BEST Santa Claus PERFORMANCE?

[Road Warrior]

According to IMDb, Santa Claus has starred in 607 movies, TV shows, and cartoons. Now...the question is...which actor gave the best performance in the role? Since there has been so many actors to play the role I am not gonna do a poll. So...I'll leave it up to you guys to discuss.

I know most people will either choose Tim Allen for his Santa Claus trilogy OR Billy Bob Thorton in Bad Santa (although technically he wasn't playing Santa) but ever since a kid I have felt that David Huddleston (of Blazing Saddles fame) is the best Santa. When you watch him in 1985's Santa Claus: The Movie you feel like you're watching Santa instead of an actor trying or making fun of the character.

 

[Jackasscoley15]

Tim Allen and Billy Bob Thorton.

 

[Figs]

Should have made a poll with the well known actors who played him in movies.

 

[odiin]

All 607 of them?

 

[Catman]

Should have made a poll with the well known actors who played him in movies.

-Edmund Gwenn (Miracle on 34th Street, 1947)
-John Call (Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, 1964)
-Jeff Gillen (A Christmas Story, 1983)
-David Huddleston (Santa Claus: The Movie, 1985)
-Tim Allen (The Santa Claus Movies)
-Richard Attenborough (Miracle on 34th Street, 1994 version)

^ Those are like the only actors who have played Santa Claus that most people remember. Well...you could also count Billy Bob and Paul Giamatti.

 

[A Dark Knight]

Billy Bob Thorton in Bad Santa t:

 

[bullets]

Billy Bob Thorton in Bad Santa t:

yeah but he played a mall santa

 

[LastSunrise1981]

-Edmund Gwenn (Miracle on 34th Street, 1947)
-John Call (Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, 1964)
-Jeff Gillen (A Christmas Story, 1983)
-David Huddleston (Santa Claus: The Movie, 1985)
-Tim Allen (The Santa Claus Movies)
-Richard Attenborough (Miracle on 34th Street, 1994 version)

^ Those are like the only actors who have played Santa Claus that most people remember. Well...you could also count Billy Bob and Paul Giamatti.

I'd have to say Edmund Gwenn and Richard Attenborough were the best Santa's for me.

 

[Timstuff]

Santa Claus is crap. Down with holiday commercialism!

 

[Yurka]

I'd have to say Edmund Gwenn and Richard Attenborough were the best Santa's for me.

I agree

 

[WorthyStevens]

Nothing deters from the great performance of Bill Goldberg.

 

[GL1]

Richard Attenborough - no disrespect to Gwenn, but this guy made me really appreciate Santa Claus as a character, and I don't know any other movie that's done that.

 

[Untilteld]

Billy Bob Thorton

 

[Superhobo]

Jay Clark.

http://www.agonybooth.com/santa_bunny/

 

[Figs]

All 607 of them?

I guarantee you about 98-99% of those weren't well known. A lot were probably the mentioned forgerable TV ones.

 

[Drizzle]

My favorite is Richard Attenborough from "Miracle on 34th Street".

Coming into this thread depressed me once I saw that people were actually voting for Tim Allen as best portrayal of Santa....come on. COME ON!!!!!

 

[Obi-Ron]

Mickey Rooney, Rankin/Bass style

 

[Da Games Elite]

The best Santa I've ever seen was in the orginal Miracle on 34th Street. That's what Santa would be like if he was a real person. He wouldn't be on the North Pole, he'd be among us, and his character is so absolutely believable. Tim Allen is nothing compared to his performance.

 

[aaron]

dickieeee

 

[tzarinna]

Spoiler

Tom Hanks

 

[PaulGilbert]

Billy Bob Thorton.

 

[Catman]

Down with holiday commercialism!

I agree

Now I know that I don't have to get you guys anything for Christmas.

Spoiler

Tom Hanks

Oh yeah! I forgot that Hanks played Santa Claus!

 

[hammy]

I liked the guy in the newest version of Miracle on 34th street. Richard Attenborough.

 

[Capt Throbberson]

 

[Paste Pot Pete]

Forget Goldberg! The original -