4. Ed Asner – Elf (2003)
Perhaps the most beloved Christmas comedy ever made, 2003’s Elf may not center on Santa Claus, but it does feature an excellent iteration of the man. Following Buddy (Will Ferrell), a human raised by elves, Elf sees the adopted child of the North Pole head to New York in search of his biological father. While there, Buddy spreads Christmas cheer and even comes to help Ed Asner’s Santa Claus save Christmas.
Asner’s slightly grumpy Santa Claus is a grandfatherly figure with a comedic edge. He’s quick-witted and street-smart, but he’s also kind and gentle in a way that perfectly brings a more traditional Santa into a comedy film. He offers up some of the film’s best laughs because his world-weariness is the perfect foil for Buddy’s naive optimism.
Ed Asner’s Santa Claus cuts an older, grandfatherly figure. His sharp edges mask a subtle sense of frailty and weariness that make him believable as the centuries-old man he supposedly is, and this goes massively in Asner’s favor. He’s perhaps the funniest of all the movie Santas, with the added bonus of being a solidly fantastical figure.