When it comes to figures, arguably one of the most famous known all over the world is Santa Claus. With his red suit, iconic hat, and big white beard, Santa Claus is a figure larger than any one person. Santa Claus has been a staple of both big and small-screen entertainment and has remained so for as long as movies have been around. From A Miracle on 34th Street to The Santa Clause and every classic Christmas film in between, Saint Nick was always showing off his star power.
The Best Santa Claus tends to embody the ideals everyone thinks of when they think of Santa. While some might be more action-oriented or some more mysterious, at the end of the day, the best Santa Claus gives a warm presence that makes someone, be it young or old, feel safe. Santa Claus is a figure who no matter how old you are, if you are good, will always be there for you. These are the best depictions of Santa Claus and the actors who brought this iconic figure to life.
Update December 16, 2023: 12 Days of Christmas means this list has been updated with twelve Santa Claus and where each title can be streamed this Christmas season.
12 Tom Hanks - The Polar Express (2004)
Tom Hanks appeared in Robert Zemeckis' 2004 family movie The Polar Express, which was adapted from the 1985 Chris Van Allsburg children's book of the same name. The actor portrayed a number of motion capture characters in the film, including the legendary figure in red known as Santa Claus. The film follows a young boy, a Christmas skeptic, who embarks upon a train journey to the North Pole.
How Tom Hanks's Performance in The Polar Express is One of the Best Displays of Santa
Hanks has established himself as one of the most well-known and recognizable movie actors in the world thanks to his roles in movies like A League of Their Own, Forrest Gump, Catch Me If You Can, You've Got Mail, Cast Away, Sully, and many more so it makes sense to cast him as a character as iconic as Santa Claus. In The Polar Express he channels his inner Father Christmas and festive spirit, and Hanks is flawless as the children's legend. His mellow, calming nature is an ideal fit for presenting this legend of Christmas in all his gift-giving glory. Stream on Prime and Max
11 John Goodman - A Year Without Santa (2006)
Widely revered and hugely loved, John Goodman has forged quite the career for himself, with his most prominent performance coming in the Coen Brothers' The Big Lebowski. While the 10 Cloverfield Lane actor has turned in performances as Santa on a number of occasions, it was in 2006's A Year Without Santa Claus that he delivered his best display. This remake follows an occasion when Santa takes a sabbatical, taking a well-earned year off delivering presents after his Christmas spirit takes a hit.
How John Goodman is Such a Naturally Great Santa
Goodman is a natural choice for Santa, a huge presence with a bellowing voice that has the capacity to dominate an entire room. In A Year Without Santa Claus' case, Goodman's comedic timing is gold, and the Kentucky Fried southern accent he is sporting gives Santa this relatable, everyman vibe that makes him even the more likable. In turn, Goodman brings both this picture and this mystical, seemingly unreachable figure to life. Currently Not Available to Stream
10 Nick Frost - Doctor Who "Last Christmas" (2014)
Doctor Who features The Doctor, a mythic character who is a magical figure to children all over the world and is very much a Santa Claus archtype. For years, the franchise was known for doing annual Christmas specials, but aside from featuring killer robot Santa, the series never actually touched Santa Claus himself...until the 2014 holiday special, "Last Christmas". In it, frequent Edgar Wright collaborator Nick Frost stepped into the role of Santa Claus in a story that saw the Doctor and his companion Clara travel to the North Pole to save the scientists from monstrous dream crabs and enlist the help of Santa, or so it seems.
What Makes Nick Frost A Great Santa
The special is a fun mix of Alien and Inception but throwing in Santa Claus into the mix. The entire time, the audience is left to wonder if Santa is, in fact, real or if he is a figment of the character's dream, with the series never giving an answer. Yet Frost's depiction of Santa Claus in just this one episode is a riot. Frost brings a classic working man's energy to Santa, but one that has a dry wit mixed in with his holiday whimsy. The special and Frost performance also does a great job highlighting the similar roles both Santa and The Doctor fit, and why these figures are so enduring to so many people all over the world. Stream on Max.
9 David Harbour - Violent Night (2022)
Another alternative take on the classic tale of the jolly St. Nick is 2022’s Violent Night. A film starring David Harbour in the titular role as Santa Claus, the film traverses the story of Santa, who is trapped in a house and tasked with saving a family who have been taken hostage. David Harbour hands in a riveting display as Santa in his red leather jacket and bloodied exterior, making Violent Night one for the fans of the cult Christmas movie.
