20 celebrities who absolutely own the holiday film genre

Candace Cameron Bure caught the Christmas movie bug in the early 2000s after appearing in flicks like Moonlight and Mistletoe and The Heart of Christmas. In April 2022, the Fuller House star announced her departure from Hallmark to produce her own Christmas-based programming with the Great American Family network.

Lacey Chabert, star of the 2004 film Mean Girls, has been starring in Hallmark Christmas movies since 2010. In 2024, she celebrated her 40th film with the network, telling People the moment was “surreal.” 

“I never would’ve known when I did the first one that it would turn into what it has, and I’m just so proud of it and the journey and the excitement of all that filming 40 movies has brought to my life. It’s just been a beautiful experience.”

Lindsay Lohan didn’t begin her career as a Christmas movie icon, but she’s surely turning into one. The actor returned to the industry with the 2022 holiday film Falling for Christmas, and in 2024, announced her second project with Netflix, Our Little Secret. 

Tim Allen has solidified his place as holiday movie royalty since his epic performance in the 1994 blockbuster The Santa Clause. According to Box Office Mojo, the movie grossed over $140 million at the box office and spawned two sequels. In 2022, Disney+ aired the spin-off series The Santa Clauses, which also starred the award-winning Allen.

Family Reunion star Tia Mowry does more than just comedy. Her first Christmas-themed film was The Mistle-Tones in 2012. However, she returned to the genre in 2018 with the TV films My Christmas Inn and A Gingerbread Romance. In 2019, she starred in the Lifetime film A Very Vintage Christmas. 

Vanessa Hudgens made a name for herself as a pop star after starring in Disney’s High School Musical. But in the 2010s, she evolved into much more after starring in Netflix’s Christmas film, The Princess Switch. She starred in sequels, too, and told Entertainment Weekly that they help her “find escapism.” 

Ed Asner appeared in several Christmas films before he died in 2021. One of his most popular roles was as Santa Claus alongside Will Ferrell in Elf.

Can anyone name a better Christmas film than the 1990 classic Home Alone?

Holiday movie lovers know Luke Macfarlane hit the jackpot with his Hallmark deal, earning him spots in movies like Christmas Land, The Mistletoe Promise, and A Shoe Addict’s Christmas. His latest project was in 2023, when he played the role of Chris in Catch Me If You Claus.

Another Mean Girls star who the public can always count on to star in a good holiday flick is Jonathan Bennett (or Aaron Samuels—however you refer to him). In fact, he’s so used to those kinds of films that he’s previously referred to himself as the “gay king of Christmas.”

Kelly Rowland is known for many things, including her chart-topping music singles, stellar dance moves, and heart-warming Christmas movies. In 2019, she starred in the holiday film Merry Liddle Christmas, which had two sequels in 2020 and 2021.

Very few Christmas movies have original and entertaining plots, and ABC Family’s 2006 film Santa Baby is proof of that. It follows a young woman who must fill in for her father (Santa Claus) at the North Pole after he falls seriously ill just before the holiday season. Cheesy, yes. However, the movie’s only redeeming quality is that it starred Jenny McCarthy, who also returned for the sequel in 2009.

Jim Carrey doesn’t take on Christmas roles as frequently as some of the others on this list, but when you have a movie like How the Grinch Stole Christmas on your resume, you don’t have to. The actor played the role of the bad-tempered, green-furred creature named Grinch in the 2000 film, and since then, the character has been a staple during the holiday season.

Nia Long and the entire cast of The Best Man Holiday should be listed here. The actors starred in the 2013 holiday film, which eventually became a Christmas classic among Black viewers. Years later, Peacock developed a limited series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, that aired on the streaming giant in 2022.

Reese Witherspoon’s 2008 holiday film with Vince Vaughn ( Four Christmases) was a box office flop. But, as always, the legendary actor brought her character to life, making her the adorable protagonist everyone wanted to root for.

Does this one need any explanation? Will Ferrell’s Elf will always be a must-see film during the holiday season.

Believe it or not, Mariah Carey starred in a 2015 holiday film called A Christmas Melody. She might not be known for her acting skills, but since she’s the self-proclaimed Queen of Christmas, it’s hard to leave her off this list.

Dolly has an amusement park named after her and a Christmas film, too! If you ask us, Mariah could have some competition.

Tom Hanks has always been a legendary actor, and holiday film fans everywhere have to thank the performer for voicing six different characters in the beloved 2004 Christmas movie The Polar Express.

In 1998, Neil Patrick Harris starred in the CBS television film The Christmas Wish. He played Will Martin, a family man who went on a spiritual journey with his grandparents and uncovered the true meaning of forgiveness and love. Isn’t that what Christmas is all about?