Los Angeles, California
1920 – 2014

International Santa Claus Hall of Fame – December 2012

Mickey Rooney was one of the most celebrated entertainers in American history. His work across film, television, and stage earned him a place as a true American treasure, with a career spanning more than eight decades.

The honors speak for themselves. Rooney received an Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement, a Juvenile Oscar shared with Deanna Durbin, one Emmy Award, five additional Oscar nominations, and five Emmy nominations. Few entertainers have matched that record.

His connection to Santa Claus began in 1969 when he voiced the character for the Rankin/Bass stop-motion classic Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (1970). It was the start of a long and beloved association. He returned to the role in The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974), Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July (1979), The Happy Elf (2005), and A Miser Brothers’ Christmas (2008). For generations of children, Mickey Rooney’s voice was the voice of Santa Claus.

He never lost his sense of purpose or his humility. “I don’t retire, I inspire,” he told the Palm Beach Post in 2001. “Mickey Rooney is not great. Mickey Rooney was fortunate to have been an infinitesimal part of motion pictures and show business.”

Mickey Rooney died on April 6th 2014. He was 93.