5 Celebrities Who Found Fame Thanks To a Holiday Film!

The holiday season is a special time for many. However, it’s even more memorable and special for these 5 celebrities, whose careers skyrocketed after starting in a Christmas movie! From comedians to rock singers, these stars owe most of their clout and success to a Christmas film! 

1. Tim Allen 

While Tim Allen had already made a name for himself thanks to his "Home Improvement" sitcom, it was through The Santa Clause movie franchise where he won the hearts of Millennials and elder Zoomers and became a Christmas symbol for those who grew up in the early-2000s. 

Allen starred in the first Santa Clause film in 1994, and it was a box office success. Allen played Scott Calvin, a marketing director for a toy company and divorced father to an 8-year-old boy who becomes Santa Claus after trying on the original Santa's suit. The film focused on his adjustment to life as Santa Claus. Its sequel, The Santa Clause 2, was released on November 2002 and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause was released 3 years later on November 2006. Allen was incredibly loved as Santa, causing the franchise to continue with a television series, "The Santa Clauses", which premiered on November 16, 2022, on Disney Plus, and aired for 2 seasons. 

Thanks to this franchise, Allen showed that he was a serious and charming actor, capable of leaving a sentimental impact on his projects. He proved he could do more than just stand-up comedy and went on to star in more iconic movie roles, such as Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story franchise. 

2. Macaulay Culkin 

It’s not Christmas without a Home Alone movie watch. While Macaulay Culkin starred in other projects before the Home Alone movie franchise, it was through his role as the adorable and mischievous Kevin McCallister that his fame would skyrocket. The first film in the Home Alone franchise premiered in American movie theaters in November 1990 and became a massive success. Home Alone was the number one film at the box office for 12 consecutive weeks. The film was also in the Guinness World Records as the highest-grossing live-action comedy and it held that record for two decades until The Hangover Part II ultimately broke it in 2011. 

Culkin was praised for his portrayal of Kevin McCallister in both Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. For Home Alone, he would go on to win an American Comedy Award and a Young Artist Award. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe. Thanks to his work on both of these films, Culkin became an internationally known actor and one of the most recognized child actors of the 1990s. While he would go on to star on many more projects, his portrayal of Kevin McCallister remains iconic and is celebrated and remembered every holiday season! 

3. Natalie Wood 

While most remember the late Natalie Wood for her portrayal of Maria in the 1961 American musical romantic drama West Side Story, her claim to fame came in 1947, when, at just 8 years old, she co-starred in the film Miracle on 34th Street. She played the adorable Susan Walker, whose stern mother prohibits her from believing in fairytales, including Santa Claus. However, after a man named Kris is hired to act as a store Santa, her skepticism is challenged.

This film focuses on keeping the Christmas spirit alive by celebrating the power of belief, hope, and joy. After the release of this film, Wood became a household name. She would go on to work on multiple projects before reaching adulthood. Through this heartwarming  Christmas film, the world got to know Wood and experience her talents. 

4. Zack Ward 

The Canadian actor Zach Ward received the Christmas gift of a lifetime in 1983 by being given the role of Scut Farkus in A Christmas Story. The film was based on the 1966 book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd and follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker, played by Peter Billingsley, in 1940s Indiana, who yearns for a certain, classic caliber BB gun for Christmas and faces numerous obstacles getting it. Ward’s character, Farkus, bullies and torments Billingsley, adding extra conflict to the plot. 

After this film, Ward would go on to appear in multiple television films, and had a main role as Dave Scoville in the Fox sitcom "Titus". Thanks to this classic Christmas film, Ward continues to act to this day!

5. Taylor Momsen 

Long before her "Gossip Girl" days, and before becoming the frontwoman of her band The Pretty Reckless, Taylor Momsen charmed viewers worldwide when she started as the adorable Cindy Lou Who in the 2000 film How The Grinch Stole Christmas. This film was based on the 1957 children’s book by Dr. Seuss and follows a grumpy, green creature known as the Grinch (played by Jim Carrey) who hates Christmas and the joyful residents of Whoville, and makes it his mission to sabotage their Christmas celebration. 

Momsen’s character, Cindy, befriends the Grinch and ultimately gets him to appreciate and understand Christmas joy. While Momsen has expressed that she prefers singing to acting, given how much this film helped launch her to stardom, it’s safe to say she couldn't have entirely loathed working on it!