When most people think of Christmas, the first two people who come to mind are a baby in a manger and a jolly fat guy in a red suit piloting a sleigh with eight (sometimes nine) reindeer. So when he comes to town, everyone knows the season to be jolly has begun.
Depictions of jolly old St. Nick have been widespread through movies and television, all contributing to a shared cultural mythos of Santa Claus. In addition, they all add their unique interpretation of who he is, what he represents, and how relevant he is to their era and the generations that follow.
10 John Goodman/John DiMaggio — Futurama (1999-)
There have been many “bad Santas” over the years, but this one is the most hilariously homicidal. In the year 2801, a robotic Santa Claus (John Goodman in his first appearance, John DiMaggio in all subsequent appearances) was built, but his judging system for who was naughty or nice was far too high. Every Christmas Eve since, he makes a note of punishing everyone—usually with grenades, rocket launchers, and other assorted weaponry.
Living on Neptune instead of the North Pole, his workshop runs on slave labor from the planet’s natives, and he even has a super-team of evil holiday characters—along with the Chanukah Zombie (Mark Hamill) and Kwanzaabot (Coolio).
9 Kurt Russell — ‘The Christmas Chronicles’ (2018) and ‘The Christmas Chronicles 2’ (2020)
Among the more recent versions of Kris Kringle, Kurt Russell brings not only Santa’s jolly and good nature to the role but an element of genuine swagger to his interpretation. In the first film, after two kids in Massachusetts accidentally cause his sleigh to crash, he’s forced to team up with them to find his scattered reindeer and presents.
In the second film, he and Mrs. Claus (Russell’s real-life girlfriend, Goldie Hawn) must protect the North Pole from a rogue elf named Belsnickel (Julian Dennison). Russell’s Santa has a competitive streak, a knack for being a bit full of himself, a golden singing voice, and a genuinely big heart.
8 David Harbour — ‘Violent Night’ (2022)
This Santa is an ancient Viking turned gift-giver who doesn’t understand Christmas magic. He’s become a disillusioned alcoholic as parents keep doing his job, and kids are getting greedier. But when a young girl named Trudy (Leah Brady) and her family are held hostage by mercenaries, Santa decides to help out—she is on the nice list, after all.
Balancing Santa’s brand of Christmas cheer with over-the-top violence can be difficult. However, David Harbour found a successful way by making Santa a darker character while still keeping him a heroic, caring figure.
7 Jim Broadbent as Malcolm Claus — ‘Arthur Christmas’ (2011)
Malcolm Claus is a somewhat underrated Santa and also a unique gem. The title of Santa Claus has been passed down through history over the years, and the current Santa is the captain of a giant spaceship called the S-1. He’s finishing up his 70th year but is not in any mood to retire from his position.
On the contrary, he holds great pride in his role, even though the elves and his tech-obsessed son Steve (Hugh Laurie) are doing the actual work. While Broadbent’s take on the character is somewhat forgetful and misunderstanding, he still means well and retains Santa’s characteristically kind demeanor.
6 Tim Allen as Scott Calvin — ‘The Santa Clause’ Series (1994-)
If there’s one actor who defined Santa Claus in the 1990s, it’s Tim Allen. But, of course, his character fell into the position by accident. Beginning his career as a toy salesman with a grumpy attitude, he found a man in a red suit on the roof one Christmas Eve. After accidentally causing his death, Scott inherited the position and became Santa—physically and psychologically.
While the job stresses get to him occasionally, Scott is noticeably happier and kinder when he becomes the man in red. Allen’s performance was undoubtedly iconic to the point that he reprised the role in two sequels and a 2022 Disney+ series.
5 Douglas Seale — ‘Ernest Saves Christmas’ (1988)
While many can argue about the film’s quality, nobody can deny that Douglas Seale knocks it out of the park with his performance as Santa. The film’s central plot is that Santa has come to Orlando, Florida, to seek his replacement—a children’s entertainer named Joseph Carruthers (Oliver Clark). With the help of Ernest (Jim Varney), he must convince Carruthers to take the position if Christmas is to be saved.
Seale, most famous for voicing the Sultan in Disney’s Aladdin, carries not only Santa’s kindness and love but also an underlying sadness—he knows his time is up and needs to make the best decision he can.
4 David Huddleston — ‘Santa Claus: The Movie’ (1985)
Created by the producers of the original Superman movies, this film follows a similar storyline. It depicts the origins of how Santa got to the North Pole, how he gets his magic and a present-day fight between him and an evil businessman (John Lithgow).
While co-stars Lithgow and Dudley Moore overshadow him in the marketing and central storyline, David Huddleston has Santa’s look and personality down to a tee. Whenever he’s onscreen, he exudes pure love and joy that helps give the film a unique atmosphere that is pure Christmas.
3 J.K. Simmons — ‘Klaus’ (2019)
One of Netflix’s best-animated films, this partially reinvents the Santa Claus mythos by switching the focus from Santa to Jesper (Jason Schwartzman), the spoiled son of a postmaster general. At the risk of losing his family’s fortune, he’s sent to a sleepy village made up of two families that hate each other.
When he meets a reclusive woodsman/toymaker named Klaus (J.K. Simmons), he devises a plan to get all the children in town to request toys with mail. Klaus himself is gruff but pure of heart, with a touching backstory for his solitary nature. Simmons’ performance is full of empathy while showing a lonelier and quiet side.
2 Art Carney as Henry Corwin — 'The Twilight Zone', "The Night of the Meek" (1960)
Henry Corwin (Art Carney) drinks heavily and is a recently unemployed department store Santa. He laments how little he can change things for all the poor around him, but on Christmas Eve finds a magical bag that can give him whatever he wants.
In a move that differs from the classic Twilight Zone story, he decides to give everything in the bag to everyone around him—children, poor men, and even police officers who suspect him of robbery. Then, as the night ends, he wishes he could do that every year—cue an elf, a sleigh, and eight reindeer.
1 Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle — ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ (1947)
While Richard Attenborough’s beloved take on Kris in the 1994 remake deserves an honorable mention, Edmund Gwenn is the one who originated and perfected the role. He carries a dignified grace everywhere he goes, ensuring his image is perfected because he knows the children will understand.
He talks to every child he meets like they are a grown-up worthy of attention, and every decision he makes is with their benefit in mind. So even as the adults around him think he might be crazy, they find themselves so charmed by the man they can’t fault him.