1. Ben Affleck in “Reindeer Games”
Though Affleck doesn’t necessarily play Santa Claus himself, he dresses up as Saint Nick when his character, an ex-convict recently released from jail, becomes entangled in a plot to rob a casino on Christmas Eve.
2. Paul Giamatti in “Fred Claus”
Giamatti plays Saint Nick in this fantasy comedy that focuses on Santa’s relationship with his resentful older brother, Fred Claus (played by Vince Vaughn). When Fred ends up in a bind and tries scheming his brother into loaning him $50,000, Nick demands he travel to the North Pole and earn his money by helping work during the Christmas rush.
3. Billy Bob Thornton in “Bad Santa”
The 2003 comedy (and its 2016 sequel Bad Santa 2) sees Thornton in the role of a conman who, along with his dwarf sidekick, dress as Santa Claus and his elf helper at a department store each holiday season just to rob the mall once Christmas Eve hits, and all shoppers have gone home.
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