Remember Bernard the Elf from ‘The Santa Clause’? See What David Krumholtz Is Up to Now!

If you’ve watched The Santa Clause, you probably remember Bernard the Elf. The exasperated head elf with dreadlocks was Santa’s right-hand man in the iconic 1994 Disney movie, and has become a fan-favorite over the years. So, what is the actor, David Krumholtz, up to now? Keep reading to find out!

What Has David Krumholtz Been Up to?

Following The Santa Clause, David played Michael Eckman in 10 Things I Hate About You in 1999, starred in the Harold & Kumar film trilogy, played Charlie Eppes in the CBS drama series Numb3rs and Isidor Isaac Rabi in Oppenheimer in 2023. He also reprised his iconic Christmas character for the 2002 movie, The Santa Clause 2.

In 2022, he starred in the Broadway show Leopoldstadt, where he played Hermann Merz, for which he received a Drama League Award nomination.

As for his personal life, David married Vanessa Britting in 2010, and the couple share two children together.

Why Wasn’t Bernard the Elf in ‘The Santa Clause 3’?

While he appeared in first sequel to The Santa Clause, Bernard was missing in the third movie released in 2006. At the time, David was starring in the TV show Numb3rs, so his schedule conflicted with the filming. Due to this, the returning character of Curtis took over as the Head Elf.

“Well, the story about my scheduling is true, but somehow also untrue,” he told Vulture in 2021, before confirming that he was originally supposed to play a significant role in the third movie. “We did work out the schedule, which was going to be hellish on me, but I was going to make it work. And it was all set to go. But I would say that the character got devalued a little bit and I couldn’t in good conscience do it.

He continued, “The third one, I’ve tried to watch. It’s not the same. I think the first two are really special. The first one’s a classic, obviously. It’s wild to be part of something that’s lasted this long, that plays every single year and has become tradition in people’s homes. I could never have imagined that I’d be having this conversation years later.”

While he missed out on the third film, he did return for the Disney+ spinoff series The Santa Clauses in 2023! He appears in the fifth episode of the first season.

What Has David Krumholtz Said of His ‘Santa Clause’ Character?

David often expresses fondness for his role in The Santa Clause franchise — most recently, he posted a hilarious tribute to the character on his Instagram page in December 2024.

“Listen here… I will never not be this character. Lots of actors shy away from distinctive roles that have defined them, not me. No, I AM this elven bastard 4 lyfe. Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!” he shared. “People stop me and really do ask me if I still act or if I’ve done any other acting work since Bernard. I tell them that I’ve been running a weekly cacao/gutteral screaming ceremony for the last 22 years. Nobody needs to know that I’m anything other than this white boy with dreadlocks and glittered rosy cheeks.”

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