Why David Harbour's Performance as Santa is So Incredible
Harbour is exceptional as the increasingly irate and disenfranchised Santa who has ostensibly lost his Christmas Spirit. This is Santa in an unprecedented first, as a violent, aggressive, and physically imposing presence, one disgruntled by the cruel ways of the world but whose devout commitment to his job remains. Yet what makes Harbour's Santa so great is the audience can still see the glimmer of the original jolly man people know all over the world, and while he might have lost his faith, he can still return to it. He is not just a rough action Santa, but in fact, just Santa because audiences can buy that when a kid is in need of saving, Santa Claus would step up to the occasion. Stream on Prime
8 Alec Baldwin - Rise of the Guardians (2012)
The original bad-ass Santa, Alec Baldwin, voiced the character in the underrated DreamWorks Animated classic Rise of the Guardians. In a film that acts as sort of The Avengers for childhood icons, Santa Claus teams up with The Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), The Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), and the Sandman to recruit Jack Frost (Chris Pine) to stop the villainous Pitch Black (Jude Law) from taking away all joy and wonder from the world. Baldwin's Santa Claus acts as the team's leader.
Why Baldwin's Santa is So Great
Baldwin's Santa Claus features a big cartoonish Russian accent and is depicted as a man of action. He is still a big, joyous man but also one who acts with the naughty and nice list tattooed on his arms. His workshop in the North Pole is filled with elves and yeti and features a wide variety of toys that also act as weapons to protect the children of the world. This is Santa Claus, seen through the lens of a superhero, and it is everything any kid could ask for. Stream on Paramount+
7 Edward Asner - Elf (2003)
American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild, Ed Asner, sadly passed away in 2021, and while the late, great actor may no longer be with us, his memory certainly lives on, especially every Christmas with his display in Elf. Asner portrayed Santa Claus in the 2003 film Elf, which stars Will Farrell as a human who was raised by Santa's elves and learns he’s not actually an elf. On a quest to figure out where he came from, Elf visits New York City to see his biological father.
Why Edward Asner Makes a Great Santa
Asner channels a real caring, fatherly energy as this adopted father figure in Buddy's life. For many, Asner's performance is a definitive rendition of Father Christmas and one that many may envisage when picturing the sleigh-riding, chimney-climbing, present-dropping man from Lapland. His warmth radiates through the screen, and there is a real magnetism to Asner's performance. Stream on Prime, Max, and Hulu
6 Edmund Gwenn - Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
The seminal Christmas movie Miracle on 34th Street sees actor Edmund Gwenn portray Kris Kringle, a.k.a. Santa Claus, who actually steps up for a mall Santa who cannot fulfill his job. As his popularity rises, Kringle claims he is the real Santa, placing himself in all sorts of trouble.
How Edmund Gwenn's Portrayal of Santa is for the Ages
Edmund Gwenn was utterly exceptional in this role, and, as such, he received both the Golden Globe Award and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Those accolades alone certainly boded well for the British actor when it came to being included in the list for one of the best Santa Claus performances. A charming, deeply warming portrayal of Father Christmas, this was a role Gwenn was absolutely perfect for, and despite having a relatively short-lived acting career, Gwenn brings real class and grace to Miracle on 34th Street. Stream on Disney+ and Prime Video
5 Richard Attenborough - Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
In the 1994 remake of Miracle of 34th Street, Richard Attenborough played Kris Kringle, also known as Santa Claus. In the movie, Cole's Department Store hires Kringle, who is reputed to be the genuine Santa Claus, to take over as the store's Santa Claus after their former employee was terminated for getting wasted before the Thanksgiving parade. While following the same premise as the original film, the most interesting thing about the two movies is their depiction of Santa.
Why Richard Attenborough's Display as Santa is So Brilliant
Attenborough brings a seasoned experience to his outing as Santa, as he did as John Hammond in Jurassic Park a year earlier. The Gandhi director does a spellbinding job at offering shrewd wisdom and gravitational power to this remake of the 1947 classic. Despite a scintillating performance from his predecessor, Edmund Gwenn, Attenborough makes this role his own, stamping his authority as the better of the two performances. The late great actor and director brings a caring tenderness and nobility to his rendition of Santa that few have been able to replicate before or since. Stream on Hulu
4 Kurt Russell - The Christmas Chronicles (2018) & The Christmas Chronicles 2 (2020)
In The Christmas Chronicles, two kids must work quickly to undo their error after they unintentionally cause Santa's sleigh to crash and all the presents to be lost. In the sequel The Christmas Chronicles 2, Santa returns to the kids as they face adolescence. Kurt Russell portrays Santa Claus in both movies and is equally charismatic and likable in both. Russell has had two major images in his career: a clean-cut Disney kid in his early years and then an action star, so making him Santa Claus was a perfect marriage of those roles.
