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Santa Suit Agony: Actress's Miserable Holiday Role
3 Dec
Summary
- Actress found heavy Santa prosthetics and belly extremely uncomfortable and suffocating.
- She endured 12-hour days in a 15-pound costume, including a glued beard.
- Despite physical misery, she called playing dual roles her best acting experience.
Alexandra Breckenridge recently shared the challenging realities of her role as Santa Claus in the new film, 'My Secret Santa.' The actress described the experience as physically uncomfortable due to heavy prosthetics, a fake belly, and a beard glued to her face, which made eating difficult. Wearing the 15-pound costume for up to 12 hours daily, especially in extreme weather, led to overheating, requiring ice packs and fans to cope.
Despite the 'miserable' physical toll, Breckenridge expressed that taking on the dual role was a profoundly rewarding acting experience. She embraced the challenge of portraying a character within a character, finding joy in the freedom to be 'silly and ridiculous.' Initially 'terrified' by the script's demands, she viewed it as a crucial life opportunity to push her boundaries and test her acting capabilities.
Breckenridge drew inspiration from Tim Allen's portrayal but found that fully embodying the character through hair, makeup, and the suit was key to finding Santa's walk. She noted that her character, Taylor, was not a professional actor, necessitating a degree of naivete in her portrayal. The film also featured Breckenridge lip-syncing a song and playing guitar, a task she practiced extensively despite her small fingers and the freezing temperatures.
