Playing Santa Claus
People who’ve never donned the red suit, slapped on a white beard, and strapped a pillow around the waist don’t have a clue how hard it is to play Santa Claus.
I’ve done some acting in my life, most of it in my younger days, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that one of the hardest roles to play is old Saint Nick. Here’s why: the trick to playing a good Santa is that you have to always be the biggest, happiest, and wisest guy in the room. No negativity or tinge of nasty can come from you. You have a responsibility to all the children in the vicinity as well as the adults who have fond memories of their visits with Santa Claus when they were tots.
So when you play Santa Claus, you absolutely must radiate goodwill…which afterward leaves you feeling both exhausted and exhilarated.
Santa Claus in San Diego
Growing up in San Diego, my most memorable experience with Santa was when my Dad dressed up at the neighborhood Catholic church and I sat on his lap. I was around 5 years old and I did not recognize him, but I knew there was something very familiar about him. Maybe it was his voice, his laugh, and his mannerisms. It left me quite confused, but I still believed he was the real Santa Claus. It wasn’t until years later when I no longer believed that I realized that “Hey, that was my Dad playing Santa!”
