The stars who once played Santa Claus – where are they now?

Whether you prefer the 1947 edition or the modern remake, it’s hard to fault Richard Attenborough’s charming performance as Kris Kringle, the kindly old man who claims to be the real Santa. Richard took over the sleigh reins from the original’s Edmund Gwenn, as one IMDb reviewer puts it, “Attenborough is the only person I could imagine taking over this role”.

After a seven-decade long acting career, cemented in film history with classics like Brighton Rock (1948) and Jurassic Park (1993), Richard passed away in 2014 at age 90. Remembering her Miracle on 34th Street co-star, actress Mara Wilson told People, “I think there were times that he kind of made me believe that he might have actually been Santa Claus”.

I can't believe it took me so long to realise this, but Tom Hanks played many parts in The Polar Express! While he most notably brought The Conductor to life, he was also tasked with voicing Santa Claus, presenting the Hero Boy with the first gift of Christmas. Not only did Tom voice Santa, he also provided the motion-capture, well and truly making the animated character his own.

The film wasn’t Tom’s first time playing Santa – he hilariously revealed to the BBC he was briefly a mall Santa when he was 21, but was let go after two weeks. Since his more successful turn as the character in The Polar Express, he’s appeared in the star-studded cast of Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme (2025), and is set to reprise his role as Woody in Toy Story 5, coming to screens in 2026.

Since he first stepped on the scene in The Santa Clause (1994), Tim Allen has become synonymous with Santa for decades, with the film trilogy remaining a family favourite. From his journey as Scott Calvin vehemently denying the existence of Santa, to accidentally becoming Father Christmas himself, his character quickly transforms into the embodiment of holiday magic.

Tim reprised his role as Santa in Disney’s sequel series The Santa Clauses (2022–2023), which currently has two seasons with no word yet on a third. Alongside starring in the sitcom Shifting Gears (2025–), he’s also wrapped filming as Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story 5, alongside fellow Santa alum Tom Hanks.

If anyone else was a fan of Lou Grant, you probably picked up some of the character's classic gruffness in Ed Asner's portrayal of Santa Claus in Elf, a benevolent figure who balances out Buddy’s chaotic energy. Ed told The Hollywood Reporter that he absolutely “loved” the movie, joking that “my primary source of mail deals with one-syllable titles: Up and Elf”. 

The actor reprised his voice role as Carl in the Up spin-off Dug Days (2021–2023), shortly before he passed away in 2021. His co-star Zooey Deschanel posted a heartwarming tribute on Instagram, writing, “Rest In Peace my favorite Santa Claus. You will be so missed”.

Who could have foreseen Kurt Russell slipping into Santa’s boots? The legendary actor brought an unconventional edge to the character in The Christmas Chronicles (2018) and its sequel, teaming up with two siblings to help save Christmas. Fans were also thrilled to see his real-life wife, Goldie Hawn, as Mrs. Claus – a power couple of both Hollywood and the North Pole.

Kurt called the film a “love letter to my dad”, telling Global News “he was always our Santa Claus…it’s a connection for me to my father”. Though he dabbled behind-the-scenes as a producer on the sequel, he’s also still gracing our screens, most recently voicing the character Ron in Smurfs (2025).

While it’s Santa’s brother that steps into the spotlight in Fred Claus (2007), Paul Giamatti also headlines this Christmas comedy classic as Nicholas Claus, who has to deal with both the stresses of the holiday season and his unruly older sibling. Fans were a big fan of the Sideways star’s portrayal of St Nick, praising his performance and his chemistry with Vince Vaughn as “top notch”.

Paul was most recently seen as Harold Levinson in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (2025), and will also star in the upcoming series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (2026). You may have also caught him in another festive flick, The Holdovers (2023), a laugh-out-loud comedy that’s definitely worth streaming this Christmas.

After Hogwarts and Narnia, British actor Jim Broadbent set his sights on the North Pole, first bringing Santa to life in the beloved animated film Arthur Christmas (2011) alongside James McAvoy. The actor then swapped animation for a live-action turn as St Nick in the comedy film Get Santa (2014), so you could say he’s well-versed in playing the beloved character now!

Jim recently reprised his role as Colin Jones, Bridget’s father, in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2025). Fans may also remember he also portrayed Santa in Aldi’s 2020 Christmas advert, and we’re hoping to spot him donning the red suit again soon.

A slightly different take on the traditional character, Billy Bob Thornton portrayed the role of Willie T. Soke in Bad Santa (2003) and its sequel, a thief who poses as Santa to try and rob a mall. Very much an R-rated Christmas classic, fans praised Billy’s performance as “masterful”, and were delighted when he returned for the sequel 13 years later.

The Goliath actor continues to reflect fondly on his time as Santa, revealing on The One Show in 2024 that he knew he had to take on the role when he “laughed so hard he cried” reading the script. Fans may have also caught Billy starring in another acclaimed role recently, this time as Tommy Norris in the neo-Western series Landman (2024–).