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Santa Claus: The Movie is the beloved ’80s Christmas classic that brought families together on the couch for decades.
But while the iconic film details the heartwarming story of a lumberjack who saves the legend of Santa Claus, the truth behind what happened to the cast of the 1985 film consists of a variety of devastating deaths and illnesses.
Starring David Huddleston as Santa Claus and Dudley Moore as Patch the Elf, the Christmas favorite has everything you need for a festive movie, including music, laughs and a host of notable characters.
Released on November 27, 1985, it also brought joy to the box office, grossing a staggering £16.9 million.
But nearly four decades after their debut, some members of the beloved cast no longer appear on television screens and have retired to their Hollywood homes or suffered tragic deaths.
MailOnline took a look at the cast and found out where they are today.
Santa Claus: The Movie is the beloved ’80s Christmas classic that brought families together on the couch for decades.
But nearly four decades after their debut, some members of the beloved cast no longer appear on television screens and have retired to their Hollywood homes or suffered tragic deaths.
MailOnline has taken a look at the cast and found out where they are today.
Dudley Moore: patch
Dudley Moore CBE played Patch, an elf expert in toy making at the North Pole who becomes dissatisfied and flees the workshop to New York City.
But he unknowingly threatens the fate of Christmas by taking a job at a failing toy company run by a scheming businessman named BZ, played by John Lithgow.
When Dudley accepted the role in Santa Claus: The Movie, it was a huge hit in Hollywood, as he had risen to fame through his comedy duo Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.
But after a stellar career in Hollywood, in 2001 he was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, a brain condition similar to Parkinson’s.
As his 64th birthday approached in 1999, he was deeply depressed.
Four years earlier, it was clear that something was wrong with him, but his doctors kept giving negative test results.
He finally died of pneumonia just one year after his diagnosis, at the age of 66, at his home on March 27, 2002.
Dudley Moore CBE played Patch, an elf expert in toy making at the North Pole who becomes dissatisfied and flees the workshop to New York City. He died at the age of 66 from pneumonia.
David Huddleston: Santa Claus
David Huddleston landed the lead role of Santa Claus after he earned a dazzling reputation among stars following his role as Olson Johnson in the legendary 1974 comedy Blazing Saddles.
Prior to this, David had a successful career as a mechanic in the US Air Force for almost half a decade.
After taking on the role of Santa, he continued his film career, which included a starring role in The Big Lebowski in 1998.
David then pivoted away from big box office hits and starred in Gilmore Girls as the mayor of Stars Hollow.
David was married twice, first to Carole Ann Swart in 1968, with whom he shared Michael Huddleston, who is also an actor.
After Carole’s death in 1987, he married Sarah C Koeppe from 1999 to 2016.
The Emmy Award nominee died of heart and kidney disease in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at the age of 85 in 2016.
David Huddleston landed the lead role of Santa Claus after he earned a dazzling reputation among stars following his role as Olson Johnson in the legendary 1974 comedy Blazing Saddles. He died of heart and kidney disease in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at the age of 85.
John Lithgow: B.Z.
John Lithgow played the greedy toy businessman BZ who took advantage of the innocent elf Patch and tricked him into giving him a gift that will restore him to favor among children.
But despite his brilliant performance as a Christmas villain, John abandoned the big screen for small-time television.
After accepting the role in the Christmas classic, he went on to play Dr. Dick Solomon in the comedy Third Rock From The Sun, which ended in 2001.
John then had a triumphant career, going on to play roles in major series including Winston Churchill in The Crown and voicing Lord Farquaad in the classic comedy Shrek.
Most recently, he took on the role of Tremblay in Concave and prosecutor Peter Leaward in Killers Of The Flowermoon.
John, now 79, has been married twice, first to Jean Taynton from 1966 to 1980, and then to Mary Yeager from 1981.
He and Jean separated because he had an affair with actress Liv Ullmann.
John Lithgow played the greedy toy businessman BZ who took advantage of the innocent elf Patch. He remains a very popular actor and has starred in many classic hits since then.
Judy Cornwell: Mrs. Claus
Judy Cornwall played the respectable role of Mr. Claus, who, according to the 1985 film, was responsible for Santa’s naughty and nice list.
After capturing the hearts of the nation with his sweet demeanor and funny charm, he made audiences laugh and starred in a sitcom.
She then took on the role of Hyacinth Bucket’s long-suffering sister Daisy in the ’90s comedy Keeping Up Appearances.
Judy then tried her hand at soaps, taking on a role in EastEnders as Queenie from 2007 to 2008 and Birds of a Feather as Annie in 2014.
Judy then switched from the cameras to the stage and became known for playing Miss Marple in 2014 and 2016.
He then expanded his skills and published many novels, including Cow and Cow Parsley in 1985, Fishcakes at the Ritz in 1989, The Seventh Sunrise in 1994, and Fear and Favor in 1996.
Her last known television appearance was as a celebrity contestant on Pointless.
The actress, now 84, leads a quieter life with her husband John Kelsall Parry, to whom she has been married since 1960.
They share a son, Edward Parry, and reside in London.
Judy Cornwall played the respectable role of Mr. Claus, who, according to the 1985 film, was responsible for Santa’s naughty and nice list. She is now 84 years old, leads a quieter life and is retired in London.
Carrie Kei Heim: Cornelia
Carrie Kei Heim played the sweet red-haired girl, Cornelia, who was the niece of the film’s villain, BZ.
Along with her orphaned boyfriend, Cornelia worked alongside Santa and Mrs. Claus to save Christmas and Patch from their uncle.
Carrie, 51, who was born in Tokyo, continued as a child actress and appeared in some major films, including The Parent Trap 2.
But she decided that acting would not be her future, she left show business and became a lawyer and writer.
Now an avid fan of literature and novels, the only connection Carrie has to her acting days is her Instagram bio, where she calls herself “that red-haired girl from those ’80s movies.”
Carrie, who has been married to Peter K. Binas since May 2005, is now also the mother of a daughter and a burly English Bulldog.
Carrie Kei Heim played the sweet red-haired girl, Cornelia, who was the niece of the film’s villain, BZ. Deciding that acting was not going to be her future, she left show business and became a lawyer and writer.
Christian Fitzpatrick: Joe
Christian Fitzpatrick played street urchin Joe in the 1985 film.
His character saw him join forces with Cornelia to help save Christmas before going to live at the North Pole with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus.
After her brilliant performance, she starred in the comedy film Vice Versa alongside Judge Reinhold in 1988.
Despite seeming destined for fame, Christian has no other film roles listed for the actor.
But it seems he’s still trying to resurrect his acting career.
A LinkedIn page under his first name describes him as an actor member of the Screen Actors Guild seeking acting and voice-over work.
Christian Fitzpatrick played street urchin Joe in the 1985 film. Despite seeming destined for fame, Christian has no other film roles listed for the actor.
Burgess Meredith: ancient elf
Burgess Meredith took on the role of ancient elf.
He tells Santa Claus that he is the Chosen One and that he will bring gifts to the children on Christmas Eve.
The Ancient Elf also gives Santa the gift of flight and time travel, allowing him to complete his mission.
And after his appearance in the film, Burgess had a great career in show business and later became a director.
One of which included Mickey in Rocky V and Grandpa Gustafson in Grumpy Old Men.
Burgess died at age 89 from Alzheimer’s disease and melanoma.
Santa Claus can now be streamed on Amazon Prime or Now TV.
Burgess Meredith, who took on the role of Ancient Elf, died at age 89 from Alzheimer’s disease and melanoma.