Red One Santa actor: Who played Santa in Red One? Actor's career and notable projects, explored

Chris Evans' Red One breaks the norms of being a Santa Claus with a bit of an Ant-Man-ly feel to it. The viewers got to know another thing: the legendary Christian figure doesn't bear the load alone, it's teamwork, and it takes effort—a lot of them.

While there were other stars like Dwayne Johnson and Lucy Liu in this Christmas flick, it was J.K. Simmons who made it special by playing the Santa Claus. In the film, a black ops team kidnaps him but not for long, as his team is way better than it appears.

People will remember Santa from Red One for years to come but J.K. Simmons has been a part of some iconic films where the characters he played were praised widely. From a compassionate Mac Macguff to the brusque J. Jonah Jameson, his portrayals in these films show the multidimensionality he possesses.

From Broadway to the Hollywood — J.K. Simmons' notable projects explored

J.K. Simmons plays Santa Claus in Red One (Image via YouTube/ Amazon MGM Studios)

J.K. Simmons' was first summoned to play the role of a patrolman in a 1986 film, Popeye Doyle, and then to play a sergeant in a soap opera called All My Children, thus beginning his career. But it wasn't until the 90s that he began getting recognition through Broadway performances.

Simmons has since worked in over 200 movies where the actor holds minor as well as major roles under his belt. His breakthrough performance came with a role he almost rejected, an American prison drama series written by Tom Fontana called Oz, where he played a neo-Nazi.

And it isn't just contained to the TV and movies, as Simmons lent his voice to video games like Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3, Dota 2, Baldur's Gate 3, and more. Many of them were to the characters he had already voiced in Hollywood.

Thanks to his performances, Simmons has a large trophy cabinet with awards ranging from those of critics' associations to Oscars looking at him with pride today.

Red One's Santa has been a bad one on different occasions

Simmons voiced JJJ in Spider-Man video games too (Image via YouTube/ Amazon MGM Studios)

The Red One actor has a range. He can be a detective assisting the caped crusader, a father supporting her daughter during her unintended pregnancy, a juror trying to go out of the way to gather evidence, and more. But he seems more inclined toward roles having the potential of some healthy machismo.

Vernon Schillinger from Oz

Of course, Simmons' role as the Aryan Brotherhood leader gave him the big break so it deserves a top spot. He plays the role of one bigoted Vernon Schillinger, who was a result of child abuse towards him from his father, Heinrick Schillinger.

Klaus from Klaus

J.K. Simmons didn't just play Santa in Red One, he gave his voice to Klaus in a retelling of the story of the Christmas legend. Unlike this action-packed social Santa we saw in Chris Evans' film, this one prefers solitude and makes toys out of wood, which he and a little friend of his leverage to make the town of Smeerensburg a better place.

Terence Fletcher from Whiplash

Terence Fletcher can be a charming man at times while still maintaining his perfectionist attitude. His performance in Whiplash will leave the audience wondering if he is one good man with bad tactics or genuinely a bad man.

J. Jonah Jameson from Spider-Man

Though it is less likely a case, even if there are people who don't know J.K. Simmons, know J. Jonah Jameson from Raimi's Spider-Man franchise. Some actors are born to play certain roles, Simmons was born to be the JJJ.