (voiced by Mickey Rooney) by telling the origin story of Kris Kringle and how he came to be the legend of Sombertown.
Ben Affleck in ‘Reindeer Games’
2000
PHOTO : PHOTOFEST
Though Affleck doesn’t necessarily play Santa Claus himself, he dresses up as Saint Nick when his character, an ex-convict recently released from jail, becomes entangled in a plot to rob a casino on Christmas Eve.
John Goodman in ‘The Year Without a Santa Claus’
2006
PHOTO : PHOTOFEST
A live-action remake of 1974’s stop-motionspecial, NBC’s 2006 TV movie follows a discouraged Santa (played by Goodman) who becomes intent on skipping toy deliveries on Christmas until a young boy helps him rediscover the holiday spirit.
Kurt Russell in ‘The Christmas Chronicles’
PHOTO : MICHAEL GIBSON/NETFLIX/COURTESY EVERETT COLLECTION
In this 2018 Netflix comedy, Russell takes on a Santa Claus who has crashed his sleigh and lost all the Christmas presents. Together with the help of two children, he must collect them and deliver on a deadline. At the premiere, Russell dedicated the film to his father Bing Russell, “who was, is and always will be the greatest Santa Claus ever.”
Russell went back for a second outing in the sequel, The Christmas Chronicles 2.
Bill Nighy in ‘Arthur Christmas’
PHOTO : SONY PICTURES CLASSICS/COURTESY EVERETT COLLECTION
Arthur Christmas saw Nighy voice the role of a former Santa Claus who is rather disliking of the modern world. He emerges from retirement to help Arthur (James McAvoy) save Christmas. The 2011 animated film also featured the voices of Hugh Laurie, Imelda Staunton and Jim Broadbent.
This 2008 TV movie follows the story of a young boy who wants to prove that Santa Claus (Shatner) exists by capturing him. Meanwhile, an old enemy of Santa, LeFreeze (Cal Dodd), awakens with the same idea.
Lloyd Bridges in ‘In the Nick of Time’
PHOTO : COURTESY NBC/COURTESY EVERETT COLLECTION
After 300 years, Santa Claus (Bridges) is up for retirement in this 1991 TV movie from director George Miller. He has seven days to find a replacement, or the holiday tradition will be jeopardized.
Christmas: Actors Who Have Played Santa Claus–Richard Attenborough in ‘Miracle on 34th Street’
Christmas: Actors Who Have Played Santa Claus
From Tim Allen to Billy Bob Thornton to Kurt Russell, a look at who has portrayed or voiced the iconic Saint Nick onscreen.
Richard Attenborough in ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ (1994)
PHOTO : PHOTOFEST
One of many remakes of the holiday classic (originally released in 1947), 1994’s Miracle on 34th Street centers on a man named Kris Kringle (Attenborough), whose insistence that he’s the real Santa Claus helps a young 6-year-old girl believe in the spirit of Christmas.
Tom Hanks in ‘The Polar Express’
PHOTO : PHOTOFEST
Hanks voices Santa (and a multitude of other characters) in the animation about a skeptical young boy who embarks on a journey of self-discovery as he boards a magical train en route to the North Pole.
Mickey Rooney in ‘Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town’
PHOTO : PHOTOFEST
In the stop-motion animated TV special, a mailman (voiced by Fred Astaire) answers children’s letters to Santa Claus (voiced by Mickey Rooney) by telling the origin story of Kris Kringle and how he came to be the legend of Sombertown.
Ben Affleck in ‘Reindeer Games’
PHOTO : PHOTOFEST
Though Affleck doesn’t necessarily play Santa Claus himself, he dresses up as Saint Nick when his character, an ex-convict recently released from jail, becomes entangled in a plot to rob a casino on Christmas Eve.
John Goodman in ‘The Year Without a Santa Claus’
PHOTO : PHOTOFEST
A live-action remake of 1974’s stop-motion special, NBC’s 2006 TV movie follows a discouraged Santa (played by Goodman) who becomes intent on skipping toy deliveries on Christmas until a young boy helps him rediscover the holiday spirit.
Kurt Russell in ‘The Christmas Chronicles’
In this 2018 Netflix comedy, Russell takes on a Santa Claus who has crashed his sleigh and lost all the Christmas presents. Together with the help of two children, he must collect them and deliver on a deadline. At the premiere, Russell dedicated the film to his father Bing Russell, “who was, is and always will be the greatest Santa Claus ever.”
Russell went back for a second outing in the sequel, The Christmas Chronicles 2.
Bill Nighy in ‘Arthur Christmas’
Arthur Christmas saw Nighy voice the role of a former Santa Claus who is rather disliking of the modern world. He emerges from retirement to help Arthur (James McAvoy) save Christmas. The 2011 animated film also featured the voices of Hugh Laurie, Imelda Staunton and Jim Broadbent.
William Shatner in ‘Gotta Catch Santa Claus’
This 2008 TV movie follows the story of a young boy who wants to prove that Santa Claus (Shatner) exists by capturing him. Meanwhile, an old enemy of Santa, LeFreeze (Cal Dodd), awakens with the same idea.
Lloyd Bridges in ‘In the Nick of Time’
After 300 years, Santa Claus (Bridges) is up for retirement in this 1991 TV movie from director George Miller. He has seven days to find a replacement, or the holiday tradition will be jeopardized.