Santa is one of the most endearing characters an actor can play. No matter what the angle — good, bad, comedic, serious, or something in between — audiences swoon for a heartfelt depiction of Ol’ Saint Nick. Steve Carell of The Office fame recently won over the internet with his turn as Kris Kringle in The Greatest Gift, an Xfinity commercial that dropped on Thanksgiving.
That performance made us brainstorm other leading men we’d like to see suit up in the classic red-and-white suit. These are 10 actors we’d love to see play Santa on the big screen. Maybe during a future holiday season (when movie theaters are back at full capacity), we’ll get our Christmas casting wish!
Cover Photo: YouTube
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Santa Actors
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Bill Murray
Sure, he has his own Netflix holiday special, A Very Murray Christmas, but we've yet to see him suit up with beard and belly to play Santa.
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Clint Eastwood
This storied actor with the grizzled voice would add a kind of wizened cool to Santa Claus.
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Danny DeVito
Nobody does comedic oddball like Danny DeVito. We'd love to see him decked out in red. He'd fit right in with the Bad Santa crowd.
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George Clooney
Clooney would add some sophistication to the role of Santa.
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Ian McKellen
This Brit has a Shakespearean background which might come in handy when playing one of holiday folklore's oldest and most iconic figures.
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Idris Elba
Idris Elba played Ol' Saint Nick for a group of kids at a hospital in 2017 and showed that he has Christmas cheer to spare. Are you paying attention, Hollywood?
Photo: Newham Hospital
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Jack Nicholson
Hollywood's longtime bad boy would make a scary good Santa. Horror holiday movie, anyone?
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Matthew McConaughey
If he can make "Alright, alright, alright" an enduring motto, imagine what he could do with "Ho, ho, ho."
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Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones has just the right amount of mischief mixed with understanding. He'd bring a whole new dimension to the character of Kris Kringle.
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Woody Harrelson
Harrelson gave us a peak at what he'd look like in a Santa suit in an ad for the home video release of Zombieland: Double Tap. Now we'd like to see him take on the role in a full-length feature film.
