Fans of a beloved Christmas classic have been left in a state of shock after the film's iconic star shared a festive video, revealing a dramatic transformation more than three decades after his breakout role.
A Festive Surprise From a Christmas Icon
Actor David Krumholtz, now 47, took to Instagram on Christmas Day to share a clip of himself singing 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town'. The video prompted an immediate wave of nostalgia, but also widespread surprise at his changed appearance. Sporting facial stubble, a black beanie, and a heavy coat, the former child star looked markedly different from the perpetually youthful elf he once portrayed.
Krumholtz was just 17 years old when he landed the career-defining role of Bernard, the acid-tongued head elf, in Disney's 1994 festive hit The Santa Clause. The film became an instant staple of childhoods across the globe and has endured as a must-watch Christmas classic, still enjoyed by millions every holiday season.
From Broadway Elf to Nuclear Physicist
The actor's career began early, with his first professional role at age 13 in the Broadway production of Conversations with My Father. Early film appearances in Life with Mikey and Addams Family Values followed, but it was the 1994 Christmas film that catapulted him to fame. He reprised the role of Bernard in the 2002 sequel.
Following his elf duties, Krumholtz built a successful career in comedy, with memorable parts in 10 Things I Hate About You and the cult stoner comedy Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle. From 2005 to 2010, he gained a dedicated following playing Professor Charlie Eppes on the CBS drama Numb3rs.
In a remarkable full-circle moment, Krumholtz returned to the North Pole to play Bernard once more in the 2022 Disney+ series The Santa Clauses. He has since taken on a critically acclaimed dramatic turn, portraying physicist Isidor Isaac Rabi in Christopher Nolan's blockbuster Oppenheimer in 2023.
A Legacy Embraced and a Future Ahead
The actor's recent Instagram post was flooded with comments from fans reeling from both nostalgia and his altered look. 'Bernard! What a voice,' one admirer wrote. Another shared a story about their eight-year-old daughter becoming a new-generation fan, who was 'INCENSED that Bernard wasn't in the third film.'
Krumholtz has spoken openly about his complex relationship with the role that made him famous. He admitted to 'resenting' the typecasting during his 20s and 30s, but told Time magazine in 2022 that becoming a father himself changed his perspective. 'I thought, there's something sort of worth emulating about Bernard. I wish I could be Bernard in a way,' he explained.
On the personal front, Krumholtz is married to actress Vanessa Britting. The couple, who have a son and a daughter together, got engaged in Paris in 2008 and married at New York City's Plaza Hotel on 22 May 2010.
Looking forward, the actor shows no signs of slowing down. He is set to appear in the upcoming film Supergirl and the biographical sports drama Mr. Irrelevant, proving that his journey from Santa's workshop to Hollywood's biggest stages is far from over.
