'The Santa Clause' Cast: See the Original Stars of the '90s Christmas Classic Then and Now

The Santa Clause started out as a beloved 1994 family Christmas comedy and over the years it has become a full franchise with a beloved cast, spawning two sequels in 2002 and 2006. The trilogy follows the adventures of follows Scott Calvin (played by Tim Allen), a divorced father who inadvertently becomes Santa Claus after the real Santa falls off his roof. He and his son, Charlie (Eric Lloyd), journey to the North Pole, where Scott learns he must take on Santa's duties. Initially resistant, Scott eventually embraces his new role, experiencing physical transformations and facing skepticism from others. As he navigates being Santa, he reconnects with Charlie and restores belief in Christmas spirit.

But there was another chapter in the Santa Clause story, and, in 2022 Disney + premiered the first season of The Santa Clauses series. This holiday season, we've been streaming the recently released second season of the series The Santa Clauses, which includes some seriously nostalgic appearances from the cast of the original movie.

The series is fun for the whole family, and in a sweet casting choice, Tim Allen’s real-life daughter, Elizabeth Allen-Dick, plays his daughter in the show. “From a performance side, it’s amazing,” Allen told Parade in an interview along with his daughter, and the connection between father and daughter really shines through onscreen.

The Santa Clause cast

With The Santa Clauses series winning over fans of all ages, let’s go back to where the enchanting franchise began, with a look at the cast of the simultaneously hilarious and heartwarming holiday classic The Santa Clause. We bet you'll never guess who most recently starred in one of 2023's most lauded films!

Tim Allen as Scott Calvin/Santa Claus

As Scott Calvin, the regular dad-turned-Santa, Tim Allen stars in all three Santa Clause movies and the recent series.

Allen started out as a stand-up comedian, and became an actor in the late '80s. From 1991 to 1999, Allen starred as Tim "The Tool-Man" Taylor on the popular sitcom Home Improvement. The show made him a household name, and he'd go on to act in comedy movies like Jungle 2 Jungle, Galaxy Quest, Christmas With the Kranks and Wild Hogs.

Outside of the Santa Clause franchise, his most famous movie role is voicing the toy astronaut Buzz Lightyear in the mega-popular Toy Story franchise. He also starred in another long-running sitcom, Last Man Standing, from 2011 to 2021.

In addition to reprising his signature Santa role, Allen, now 70, has also recently voiced Buzz Lightyear for Toy Story video games.

Eric Lloyd as Charlie Calvin in The Santa Clause cast

A great aspect of the new Disney+ series is the use of beloved characters from the original movie — but unfortunately, Eric Lloyd, who played Tim Allen's adorable son, Charlie, only reprises his part in one scene from a single episode of The Santa Clauses. In the scene, from last year’s first season, the 30-something Charlie — now married with kids — turns down his Dad’s offer to replace him as Santa Claus.

Lloyd appeared in a number of TV movies and family movies like Dunston Checks In, and provided voiceover work for a cartoons. He also played young Bruce Wayne in Batman & Robin and appeared in Deconstructing Harry and My Giant. He then played Christina Applegate's son in the sitcom Jesse from 1998 to 2000.

Lloyd also acted in The Santa Clause 2 and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause. Now 37, he's had a handful of acting jobs since then, but today his primary focus is Lloyd Production Studios, a film and music studio he's operated since 2014.

Judge Reinhold as Dr. Neil Miller

One of the funniest dynamics in the original Santa Clause comes from the clashes between Scott Calvin as he becomes Santa and the super-logical psychiatrist Dr. Neil Miller, Charlie’s stepfather. Dr. Miller initially thinks Scott is insane, and seeing the nerdy skeptic gradually transform into an open-hearted believer is delightful.

Unfortunately, Judge Reinhold does not reprise his role from all three films in The Santa Clauses. Prior to The Santa Clause, he was in many iconic '80s movies, including Stripes, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Gremlins, Beverly Hills Cop and Ruthless People. In the '90s and '00s he appeared in shows like Seinfeld, The King of Queens and Monk.

Now 66, his last appearance was six years ago, in the Lifetime movie Four Christmases and a Wedding. In 2024, he'll be back in the highly anticipated Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, the fourth installment in the popular action-comedy series.

Wendy Crewson as Laura Miller in The Santa Clause cast

Wendy Crewson plays the role of Charlie’s mother with charm, starting with alarm at her ex-husband’s new obsession with being Santa Claus, then becoming a believer at the end of the first movie. She and Santa maintained a very amicable relationship through the two sequels, though she's not in the new series.

With almost 150 credits to her name, Crewson, now 67, has had an active career for decades. Prior to The Santa Clause, she was in the acclaimed miniseries Tanner '88 and the movie The Good Son, and in the '90s and '00s she acted in films like Air Force One, Bicentennial Man, What Lies Beneath, The 6th Day, The Covenant and Eight Below. More recently, she appeared in the When Calls the Heart spinoff When Hope Calls, and she's currently in the spy drama series Gray.

David Krumholtz as Bernard the Head Elf in The Santa Clause cast

Some of the The Santa Clause’s funniest moments come from the grumpy teenage elf Bernard, played by David Krumholtz. While Krumholtz appeared in The Santa Clause 2, he didn't come back for the third movie. However, fans get a Bernard encore in an episode of the first season of The Santa Clauses.

The Santa Clause was one of Krumholtz's earliest roles, and he's been racking up an impressive career on screens big and small ever since. As a young actor in the '90s, he appeared in Addams Family Values, The Ice Storm, Slums of Beverly Hills and 10 Things I Hate About You. His most high-profile role came when he starred as mathematical genius Charlie Eppes in Numb3rs, which ran from 2005 to 2010. After that, he acted in shows like Partners, The Good Wife and The Deuce and movies like Wonder Wheel and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.

Now 45, Krumholtz recently played the physicist Isidore Isaac Rabi in Christopher Nolan's critically acclaimed box-office smash Oppenheimer. He's unrecognizable in the dramatic role, and has certainly come a long way since being a funny elf!

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