Playing Santa In Christmas Chronicles Weighed Kurt Russell Down (Literally)
Clay Kaytis' 2018 family film "The Christmas Chronicles" has a pretty typical plot for a Christmas movie. A pair of mischievous kids (Judah Lewis and Darby Camp) catch Santa Claus (Kurt Russell) delivering gifts on Christmas Eve, and stow away on his sleigh. Their subterfuge, however, causes the sleigh to crash, scattering Santa's ephemera across Chicago. Santa and the two kids will have to work overtime to retrieve Santa's magical belongings — his reindeer, his hat, and his gift bag — so that he may deliver all his gifts by Christmas morning. Like in many kids' movies, the kids are mourning the loss of a parent, so "Chronicles" is also about regaining hope and realizing that childhood magic still exists in a world of grief.
The film was such a hit, a sequel, "The Christmas Chronicles 2" was released in 2020. Kurt Russell's real-life long-term sweetheart Goldie Hawn played Mrs. Claus in both films, and Chris Columbus directed the second film.
Kurt Russell might seem like a strange choice for Santa Claus, especially for those who know him best for his badass roles in "The Thing" and "Escape from New York," or as a serial killer in Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof." Recall, however, that Russell started his career as a teen in the 1960s, acting in ultra-wholesome Disney projects. Russell may not have Santa's traditionally rotund physique, but he does have the requisite twinkle in his eye.
To make Santa looks appropriately large, however, the makers of "The Christmas Chronicles 2" decided to give Russell some extra padding. Not with just a fat suit, however, but with a massively heavy red leather coat. In a 2020 interview with EW, Russell's co-star, the prolific and talented Darlene Love, recalled the big coat ... and what Russell needed to stay cool.
The fifty-pound Santa suit
There is a scene in "The Christmas Chronicles 2" wherein Santa runs around an airport, cheering people up with his jolly holiday magic. To Russell's great relief, he was allowed to remove his heavy Santa coat for the scene, and move more freely. Darlene Love, who plays one of the airport workers, recalled picking up Russell's coat during the filming of the sequence ... and not being able to lift it. She said:
"That Christmas coat that he had has to weigh about 50 pounds! [...] When I found out how heavy it was, I thought, 'How do you even walk in this?!' Every time we took a break, we had these little personal fans. They made [Russell] a special one that they held up to his face. It looked like it was on a flashlight and it really gives out air. He needed it with all the hair and the coat!"
One can easily picture Russell, covered with a large coat and facial fur, holding such a device close to his face, happy to dry the sweat.
And yes, Russell had to be outfitted with extra facial hair to play Santa. According to the EW article, only about 80% of the beard we see on camera in "The Christmas Chronicles 2" was his own. The rest was achieved through additional appliances which, Columbus noted, would often break off during the film's more active musical sequences. "Chronicles 2" isn't an all-out musical, but Columbus wouldn't mind if a potential "Chronicles 3" is.
Anyone who had ever slathered spirit gum on their upper lip to don a mustache for a stage performance can likely envision Russell's discomfort. From the look of it, though, Russell had a wonderful time playing Santa.