How Kurt Russell Makes the Role of Santa His Own
Having played John Ruth in 2015's The Hateful Eight, where Russell had an uncanny resemblance to Santa, he was understandably the natural choice for this Netflix-backed production. A supremely dexterous actor who has made a success of more or less everything he has turned his hand to, he delivers one of the most charming and indelible displays as Santa. There is a rock 'n roll audaciousness to his performance, drawing on traditional attributes as well as a more contemporary, cooler gung-ho approach. This is a Santa that is made better by embracing Russell's cool guy action roots of the 1980s in films like The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China, and Escape to New York. Stream on Netflix
3 J.K. Simmons - Klaus (2019)
J.K. Simmons gave his voice to the 2019 animated feature Klaus, a film that tells the story of a postman, Jesper (Jason Schwartzman), who is sent to the North to become Smeerensburg's postman, befriending lowly toymaker Kalus in the process. Klaus is a film that was commended for its "beautiful hand-drawn animation and a humorous, heartwarming narrative," the movie has a 95% approval rating on the review website Rotten Tomatoes, with critics calling it an "instant candidate for holiday classic status."
How J.K. Simmons Is Utterly Exceptional as Santa
J.K. Simmons, with his deep, husky, and unmistakable voice, is brilliantly in-keeping with this mountain of a man, and while this is only an animation, Simmons does such a good job of anchoring this vivacious flick with his attention-demanding undertones. What is more exceptional is how the Simmons version of Santa is able to delve into the character. The movie explores his origins and exactly why Santa is a toymaker, and giving him a wife who died before they could have kids gives Santa Claus a sense of sadness that he only finds happiness when giving to others. It is an incredible vocal performance and one that feels archetypical as Santa Claus. Stream on Netflix
2 David Huddleston - Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)
The late, great David Huddleston assumed the mantle of titular protagonist, Santa Claus in 1985's Santa Claus: The Movie. Jeannot Szwarc's film initially documents the origin tale of Santa before jumping to the present day, when a disgruntled, overworked Santa and his elf, Patch, are forced to compete with an immoral businessman who threatens to derail Christmas tradition.
Why David Huddleston is One of the Best On-Screen Santa's Ever
Huddleston is spellbinding as Santa Claus, arguably looking more like Santa than Santa himself. There is a mysterious yet affable air to Huddleston's portrayal, which is a little reminiscent of a combination of Robin Williams and Kurt Russell. Huddleston oozes an authentic geniality and kindness that really highlights his adaptability as an actor. While this is by no means a true Christmas classic, Huddleston is well worthy of the title as one of the best Father Christmas of all time. Stream on Prime
1 Tim Allen - The Santa Clause Franchise (1994 to Present)
The Santa Clause franchise, which includes the 1994 film The Santa Clause, the 2002 film The Santa Clause 2, the 2006 film The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, and the 2022 Disney+ miniseries The Santa Clauses, stars Tim Allen as Scott Calvin/Santa Claus. The first installment of the franchise tells the story of a divorcee, Scott (Allen), who, after Santa sustains an injury, is tasked with finishing off his work, and adopting the role of the real Santa.
Why Tim Allen is the Definitive Best Santa of All Time
The man who famously gave his voice to Buzz Lightyear produces a mesmerizing display as Father Christmas, and this is arguably one of Allen's best-ever performances. While Allen isn't strictly Santa and is merely a stand-in, both the make-up used and the transformation he undergoes in the film are exquisite. In many ways, the idea that an average everyday man can be Santa Claus and inspire so much good is one reason why the film and depiction have endured for a long. Allen is the life and soul of this family-friendly comedy, helping to elevate it to legendary levels as far as Christmas classic movie status is concerned. Stream on Disney+
Check out Tim Allen and Elizabeth Allen-Dick's interview with MovieWeb regarding the newest season of The Santa Clauses airing on Disney+.